Tag: Sea Island Resort

Top 20 Public Courses-Georgia 2024

Sea Island Resort: Home of the RSM Classic

Golfers all over the world are intimately familiar with The Masters and the beauty of Augusta National Golf Club, but Georgia is also home to some of the finest golf resorts and public courses you will find anywhere in the USA.

From Savannah and St. Simons Island along the Atlantic coast, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north, Georgia’s geography, natural beauty, and climate combine to create the perfect golfer’s paradise.

For an unforgettable golf get-away, Reynolds Lake Oconee (located about midway between Atlanta and Augusta), offers 99 incredible holes with designs by Jack Nicklaus (Great Waters), Tom Fazio (The National), Rees Jones (Oconee) and Bob Cupp (The Landing and Preserve).

If you are looking for the perfect combination of golf and beach, Sea Island has everything you can ask for. Davis Love III, along with brother Mark, have renovated and restored classic original designs by Colt & Alison, Walter Travis and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to create two fantastic courses (Plantation and Retreat), and Tom Fazo added icing to the cake with his wonderful Seaside 18-hole layout (home to the PGA Tour RSM Classic held each year in November).

Top Georgia public venues also include a Donald Ross design (No. 4–Forest Hills), the University of Georgia Golf Course (No. 3, an RTJ original with Davis Love renovations) as well as Echelon (No. 5) and McLemore (No. 6)—two terrific Rees Jones layouts.

And when it comes time to start planning your next golf road trip, take a good look at the 23 great tracks along the Georgia Golf Trail.

The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.

Select Top 20 Georgia Public Courses for a map view of locations (click a flag for course name and details).

Looking for the best courses near you or where you plan to be—click the GolfDay Search Engine for everything you need.

Reynolds Lake Oconee

1. Reynolds Lake Oconee/Greensboro

     Ritz-Carlton/Georgia Golf Trail    

  • Holes: 99 (4 Eighteen Hole Courses (Great Waters/Oconee/Landing/Preserve) and Twenty-seven Hole Course-National)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Tom Fazio/Rees Jones/Bob Cupp/Fuzzy Zoeller/Hubert Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Great Waters:         75.7/143

Oconee:                    75.2/141

Landing:                   74.5/138

Preserve:                  72.2/133

National:

Bluff    37.0/143

Cove  37.4/143

Ridge 37.2/143

Sea Island Resort

2. Sea Island Resort/Sea Island

    Georgia Golf Trail  

  • Holes: 54 (3 Eighteen Hole Courses: Plantation/Seaside/Retreat)
  • Course Architects: Walter Travis/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Dick Wilson/Joe Lee/Rocky Roquemore/Tom Fazio/Davis Love III/Mark Love/Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Plantation:  74.0/129

Seaside:       73.8/138

Retreat:        73.9/133

University of Georgia Golf Course

3. University of Georgia Golf Course/Athens

     University of Georgia

Forest Hills Golf Club

4. Forest Hills Golf Club/Augusta

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay/Harrison Minchew
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/141
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Fairway Bunker, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.5
  • Location
Echelon Golf Club

5. Echelon Golf Club/Alpharetta

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Rees Jones/Steve Weisser
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.2/149
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Resort Rating: 95.8
  • Location
McLemore

6. McLemore/Rising Fawn

     Scenic Land Company

Crosswinds Golf Club

7. Crosswinds Golf Club/Savannah

Cherokee Run Golf Club

8. Cherokee Run Golf Club/Conyers

     City of Conyers

Sky Valley Country Club

9. Sky Valley Country Club/Sky Valley

    Georgia Golf Trail

Kinderlou Forest Golf Club

10. Kinderlou Forest Golf Club/Valdosta

Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course

11. Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course/Elberton

     Richard B. Russell State Park/Georgia Golf Trail

Woodmont Golf & Country Club

12. Woodmont Golf & Country Club/Canton     

Achasta Golf Course

13. Achasta Golf Course/Dahlonega

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2/141
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.4
  • Location
Chattahoochee Golf Club

14. Chattahoochee Golf Club/Gainesville

       City of Gainesville

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Denis Griffiths/Kevin Hargrave/Bill Bergin
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0/131
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.3
  • Location
Harbor Club

15. Harbor Club/Greensboro

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2/138
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.8
  • Location
The Club at Osprey Cove

16. The Club at Osprey Cove/St. Marys

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Mark McCumber/Michael Beebe
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.7/134
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Old Toccoa Farm

17. Old Toccoa Farm/Mineral Bluff

Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa

18. Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa/Young Harris

       Georgia Golf Trail

King & Prince Golf Course

19. King & Prince Golf Course/St. Simons Island

Ashton Hills Golf Club

20. Ashton Hills Golf Club/Covington

Share this Article:

Top 10 Golf Resorts: South Carolina 2023-2024

Harbour Town Golf Links, Sea Pines Resort, SC

Of all the states in the country, South Carolina has the highest percentage of public courses receiving a GolfDay Rating of 90 or higher (Excellent), and a very large number received a rating over 80 (very good), so it’s certainly no surprise that some of the best golf resorts in the country can be found in SC as well.

The Resorts below are listed by their GolfDay Rating, and we have included links for course description, accommodations and golf academy (if available). A link to the Resort website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio dominate the landscape at the premier golf destinations in South Carolina. Dye and Nicklaus collaborated to create the iconic Harbour Town Links at Sea Island Resort, and each contributed their signature to the spectacular courses at Kiawah Island—Pete Dye with the Ocean Course and Jack with Turtle Point.  Nicklaus also laid out the wonderful track at Montage-Palmetto (May River.)

Tom Fazio contributed his architectural genius at Kiawah with Osprey Point, designed one of the terrific courses at Barefoot Resort, and both courses at Wild Dunes Golf Links.

Davis Love III has also continued to burnish his reputation among the top modern day course architects with his work at Sea Pines Resort (Atlantic Dunes), Barefoot Resort and Fripp Island Resort (Ocean Creek)  

The GolfDay Resort rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), the variety of courses located at the property, updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest and Golfweek, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews, as well as the quality of accommodations and level of service.

Click Top 10 South Carolina Resorts for a map overview of the resort locations (hover over a flag and the resort name will come up, and click for details).                                            

Kiawah Island Golf Resort
  1. Kiawah Island Golf Resort/Kiawah Island, SC
    • Holes: 90 (5-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Alice Dye/Gary Player/Clyde Johnston/Tom Fazio/Jack Nicklaus
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Ocean:                    79.1/155
    • Cougar Point:         72.7/134
    • Oak Point:              72.1/137
    • Osprey Point:         73.6/140
    • Turtle Point:           73.0/134
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Ranges with Targets, Chipping and Putting Greens at each course. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100, Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
  •  
The Sea Pines Resort
  1. The Sea Pines Resort/Hilton Head Island, SC
    • Holes: 54 (3-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus/George Cobb/Clyde Johnston/Davis Love III/Scot Sherman
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Harbour Town Links:            79.5/152
    • Heron Point:                        74.8/140
    • Atlantic Dunes:                    74.3/143
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Ranges with Targets (Harbour Town and Heron Point/Ocean), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers. Range Balls and Fore Caddie (Harbour Town) included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200, Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
Barefoot Resort & Golf
  1. Barefoot Resort & Golf/North Myrtle Beach, SC
    • Holes: 72 (4-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Greg Norman/Tad Burnett/Davis Love III/Tom Fazio/Pete Dye Moreau/David Gill/Mike DeVries
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Norman:     74.2/141
    • Love:          74.9/141
    • Fazio:         73.4/144
    • Dye:           76.0/143
    • Practice Facilities: Lighted and Covered Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Dyer and Greg Norman Golf Academies.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
Legends Resort
  1. Legends Resort/Myrtle Beach SC
    • Holes: 54
    • Course Architects: Tom Doak/P. B. Dye
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Parkland:               74.3/144
    • Moorland:              73.6/143
    • Heathland:              73.3/143
    • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy/Junior Golf
    • Golf Packages
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.8
    • Location
May River Golf Club
  1. May River Golf Club/Bluffton, SC
  2. Montage-Palmetto Bluff
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.8/141
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Wedge Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (6). ProV1 Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Description
    • Accommodations
    • Photos
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
    • Location
Fripp Island Club
  1. Fripp Island Club/St. Helena Island, SC
  2. Fripp Island Golf & Beach resort/Seascape Hospitality
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architect: George Cobb/John LaFoy/Davis Love III/Paul Cowley
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Ocean Point:          74.0/140
    • Ocean Creek:         72.1/139
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Creek). Irons Only Grass Driving Range with Putting Green (Point).
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Packages
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.4
    • Location
Grande Dunes Resort Club
  1. Grande Dunes Resort Club/Myrtle Beach, SC
  2. Marina Inn
Wild Dunes Golf Links
  1. Wild Dunes Golf Links/Isle of Palms, SC
  2. Destination Hotels
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Links:         72.1/138
    • Harbor:       71.1/139
    • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (flight restricted balls), Putting and Chipping Greens (Links Course). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Packages
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
    • Location
Wachesaw Plantation East
  1. Wachesaw Plantation East/Myrtle Beach, SC
  2. Patton Hospitality
Palmetto Dunes
  1. Palmetto Dunes/Hilton Head Island, SC
    • Holes: 54
    • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/George Fazio/Roger Rulewich/John Harvey
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Jones:                    74.8/141
    • Hills:                      73.5/139
    • Fazio:                     74.2/145
    • Practice Facilities: Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Hills/Fazio)/Driving Range with Bunker and Toptracer Technology (Jones).
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • GolfDay Rating: 88
    • Location
Share this Article: