 |
| The Lodge |
Sea Island. The air is thick with southern tradition at this private club. The families here are pulled from the pages of the Brooks Brothers catalog, and no detail has been overlooked at this club. It's meticulously maintained y'all. Fresh off yesterday's round at the modern layout of
Tobacco Road, Sea Island was sure to be a change of pace.
 |
| Sunrise at the range. |
We love an early tee time, and today was no exception. The sun was just coming up over the water as we drove out to the driving range overlooking St. Simon's Sound and the Atlantic. Shawn was pretty excited about playing his first seaside course. We were the only people on the range, aside from the gentleman carefully filling the divots from the prior day. I wouldn't have planned it any other way. Peace and quiet, chirping birds, and the sunrise.
This reeks of vacation.
 |
| Putting green at The Lodge. |
The putting green alongside the clubhouse, The Lodge, was no exception. We quickly realized the greens were going to be exceptionally fast and difficult to read, despite the dew that still covered them. We decided to forgo the forecaddie (play on words there), even though one is included. Using a caddie presumes I actually have control over what I'm doing on the course, and that would be foolish. I'm here for the scenery, fresh air, and quality time with Shawn.
The first hole was a clear sign of what was to come for the seventeen following it. The course, renovated in 1999 by Tom Fazio, offered a very traditional layout, with perfect edges on everything from the fairways, to the bunkers, and cups. To be clear, the cups were cut so precisely that your putt had to be clearly intended for the center of the hole in order to fall in. I can only speak for myself, but I had more three (and perhaps four or five, at times) putts than I'd like to admit.
Playing at Seaside is like eating at a white tablecloth restaurant where they use the table scraper tool to clean off your breadcrumbs and sugar granules mid-meal. (Where do they get that fancy contraption from anyhow? I'm sure Bed, Bath and Beyond probably has it.) There were maintenance personnel everywhere, and I don't even think it was due to the fact we played in the morning. I think this course is just in a perpetual state of cleanliness. We had a gentleman blowing off the tee box before and after us on one hole. Filling each divot after doing so. The sand in the bunkers didn't even stand a chance to look unkempt, since the caddies were quick to rake them back just as they were found. Shawn described them as "pillowy." I know we didn't do as nice of a job on our own, but I'm confident the caddy behind us took care of that. Pristine with a capital "P." Did I mention they have cute little wicker lanterns instead of flags on the greens? I'm sure there's some meaning to it, or maybe it's just to counteract mold. Whatever it is, the little red lanterns are too cute. Yes, golf can be cute.
 |
| Perfect. Pretty sure they even called in the blue skies and wispy clouds. |
Playing along the water was a pretty neat experience. The breeze, salt marshes, and sailboats passing by all made for some pretty great scenery. With that said, you have to stay focused and send your shot where you intend it to go. There are no secrets as to where each fairway will lead you--dogleg or not. Yet a poor lie will land you in a bunker, water, or rolling some place that turns your brow upside down. I was getting pretty lethargic around hole 14 (gotta keep this girl fed or else I'm on the fast track to Crab City real fast), so I started to take in outside distractions to keep me entertained. The many types of birds and flying fish were pleasant for the short term. I knew flying fish existed. Well, actually, I didn't know they existed, but I'd heard of flying fish. Thought it might be just a fictional creature, or some type of hybrid fish-bird. They are the real deal, and they are pretty fun to watch. I tried to snag a picture, but the little buggers are pretty quick and grew camera shy once I was ready to capture them. Our dog pulls the same trick. I apparently have to work on not being so obvious.
 |
| Shawn's tee shot on #2. |
The rest of holes were as beautiful as those at the beginning. Overall, we were just so impressed with how well-kept we found this course to be. Shawn's favorite was the second hole, where his tee shot had to clear nearly 200 yards of marsh, only to land right in the fairway, all while avoiding the water running along the right side.
 |
| Hole #2 |
I would say I liked just about every hole. I don't know that I'd have a favorite. Each had a little different personality, but somehow they all ran in the same family. I enjoyed playing along the shore line, but I really enjoyed the landscape and layout of some of those more inland. Really neat course.
All in all, I don't know that we'd come back for a second round– especially for the cost. I'm happy we played here, but the east coast of Georgia isn't something we're eagerly running back to, nor are we enamored with the traditional layout. If you do come and spend some time here, you might want to check out Sea Island's Learning Center. This impressive facility schools some of the PGA's finest, including Davis Love III, Brandt Snedaker, Lucas Glover, and Zach Johnson.
 |
| The Learning Center |
Sea Island: Seaside Course
Photos: See more Seaside
Scorecard
No comments:
Post a Comment