Jekyll Island, GA
Jekyll Island
Gilded Age island golf — tee it up where the Rockefellers and Morgans wintered.
gilded-agestate-park-islandisland-valuehistoric-clubhouse
The place
For half a century Jekyll Island was the private winter retreat of the Rockefellers, Morgans and Vanderbilts; today the whole island is a Georgia state park, and its golf — the largest public golf operation in the state — comes with driftwood beaches, moss-hung oaks and a turreted 1886 clubhouse you can sleep in. Walter Travis's oceanfront Great Dunes nine survives from the millionaires' era, and the island's full-length courses stack easy, affordable rounds under the live oaks. It is the trip where the history is as good as the golf and the bill is better than both.
4 COURSESFLY-INMAR–MAY AND OCT–NOV: GOLDEN ISLES PRIME$1,100–$1,900/PP EST.
The champions board
The courses on property
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Dunes | Walter Travis | The surviving oceanfront nine from the millionaires' club era — pure time travel. Play it twice. | public |
| Pine Lakes | — | The island's rolling headliner through pines and lagoons. | public |
| Indian Mound | Joe Lee | Friendly Joe Lee resort golf under the moss-hung oaks. | public |
| Oleander | Dick Wilson | The Dick Wilson course locals call the island's toughest — concierge confirms current status. | public |
Where you crash
The resort
Jekyll Island Club Resort
The 1886 turreted clubhouse of the original millionaires' club — croquet lawns, wraparound verandas and river-sunset cocktails. Sleeping in the history is the point.
◆ The private house
The Private House
An island cottage under the oaks — bikes in the garage, a screened porch for cards, and both the beach and the courses minutes away. Jekyll's small rental pool books early; St. Simons houses across the causeway are the overflow.
4-6 BR · sleeps 8-12 · ~$600–$1,800/nt
How a trip here flows
A proven rhythm, not a fixed package — your itinerary is composed around your party's dates, appetite, and pace.
- 1
Arrive & Great Dunes
AM Road-trip day to the Golden Isles — on the island by afternoon.
PM Check into the clubhouse, a sunset loop of Travis's Great Dunes nine, low-country boil at the wharf.
- 2
Pine Lakes
AM The island's headliner through the pines.
PM Driftwood Beach walk, bikes around the historic district, oysters at sunset.
- 3
Indian Mound (36 optional)
AM Joe Lee's friendly loop — a scoring day.
PM Diehards add Oleander; others fish the pier or tour the millionaires' cottages. Dinner in the Grand Dining Room.
- 4
Cup day & the veranda
AM Team match on the best-conditioned course of the week — captain's call.
PM Trophy cocktails on the veranda, one last Great Dunes twilight nine.
- 5
Beach sunrise & home
AM Driftwood Beach at first light, clubhouse breakfast, then the drive home.
Why it wins
“A whole state-park island of public golf, a genuinely historic clubhouse hotel, and green fees that feel like a different decade. The value-and-history play of the Golden Isles.”
Booking notes
Book through Jekyll Island Golf Club and the Jekyll Island Club Resort together — the island has been renovating its course lineup, so have the concierge confirm exactly which courses are open for your dates.