FOREWORD BY RICHARD SINGER, NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION

FOREWORD

The Jekyll Island Golf Club (“JIGC”) is a 63-hole golf facility owned and operated by the Jekyll Island Authority (“JIA”). The facility includes a diverse mix of golf and golf-related amenities, including three 18-hole golf courses, a 9-hole golf course, miniature golf course, a full-service clubhouse and extensive golf practice facility. The golf club is operated as an affordable, high-quality public golf facility that serves year-round and seasonal residents of Jekyll Island, along with a large number of Island visitors, making the facility an important offering that adds value to the Island’s appeal as a vacation destination. The four golf courses that make up the JIGC are each unique and have strong appeal to a wide variety of golf consumers. The 9-hole Great Dunes course is an historic, enduring remnant of the original 18-hole seaside golf course from the early 1900s. The Oleander course is a wonder of nature that was developed in 1968, and the Pine Lakes / Indian Mound courses are two 18-hole golf courses with classic Dick Wilson/ Joe Lee designs from 1972 and 1975 respectively. When I first came to Jekyll Island with my team to review this golf facility in 2016, we found a mix of elements that offered outstanding variety for a golf facility in a resort setting; however, the overall condition of the golf club was less-than-ideal due to the age of support infrastructure and a reduced maintenance budget. The JIGC is offering a large “footprint” of 63 holes of golf but maintained with a budget more appropriate for a smaller golf facility. As we look to the future of the JIGC, we note two interrelated key issues – one is the need to enhance the quality and condition of all elements of this golf facility, and the second is to define the best possible mix of amenities that will maximize the economic potential of the property. The following Golf Improvement Plan is derived from a lengthy review of the JIGC over the last six years with recognition of a recent surge in the demand for golf. This current market environment provides an excellent opportunity to elevate the JIGC to a level that will match other enhancements and new developments that have occurred on Jekyll Island over the past 10 years. The changes outlined in this plan provide a working blueprint to help the JIA create a modern golf facility that can have strong “regional impact,” and become a high-quality and affordable golf destination that will be sought out by golfers, while improving the overall economics for the JIA.

The plan also considers a reduction in the number of golf holes at the JIGC, to be completed over time, with several opportunities for the JIA to evaluate the impact of facility changes on activity and golf participation. The modifications proposed for the JIGC are expected to retain elements that are working, revise elements that have limited sustainability and create a more manageable golf facility with up-to-date features and strong overall appeal. In essence, the plan is to create a facility with fewer holes and better quality. The Golf Improvement Plan that follows is a great first step in bringing this vision to reality. The plan comprises details of how the facility will be modified and improved, the project timeline, and implementation strategy. Like you, I look forward to seeing this plan come to fruition and helping the JIA to secure Jekyll Island as an important golf destination along the Georgia Coast.

Richard B. Singer Senior Director of Facility Consulting National Golf Foundation