I just returned from four days on St. Simons Island. While we were there, we played Seaside and Plantation at Sea Island. I don’t need to say anything about Seaside. It is excellent. The surprise was the Plantation Course. Its history is complicated, and many hands have stirred the pot on the course. Its newest iteration is the result of Davis and Mark Love’s work. I thought the fairway bunkering was varied and thoughtful. Ten is a fascinating drivable short par four with a principal’s nose. Eleven has a trench in the middle of the green that plays havoc with any putt on the wrong side. Thirteen has a really good punchbowl green. I know that Walter Travis built some of the greens. It showed. The greens had a lot of interior movement, and little mounds were sprinkled throughout many greens. The greens demanded good putting from the player.
The course is less scenic and challenging than Seaside, but it sure was fun. It doesn’t seem to get a lot of love, but I sure liked it. If I returned, I think I would split six at Seaside and four at Plantation.