Destination · United States

Sea Island

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Seaside, Plantation, Retreat, and the Sea Island Golf Performance Center - the South's most polished golf-and-coastal resort.

Updated May 2026 · By the Pinseekers Travel team

The short answer

Sea Island Resort sits on the Georgia coast at St. Simons Island and runs three championship courses - Seaside (host of the PGA Tour's RSM Classic), Plantation, and Retreat - plus the Sea Island Golf Performance Center, one of the top short-game and instruction facilities in the world. Pinseekers Travel runs 4-5 night trips here for groups of 6 to 16. Best months are March through November.

Best season

March - November (April-May & October are peak)

Trip length

4-5 nights / 3-4 rounds

Group size

6 - 16 players

Pricing from

$3,400 - $7,500 per player

Best for

Buddies trips, anniversary trips, golf-and-coastal escapes

Fly into

JAX (Jacksonville, 75 min) or SAV (Savannah, 90 min); BQK (Brunswick) for private

On the Ground

“Sea Island is the easiest first international-feel trip without leaving the country. The Plantation Course is the warm-up, Seaside is the test. The mistake groups make is overlooking the Performance Center - even a 60-minute session before your first round here pays off because you'll see shots you don't see at home.”

Billy Belair, PGA Professional · Co-Founder, Pinseekers Travel

The courses we play

CourseDesignerType
Seaside CourseTom Fazio (1999, original Colt & Alison 1929)Coastal links-influenced
Plantation CourseWalter Travis (1928) / Davis Love III & Mark Love restoration (2019)Live-oak parkland with marsh edges
Retreat CourseDavis Love III (2001)Coastal parkland
Sea Island Golf Performance Center-Year-round teaching facility

Seaside Course

Tom Fazio (1999, original Colt & Alison 1929) · Coastal links-influenced · 7,055 yds, par 70

Annual host of the PGA Tour's RSM Classic. Open vistas across the marsh and St. Simons Sound, and a closing stretch (Holes 16-18) that ranks among the best in the South.

Plantation Course

Walter Travis (1928) / Davis Love III & Mark Love restoration (2019) · Live-oak parkland with marsh edges · 7,058 yds, par 72

The Loves' restoration added back the original Travis greens contours. Quieter than Seaside, with stunning live-oak corridors and four holes along the marsh.

Retreat Course

Davis Love III (2001) · Coastal parkland · 7,108 yds, par 72

The 'second-round companion' to Seaside - wider corridors, friendlier to mid-handicappers, and excellent for the tournament-format Day 2 play.

Sea Island Golf Performance Center

- · Year-round teaching facility · Practice & instruction

Home to top-tier instructors (Davis Love III is a member, Matt Kuchar trains here). Pinseekers groups can add half-day clinics with Performance Center pros - short game, ball-striking, or course management.

Sample itinerary

A representative routing - every Pinseekers trip is tuned to the group's travel windows, handicaps, and tee-time preferences.

Day 1

Arrive Brunswick / St. Simons

Land JAX or SAV by midday. Drive 75-90 min to Sea Island. Check into The Cloister, The Lodge, or one of the resort cottages. Afternoon: range session at the Performance Center. Welcome dinner at Georgian Room or Tavola.

Day 2

Plantation Course

Caddie round on the Plantation Course. Lunch at the Lodge clubhouse. Afternoon at the spa, the beach club, or fishing the marsh. Dinner at Southern Tide.

Day 3

Seaside Course - the marquee round

Caddie round on Seaside. Lunch at Davis Love Grill. Optional Performance Center 60-min short-game session. Group dinner in the Cloister Wine Cellar.

Day 4

Retreat + closing dinner

Morning round on Retreat - cash games, two-man teams. Lunch at Halyards in the village. Closing dinner at Echo with awards. Optional second Seaside round for premium tier.

Lodging & basecamp

Basecamp: The Cloister at Sea Island, The Lodge at Sea Island, or Sea Island Cottages

The Lodge sits between the Plantation and Seaside courses with bagpiper at sundown and bourbon-poured doormen - most golfers stay here. The Cloister is the Forbes Five-Star resort hotel on the river side, more refined and family-friendly. Cottages are the choice for groups of 8+ who want a private base with kitchen and gathering room.

When to go

April-May and October-mid-November are peak - mid-70s, low humidity, perfect coastal conditions. June-August is hot and humid (mid-90s) but green and quieter. The RSM Classic runs in mid-November, which closes Seaside for tournament setup roughly two weeks prior. December-February is mild (50s-60s) with bargain pricing.

Getting there & transfers

JAX (Jacksonville Intl) is the closest major commercial airport at 75 minutes south. SAV (Savannah/Hilton Head) is 90 minutes north and has more direct routes from the Northeast. BQK (Brunswick) accepts private aviation only and is 15 minutes from the resort. Pinseekers arranges car services or premium private aviation into BQK.

Pricing tiers

Indicative ranges. Final quotes depend on group size, season, lodging, and tee-time tier - email events@pinseekerstravel.com for a custom build.

Standard

$3,400 - $4,800 per player

  • · 4 nights at The Lodge (shared rooms)
  • · 3 rounds: Plantation, Retreat, Seaside
  • · Caddies on Seaside
  • · Welcome dinner + breakfast daily
  • · Group transfers from JAX

Premium

$4,800 - $6,500 per player

  • · 5 nights at The Lodge (single rooms)
  • · 4 rounds (adds a Seaside replay)
  • · Caddies on every round
  • · Two group dinners (Georgian Room + Cloister Wine Cellar)
  • · 60-min Performance Center short-game clinic

Black Card

$6,500 - $9,000 per player

  • · 5 nights in a private Sea Island Cottage
  • · 5 rounds with caddies + half-day Performance Center instruction
  • · Private chef dinner in cottage with sommelier
  • · Marsh fishing or driving range with a Performance Center pro
  • · Private aviation coordination into BQK

Tipping & budget tips

  • Caddie tips at Seaside run $80-$120 per bag, end of round, cash.
  • The bagpiper at The Lodge plays at sundown daily - gather on the porch before dinner; it's free, and one of the most quietly memorable rituals at the resort.
  • Halyards and Tramici (in Redfern Village) are 10 minutes off-property and a third the price of resort dining for equally good food.
  • Performance Center clinics book out 4-6 weeks in advance - reserve as soon as the trip is confirmed.

Common questions about Sea Island golf trips

How much does a Sea Island golf trip cost per person?

Pinseekers Travel Sea Island trips run $3,400 - $7,500 per player. Final pricing depends on group size, season, lodging tier, the caddie program, and whether you add premium rounds or off-property activities. We publish standard, premium, and black-card tiers on this page; email events@pinseekerstravel.com with your dates and roster size and we'll come back with a custom quote within one business day.

What is the best time of year for a Sea Island golf trip?

The prime window for Sea Island is March - November (April-May & October are peak). Conditioning, weather, and tee-time access all peak in that range. Shoulder months can drop pricing 20-30% with most days still playable. We don't book outside the prime window unless the group prefers off-season value over guaranteed weather - the "When to go" section above breaks down each month in detail.

How many days should a Sea Island golf trip be?

Most Sea Island groups travel for 4-5 nights / 3-4 rounds. Shorter than that and the marquee rounds feel rushed; longer and fatigue cuts into scoring on the closing days. We size every trip to the group's travel windows, handicaps, and how many courses they want to play - the sample itinerary on this page is one representative routing, not the only shape the trip can take.

What are the must-play courses at Sea Island?

The marquee rounds we sequence on a Sea Island trip are Seaside Course, Plantation Course, Retreat Course, Sea Island Golf Performance Center. Each is profiled in "The courses we play" section above with designer, course type, and the strategic reason it earns a tee time on the schedule. Additional add-on rounds and replay options are available for groups that want to extend the trip or get a second crack at a favorite layout.

What's the closest airport to Sea Island?

Most groups fly into JAX (Jacksonville, 75 min) or SAV (Savannah, 90 min); BQK (Brunswick) for private. Pinseekers arranges group transfers from the airport to the basecamp and between courses for groups of four or more, with larger groups split across multiple vans. Private aviation arrivals are coordinated separately when the group has access. The "Getting there & transfers" section above lists the alternates worth considering.

Can I ship my golf clubs to Sea Island?

Yes. Pinseekers handles club shipping on every trip via Ship Sticks or Luggage Forward, with door-to-door pickup from your home or club and delivery to the resort bag room before arrival. Most groups ship one direction and fly back with their sticks; we coordinate the pickup window, the labels, and the resort hand-off so you land and play.

What's a typical group size for a Sea Island golf trip?

Sea Island trips typically run 6 - 16 players. The format suits buddies trips, anniversary trips, golf-and-coastal escapes. Smaller groups (under the listed minimum) are workable but lose tee-time flexibility; larger groups need a custom build and a longer lead time for lodging blocks. Tell us your roster size in the brief and we'll size the routing - and the sample itinerary - around it.

How early should I book a Sea Island golf trip?

Book Sea Island trips six to twelve months ahead for prime-season dates. Marquee rounds and on-property lodging fill earliest, especially over weekends in the March - November (April-May & October are peak) window. Off-season and weekday trips can sometimes be confirmed inside 90 days. Send the brief as soon as the group's dates are firm; we hold tee times the same week the contract is signed.

Are caddies available at Sea Island?

Caddies are available at most Sea Island courses and required at a few. Pinseekers books the caddie program with the round - including forecaddies, pro-line caddies, and walking-only setups where the property requires it. We brief every caddie on the group's preferences before the round goes off, and tipping guidance is included in the trip packet so nobody is guessing on the first tee.

Does Pinseekers handle non-golfer activities at Sea Island?

Yes. Pinseekers coordinates non-golfer activities on every Sea Island trip - spa, dining, off-property tours, cultural experiences, fishing, and whatever else the group's spouses or non-golfing partners want to fit in. Tell us in the brief who's traveling and what they want to do, and we'll build the parallel schedule into the trip without making it feel like a separate booking.

Further Reading

Plan your Sea Island trip

Pinseekers Travel runs Sea Island trips end-to-end - tee times, lodging, transfers, dining, and the on-trip schedule. Send a brief and we'll come back with two routings within one business day.

Inquire about Sea Island

Last updated: 2026-05-05