Course Review: Sea Island Golf Club & Glendower

The PGA Tour Fall Series continues with the third playing of the McGladrey Classic at the Sea Island Golf Club on Saint Simons Island off the coast of Georgia. This super-affluent location is home to a number of top professionals including tournament host and recent Ryder Cup captain Davis Love.

The event takes place on the 5-star resort's Seaside Course that was originally designed as a nine hole course by famed architects Harry S Colt and Charles Alison. 1973 saw the addition of the Marshside Nine by designer Joe Lee. Modern icon Tom Fazio combined the two distinct nines in 1999 into the highly acclaimed layout we see today.

The course is predominantly a seaside links design that presents severe demands on shot selection, recovery ability and skill around and on the Bermudagrass greens, with winds that vary from a gentle breeze to gale force adding to the unpredictability. The 6550m par 70 layout boasts superb views and vistas with water in play on the majority of holes. Tom Fazio's intention was to create an experience that is dramatic, unique, exciting and something very special, and the Seaside Course doesn't disappoint.

On the Sunshine Tour the BMG Classic is being hosted at one of South Africa's top clubs, Glendower. Located ten minutes from O R Tambo International Airport, the 6900m par 72 layout is situated on a gentle tree-covered slope and has kikuyu fairways and bent grass greens. The course was designed in 1937 by Charles Alison and is a past host of the SA Open, most recently in 1997 when former World No 1 Vijay Singh was victorious.

There is a river running through the property and water is in play on 11 holes of this superbly conditioned and spacious parkland layout. The round begins with a downhill par 4 followed by a reachable par 5. The 4th and 5th are 470m par 4's that are the toughest holes on the course. The 13th is a difficult and demanding par 5 and the finish is a strong 420m uphill par 4 back to the recently refurbished clubhouse. This gem has in the past been just outside the country's Top 5 ranking and it's not hard to see why Glendower call themselves The best course in Gauteng.

A Golf Weather
Editorial