Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort
Sea Island's oldest course and, since 2019, its newest. Davis and Mark Love rebuilt the course they grew up playing, drawing on Walter Travis's 1928 original. Fewer bunkers, an open feel, and old-school touches like railroad ties, a punch bowl green and Travis's "chocolate drops." It shares the PGA Tour's RSM Classic with Seaside.
Can your group play here?
| Who can play | Resort guests and members | Third-party, confirm |
|---|---|---|
| How to book | Through the resort with your stay. The Sea Island Golf Package pre-arranges your rounds with a three-night minimum. | From the course |
| Group size | The golf package covers parties of 11 golfers or fewer. Groups of 12 or more book through Sea Island group sales. | From the course |
| Forecaddie | Included in the resort-guest golf fee (not for 9-hole, twilight or replay rounds) | From the course |
| Walking caddie | Available as an extra per bag | From the course |
| Pace of play | 4 hours 20 minutes or faster, enforced by course staff | From the course |
| Fivesomes | Not yet confirmed | Asking the course |
Course? Confirm or correct these details and we'll mark them "Confirmed by the course." How we check facts
Getting there
Most groups fly into Jacksonville (JAX): 26 of the 27 cities with nonstops land there. Brunswick (BQK) is closer, but only Atlanta flies there nonstop.
See all 27 cities with nonstops
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Flights: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, T-100 Segment (all carriers), 2025-08 to 2026-07. Drive times are estimates; traffic varies.
Where it fits in your trip
- Play Plantation on day one. It's open and playable for every level, so it's a good warm-up before Seaside's wind. source
- Plantation starts at The Lodge, the same base as Seaside, so a two-course day needs no drive. source
- It closes for the RSM Classic in November and for overseeding right after. In 2026 that is Nov 12 and Nov 16-22 for the event, then Nov 23-26 and Nov 30-Dec 2. Check the schedule before you pick dates. source
- Summer groups: Plantation closes for aeration a few days at a time (2027: June 1-10 and August 6-12). source
Games that suit this course
Closest to the pin on 7
The 7th is an island green and the biggest green on the course. Everyone hits a short iron, and everyone has a shot at the money.
Risk-it bet on 10
The 10th is a drivable par 4 with water left of the green. Make anyone who goes for it and finds water buy the first round.
Nassau
The 18th is a reachable par 5 with water down the left. A back-nine press can flip on the last hole.
Good to know
- The forecaddie is included in an 18-hole resort-guest round. Plan on a tip per bag on top. The resort posts recommended gratuities. source
- Groups of 12 or more get special group golf rates at The Lodge, The Cloister and The Inn. Ask group sales before you price the trip. source
- The golf package adds a daily breakfast or lunch credit per person, club storage and cleaning, and shuttles to the courses from The Cloister, Cottages and The Inn. source
- Restrooms are at holes 4 and 7, and 13 and 16. source
- Hats are fine, bill forward. Take them off inside the clubhouse. source
- Pick the right tees. Plantation has five sets, from Blue down to Gold, and the resort asks groups to choose tees that keep pace. source
Heads-up before you book
- Seaside reopened October 19, 2026 after a restoration and is cart path only through November 23, 2026. source
- 2026 RSM Classic: Seaside and Plantation close November 10–12 and 16–22. Retreat closed November 2–9 for overseeding, and Plantation is cart path only November 1–23. source
- Late 2026: Plantation closes November 23–26 and November 30–December 2 for overseeding, and member events close Seaside around November 29–December 2. The 2027 RSM Classic closes Seaside and Plantation for much of November 8–21, 2027. source
- Road work ahead: Georgia DOT plans to replace the Sea Island Road bridge over Dunbar Creek, with about 24 months of construction while traffic keeps moving on the old bridge. Allow a few extra minutes on arrival day. source
Checked November 5, 2026. Schedules change, so confirm with the resort.
Stories to tell at dinner
- Plantation opened as a nine-hole course in 1928. The Cloister was not open yet, so the first golfers slept on a floating hotel nearby, the Amphitrite. source
- The club's first clubhouse was a corn barn built in 1825, next to Plantation's first hole. It still stands as the Corn Barn, headquarters of the RSM Classic. source
- Davis and Mark Love grew up playing Plantation with their father. For the 2019 rebuild they lived on site and let ideas evolve in the field, even lowering the course back toward its original profile. source
- The Loves brought back old-school features on purpose: a "Principal's Nose" at the 10th green and a punch bowl green at the 13th. source
Our take
We haven't filmed Plantation Course yet. Our on-course notes and video go here after we play it.
Facts checked November 9, 2026. Access rules and tee-time policies change; confirm with the course before you book.