Sea Island History

[Parker Page]

I am headed to Sea Island this week, so I was searching this site for some guidance on the complex history of what now comprises the Seaside 18 and the Plantation 18. Is there any Colt/Alison remaining? Is there any Walter Travis still remaining? I found an old thread from before Fazio’s most recent full re-do that created the Seaside 18 and Love’s re-do that created the Plantation 18. Can anyone point me to a resource that explains the full history of those two courses and how much (if anything) is left of the golden age?

[Tom_Doak]

There is pretty much nothing left from the Golden Age, other than the islands in the marsh that Alison built are still in use on the Fazio course, in a vaguely similar routing.


Before Davis Love's version of the Plantation, there was a Rees Jones redo, which created the big lake near the clubhouse and pretty much eliminated any vestiges of older holes.

[Mike_Young]

There is a history in the Lodge. 
Play Brunswick CC and go next door to Jekyl and play Great Dunes...

[Mark Pritchett]

There is a history in the Lodge. 
Play Brunswick CC and go next door to Jekyl and play Great Dunes...

This

[Mike_Young]

There is a history in the Lodge. 
Play Brunswick CC and go next door to Jekyl and play Great Dunes...

This

[Anthony Gholz]

Parker:


I wrote the book in 2016 regarding C&A in North America and included Sea Island.   This was before the latest Davis Love redo.  At that time I argued that the majority of the Seaside and original Plantation nines were still Alison.  I based that on a review of the club's archive original Alison drawings and the Georgia Historical Society's collection, to which the Sea island Company's archive was given when last sold.


Alison had done quite a redesign of Travis's 9 holes and they were basically intact even when 9 was added to the course to make a separate 18.  Today after Fazio and Love and new pools and clubhouses, I would agree with Tom that the Plantation 9 includes almost nothing of Alison anymore much less Travis.  The Seaside 9 (back 9 of todays's Seaside course) still includes most of Alison's routing and bunkering for holes 10, 11, 12, and 13 (the Signature hole).  14 & 15 have been rerouted.  16 has a new green 50 yards short of the original, but the tee shot across the march is Alison.  17 is almost exactly Alison the only change being the right bunker is now 2 rather than one, but the sand area is same. 18 is similar although mere mortals play it as a par-5 not a drive and short iron 4.


Definitely eat dinner one night in the C&A dining room and look at the copies of the drawings on the wall.  Those drawings are Alison lines and notes but they've been colorized in brown to match the DAY COR of the room.  Many of the original blueprints are still in the Company's current archive, but you'd need to write a few letters to get to see those.


Remember the wind and location are the same!


Anthony
Colt & Alison in North America (www.blurb.com)

[Parker Page]

Thank you, all! I’ll try to check out the resources in The Lodge, but it’s a shame that we can’t see it on the ground anymore. I’m sure the two courses will be delightful, but you hate to lose the work of the greats.

[Paul Elam]

I'll be at Sea Island this week as well.  If is see someone else closely inspecting the maps in the C & A dining room, I'll know its another GCA'er!

[Tim Gavrich]

The Colt & Alison steakhouse in the Lodge is good, though very expensive. Southern Soul BBQ is a must, as are the pork pops at Sweet Mama's at breakfast time.


Adding onto the Brunswick CC suggestion with a plug for Sanctuary GC (née Sanctuary Cove) as well. I really like it; very low-profile Raynor-styled Paul Cowley/DL3-Design-sans-Davis design.