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No sport is more social than golf. Even an hour of instruction or casual afternoon at the range can produce lively camaraderie and friendly competition. 

Of course, it helps to have a world-class facility for golfers to gather at, especially one tucked amidst the seductive beauty of Georgia’s famed Golden Isles, at one of the region’s exclusive golf resorts: Sea Island Resort. The 20 Exclusive Resorts Members who arrived with their clubs at Sea Island for a bespoke Golf Performance Weekend enjoyed four days dedicated to expert, one-on-one instruction, multiple rounds of fun on the golf course, and every resort luxury one could imagine for a unique golf experience.  

“To be honest, we felt spoiled with all the attention we got,” says Member Allison Truett, who came with her husband, Trey, and another couple who was experiencing an Exclusive Resorts vacation—and event—for the first time. “Sea Island’s teaching professionals work with all the famous players we see on TV, but they worked with us as if our golf games were every bit as important as theirs.” 

Sea Island has a heritage of world-class golf—including three championship courses—and instruction that complements its sophisticated luxury, dating back long before the resort built a 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center. During the long weekend, the center served as the headquarters for a game-improvement experience that left Allison and the rest of the Members in awe.

“My husband and I were regular golfers before we started raising three kids 25 years ago,” she says. “Now we’re getting back into it and we just experienced teaching and practice facilities at Sea Island that are nothing like we remembered.”

Members received holistic golf support during their time at Sea Island from three sources: The four-member dedicated Exclusive Resorts Concierge Team, the Club’s expert two-person Golf Performance Weekend Event Team, and a crew of 10 Sea Island teaching professionals known as absolute top performers in their respective areas of coaching expertise. 

The weekend was a modern-day version of original “destination golf schools,” which date to the 1980s and lacked the glittering array of diagnostic tech that a facility like the Golf Performance Center is loaded with.  

“The format was instruction in the mornings and on-course coaching in the afternoon, organized into a fun, casual tournament that let the players test out what they were learning,” says MoniSzabolcs,one ofExclusive’sevent expertswho helped plan and lead thegolfgetaway. “The best term for it is integrated instruction—whicheverprowas working with you on technique at the Performance Center would be on the course with you in the afternoon, so your lessons would translate into better strategy and scoring where it really counts.”

One long weekend is hardly enough time to experience and appreciate the golf quality and variety Sea Island offers, but it was enough to reignite the Truetts’ interest in golf—something they’ll be able to continue kindling on similar trips to Pebble Beach and Bandon Dunes, both of which have officially been added to the Exclusive Resorts event schedule.  

Inspired to get on the green? Whether you’re heading to Sea Island, Scottsdale, or another Club location, we’ve compiled our top picks for where to golf on your next Exclusive Resorts vacation. Happy golfing.