Golf Guide: Jekyll Island - GA

One of four windswept barrier islands off the coat of Georgia, Jekyll Island is known for its beaches, dunes, marshes, sea and a bounteous wildlife. Connected by a causeway to the mainland and but seven mile long and less than two miles wide, Jekyll has four golf courses.

Courses include Jekyll Island Golf-Oleander Course; Jekyll Island Golf-Pines Lakes Course, a Dick Wilson design dating from 1964 and the island's longest; another Dick Wilson track updated in 2002 by Clyde Johnson;; Osprey Cove Golf Club by Mark McCumber skirting St Mary's basin; and the Jekyll Island Golf-Indian Mound Course designed by Joe Lee (1975) running through lakes and marshes.

Jekyll Island caters to those who love nature and doing things like riding horses on the beach and picnicking in the dunes. The principal attractions include one of the oldest preserved ruins, the Horton House dating from 1742 and the Historic District containing a number of late 19th and early 20th century buildings.

Centerpiece of the District is the gracious Victorian Jekyll Island Club with roots going back to 1888. After golf grab a rocker on the veranda and enjoy the sounds of the birds. An eclectic mix of buildings - some quite large built by former members of the Jekyll Island Club - are sited around the hotel and serve as for inns, museums, art galleries, boutiques and cafes.

There are a few places to stay right on the island in addition to the Jekyll Island Club like the Oceanside Inn & Suites on the Beach along with a couple chain properties. Also find about a dozen places to eat and drink from beachfront restaurants to formal dining rooms in the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.