Lowcountry lowdown: Where to play golf in one of America’s most beautiful regions (Golfpass)
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Lowcountry-adjacent golf in coastal Georgia and northeast Florida
The same graceful scenery that makes the best South Carolina Lowcountry golf courses special can be found at courses down the Georgia coast and as far south as the northeast corner of Florida, too. Georgia’s best Lowcountry-like golf courses are concentrated in its Golden Isles district, which includes St. Simon’s and Sea Island as well as Jekyll Island. Sea Island Resort’s three courses – Seaside, Plantation and Retreat – all enjoy different flavors of Lowcountry scenery, but my sleeper pick in this region is just south: Sanctuary Golf Club, which is a wonderfully low-profile but highly strategic course in a well-planned (i.e.g not too crowded) residential community. Another oft-overlooked public course is Sapelo Hammock Golf Club, tucked away in the quiet town of Shellman Bluff midway between Savannah and Brunswick.
Moving down the coast just over the Florida border, the southern reach of the expanded Lowcountry is Amelia Island, whose two best courses, Oak Marsh (located at the Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa) and Long Point (a private club with limited access for Omni guests) enjoy similar vibes to their neighbors farther north. Oak Marsh, an early-1970s Pete Dye design, was renovated by architect Beau Welling and reopened in the spring of 2025. A golfer could start here and cut a 300-mile trail north to Pawleys Island enjoying dozens of serene Lowcountry golf courses in between.
(This story by reporter Tim Gavrich first appeared online at NBC’s GolfPass on August 13, 2025. Click here to read the full story.)