点评:Travel + Leisure Magazine considers St. Simons Island, GA one of the “Top 5 Best US Islands.” Golf is one of the biggest attractions on St. Simons Island with several private clubs and resort courses, few of which are open to the general public.
One of these resort courses is Sea Palms Resort, a beautiful property situated among the picturesque salt marshes of Georgia’s Golden Isles. Sea Palms stands out among St. Simons Island hotels and features ultra-comfortable accommodations in a secluded “island-within-an-island” retreat.
The main attraction for most visitors to Sea Palms is the 18-hole championship golf course, which winds its way through groves of live oaks, deep blue lagoons, and those enticing salt marshes. Its current pristine conditioning can be attributed to a well-trained and attentive maintenance staff that pays meticulous attention to all aspects of the course.
Before your round, warm up on Sea Palm’s large driving range where you can hit every club in the bag. The driving range is open to resort guests, club members, and the general public.
For me, the biggest takeaways from the golf course at Sea Palms are the green complexes. Not only are these putting surfaces incredible, but they are also incredibly well-protected. The 13th green is surrounded by four bunkers. A large, deep pot bunker in the middle of the fairway fronts the green on Number 14, with two more bunkers behind it. Because of the shape and undulation, a putt from the front right to a front left pin position is almost a guaranteed three-putt!
There are several memorable holes at Sea Palms but none more so than the last three holes which can make or break a good round. Number 16 is a 542-yard par 5 dogleg left and for most players, it’s going to be a 3-shot hole. A tee shot of 240 yards is still going to leave around 300 yards into the green. The green is almost 40 yards long, slightly elevated, and very narrow.
Number 17 is a par 3 that plays 195 yards from the White Tees over a little bit of water on the left. The large green is flanked by large bunkers on either side and slopes back to front.
The finishing hole at Sea Palms is a straightaway par four that plays 366 yards from the White Tees. There’s water all down the left side of the tee box with more water on the right, creating somewhat of an island fairway. A very wide waste bunker crosses the fairway about 70 yards in front of the green and continues down the left side between the water on the left and the green.
After your round, stop by The Golf Shop, which is well-stocked with golf apparel, equipment, and accessories from many of the game’s top manufacturers. You can also pick up something from their grab-and-go snack bar items.
In the event you’re staying at the resort, be sure to have at least one meal at Sago. Sago gets its name from a species of palm trees that are found throughout the property. The restaurant has long been a Golden Isles favorite for great food and entertainment and underwent a major renovation that was completed in 2021. Sago is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and Saturday and Sunday for breakfast.
Resort golf courses tend to have a hard time attracting members, especially if they allow guests of the resort to play the golf course. It may not offer the privacy and exclusivity they are looking for. And while the golf course at Sea Palms may be open to guests of the resort, and the general public, there is one section of the club that is reserved exclusively for the members.
The Miracle is a one-of-a-kind practice facility that is member-only. The design team at King-Collins was able to transform what was once the finishing hole of the now defunct 9-hole course into a 4.5 acre practice facility. With wide fairways, five greens, unusual topography, and strategically placed bunkers, dunes, and water features, it allows players to practice just about any short game shot they can think of. It’s more of a golf amusement park than a practice facility – without the clown’s mouth!
翻译:Travel + Leisure 杂志将佐治亚州圣西蒙斯岛评为“美国 5 大最佳岛屿”之一。高尔夫是圣西蒙斯岛上最大的景点之一,拥有多个私人俱乐部和度假村球场,其中很少有向公众开放的。
Sea Palms Resort 是这些度假胜地之一,这是一座美丽的酒店,坐落在佐治亚州金岛风景如画的盐沼中。 Sea Palms 在圣西蒙斯岛酒店中脱颖而出,在僻静的“岛中岛”度假胜地提供超舒适的住宿。
对大多数海棕榈游客来说,主要景点是 18 洞锦标赛高尔夫球场,它蜿蜒穿过橡树林、深蓝色泻湖和那些诱人的盐沼。它目前的原始状态可以归功于训练有素且细心的维护人员,他们对课程的各个方面都给予了无微不至的关注。
打球之前,先在 Sea Palm 的大型练习场热身,在那里您可以击球包中的所有球杆。练习场向度假村客人、俱乐部会员和公众开放。
对我来说,Sea Palms 高尔夫球场最大的收获是果岭。这些推杆表面不仅令人难以置信,而且还得到了令人难以置信的良好保护。第 13 号果岭周围环绕着四个沙坑。 14 号球道中间有一个大而深的罐形沙坑,前方是果岭,后面还有两个沙坑。由于形状和起伏,从右前到左前旗杆位置的推杆几乎可以保证三推!
Sea Palms 有几个令人难忘的球洞,但最重要的莫过于最后三个球洞,它们可以成就或破坏一轮好球。 16 号洞是一个 542 码的 5 杆洞左侧狗腿洞,对于大多数球手来说,这将是一个 3 杆洞。 240 码的开球仍然会离开大约 300 码进入果岭。果岭长约 40 码,略微升高,而且非常狭窄。
17 号洞是一个 3 杆洞,距离白色发球台 195 码,左侧有一点水。大果岭的两侧是大型沙坑,并且从后向前倾斜。
Sea Palms 的最后一洞是直道四杆洞,距离 White Tees 366 码。发球台左侧全是水,右侧水更多,形成了一些岛状球道。一个非常宽的沙坑在果岭前方约 70 码处穿过球道,并在左侧的水域和果岭之间继续向下延伸。
打完一轮后,前往高尔夫商店,那里有许多来自顶级高尔夫制造商的高尔夫服装、设备和配件。您还可以从他们的即食小吃店商品中挑选一些东西。
如果您住在度假村,请务必至少在 Sago 吃一顿饭。西米 (Sago) 的名字来源于遍布整个酒店的一种棕榈树。该餐厅长期以来一直是 Golden Isles 最受欢迎的美食和娱乐场所,并于 2021 年完成了一次重大翻新。Sago 每周 7 天营业,供应午餐和晚餐,周六和周日供应早餐。
度假村高尔夫球场往往很难吸引会员,特别是如果他们允许度假村的客人打高尔夫球。它可能无法提供他们正在寻找的隐私和排他性。虽然 Sea Palms 的高尔夫球场可能对度假村的客人和公众开放,但俱乐部有一个区域专供会员使用。
The Miracle 是一种独一无二的练习设施,仅限会员使用。 King-Collins 的设计团队能够将现已废弃的 9 洞球场的最后一个洞改造成一个 4.5 英亩的练习设施。宽阔的球道、五个果岭、不寻常的地形以及战略性布置的沙坑、沙丘和水景,让球手可以练习他们能想到的任何短杆击球。它更像是一个高尔夫游乐园而不是练习设施——没有小丑的嘴巴!