Jekyll Island, Ga. (November 1, 2025) – The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) proudly announces the grand reopening of Great Dunes Golf Course, originally built in 1927 by legendary golf course architect Walter Travis. Following a year-long, multimillion-dollar restoration, the reimagined 18-hole course revives the character of its Golden Age roots while introducing modern enhancements and forward-looking sustainability initiatives.
“Golf has always been an important part of Jekyll Island’s story,” said Mark Williams, Executive Director of the Jekyll Island Authority. “This restoration preserves the character that generations of golfers have loved, while elevating the course for today’s players. Great Dunes is a tribute to our history and an investment in Jekyll Island’s next century.”
Designed by Brian Ross of Ross Golf Design and Jeffrey Stein of Stein Golf Design, the restored Great Dunes Golf Course showcases a thoughtful balance of tradition and innovation. The project reinstates nine holes of Walter Travis’s original design with nine reimagined holes from the former Oleander course, creating a seamless 18-hole design that blends Gilded Age charm with modern playability.
“The original Walter Travis design was a masterclass in natural golf architecture,” said Ross. “We spent extensive time in Jekyll Island’s archives studying Travis’s plans, notes and historic imagery to understand his vision for how golf should unfold across this landscape. Our goal was to honor those concepts — the ground game, the wind, the contours — while bringing them to life for modern players in a way that feels authentic, timeless, and true to the spirit of Great Dunes.”
“Uniting the restored Travis holes with newly designed ones was about creating one continuous experience,” said Stein. “We shaped the land to feel connected and intentional, so golfers move naturally through forest, dunes and shoreline. Each transition is meant to feel seamless, like the course has always lived this way.”
As the first course in Georgia to use a brackish-water irrigation system, Great Dunes sets a new benchmark for sustainable golf. The course utilizes a brackish water irrigation system – a pioneering sustainability initiative that reduces freshwater consumption, minimizes chemical use and ensures long-term environmental resilience. The use of salt-tolerant seashore paspalum grass, paired with precision-controlled irrigation technology, enhances both playability and ecological stewardship. Just beyond the fairways, a designated wildlife corridor provides a protected pathway for animals moving between marsh, forest and dunes. The corridor also invites guests to immerse themselves in nature, with pathways and interpretive elements that showcase Jekyll Island’s coastal ecology and the island’s long-standing commitment to conservation.
Great Dunes’ restoration is part of Jekyll Island’s broader mission to preserve and enhance its historic character, while maintaining the delicate balance between recreation and conservation. The course’s layout encourages walking, emphasizes wide playing corridors and immerses golfers in the natural landscape that has made Jekyll Island a beloved coastal destination for generations.
For more information about the Great Dunes Golf Course and tee time reservations, visit JekyllIsland.com/golf.
