Historic Great Dunes Course Revitalized: Modern Touches Meet Classic Walter Travis Design on Jekyll Island

December 2, 2025
Historic Great Dunes Course Revitalized: Modern Touches Meet Classic Walter Travis Design on Jekyll Island
  • The final design preserves Travis’s imprint through undulations and green shapes, not as an exact replica but to evoke the original spirit for public golfers.

  • The project marks the restoration and grand re-opening of the long-forgotten Walter Travis design at Great Dunes in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

  • From the back tees the course stretches 7,014 yards and 4,818 yards from the forward tees, operating as a par-72 open to the public.

  • A restoration budget exceeding $6 million, begun in 2024, used archival photos to recapture Travis’s dune landscapes, ridges, and ocean views, with the course resurfaced in paspalum grass.

  • Architects refresh and revive Walter Travis’s public-course design, staying faithful to the original layout while integrating modern improvements.

  • A multi-use vision for Great Dunes on Jekyll Island emphasizes college tournaments, community events, public play, and island memberships, signaling a return-to-form approach.

  • Design and environmental features include a brackish-water irrigation system to cut freshwater use and chemicals, plus a wildlife corridor along a former rail line to boost biodiversity.

  • Local collaboration with the Walter Travis Society and Jekyll Island historians helped verify Travis’s public-course portfolio and ensure historical accuracy.

Summary based on 1 source


Get a daily email with more Golf stories

More Stories