Ocean Forest Golf Club – Played Fall 2024
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 200 Ocean Road, Sea Island, Georgia
- Year: 1995
- Original Architect: Rees Jones
- Additional Work By: Desmond Muirhead & Beau Welling
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts & Caddies Available
Score Card Information:
- Black: 7,365 yards, Par 72, 75.8 Rating/146 Slope
- Blue: 6,841 yards, Par 72, 72.9 Rating/140 Slope
- Green: 6,431 yards, Par 72, 71.3 Rating/134 Slope (Men’s), 77.3 Rating/142 Slope (Women’s)
- White: 6,060 yards, Par 72, 69.3 Rating/128 Slope (Men’s), 75.0 Rating/141 Slope (Women’s)
- Silver: 5,638 yards, Par 72, 67.0 Rating/123 Slope (Men’s), 72.3 Rating/132 Slope (Women’s)
- Gold: 5,157 yards, Par 72, 65.1 Rating/114 Slope (Men’s), 70.4 Rating/126 Slope (Women’s)
Big golf trips with a bunch of rounds are always fun, however, it’s nice to change it up a bit an do a weekend jaunt with only one or two rounds on the agenda. My round at Ocean Forest Golf Club fit into the latter criteria. It was a nice trip in the fall to get a change of scenery.
Ocean Forest doesn’t have a long history, only dating back to 1995. However, in that time, the club has hosted a major event in the 2001 Walker Cup. That event saw the first back-to-back win for the GB&I side, led by Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell.
The club also hosts the prestigious Jones Cup Invitational, which is an amateur event contested annually. Past winners include Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia, Corey Conners, and Justin Thomas.
Pivoting back to the golf course, Ocean Forest was crafted by Rees Jones on a 380-acre site that features sand dunes, trees, and marshes. As you’ll see, many holes have views of the Atlantic Ocean or Hampton River. In 2023, Beau Welling was brought in to put a new stamp on things. Let’s see what the course looks like now.
Hole 1 – 326 yards – Par 4
The course at Ocean Forest has a reputation for being demanding and you start to see why from the very beginning of the round. While short, this hole has a hazard stretching from the landing zone to the green that you must account for.
The approach shot is no picnic to a small, sloped green.
Hole 2 – 353 yards – Par 4
The second hole opens up a bit off the tee. There is still bunkering on the left and some trees with a waste area up the right. Overall the hole bends slightly left.
Left and long are not the ideal miss for the approach shot.
Hole 3 – 486 yards – Par 5
The first par five of the round features numerous bunkers as it moves slightly right towards the green. A big power fade is the go-to shot from this tee.
You’ll want to be precise with your approach to the green due to the contours on the putting surface.
Hole 4 – 397 yards – Par 4
Use the left bunker as your frame of reference on this slight dogleg left. Good drives can set you up for a good score, but things can get squirrely if you are off the mark.
Hole 5 – 151 yards – Par 3
Our first water views come on the first short hole. You’ll likely have to factor in some wind for this shot but the green is a generous target with short grass the to the right side. Everything here is begging you not to miss to the left.
Hole 6 – 564 yards – Par 5
This dogleg left will be a three shot hole for all but the longest hitters. It’s a bit narrow with some bunkers dotting the length of the hole. Accuracy and patience will serve most golfers here.
Hole 7 – 388 yards – Par 4
Trees hem you in when standing on this tee box. The surroundings open up a bit for the approach shot to a sloping green.
Make sure you don’t miss left here.
Recovery shots from the right are a much easier proposition.
Hole 8 – 378 yards – Par 4
You’re served up a slightly more open fairway here, so the time is right to take advantage. Good drives can set up an inviting approach to one of the more inviting green sites at Ocean Forest.
Hole 9 – 136 yards – Par 3
What you see is what you get on the front nine finisher. With a short club in your hand, the water should hopefully be an afterthought but it’s hard to purge it from your mind when it is staring you in the face.
Hole 10 – 498 yards – Par 5
It looks like there is no fairway on this hole, but you can use the bunkers as aiming points. The hole bends to the right and the marsh you can see here stretches up the right side, influencing your drive if you get too aggressive.
The green is larger than it seems. There is a bit of an optical illusion with a ridge that bisects it lengthwise.
Hole 11 – 367 yards – Par 4
The inside hazard on this dogleg right, cape-style hole will garner most of your attention. Staying in the left side of the fairway sets up the best angle to the precarious green.
Hole 12 – 442 yards – Par 4
The large center bunker dominates your view when planning this tee shot. It must be avoided on this long and demanding hole.
The green allows you to run your approach up if you’re so inclined.
Hole 13 – 351 yards – Par 4
We’re back on the water for this short four. Long hitters need to account for a small hazard that crosses the fairway. Wind will likely be a factor on this tee shot.
I imagine this bunker sees a lot of play on windier days.
Hole 14 – 496 yards – Par 5
Bunkers on the right and trees on the left make this a tight tee shot. Not in the sense that you might lose a ball, but more so that there is less green grass to land in.
Be aware of the hazard up the left side if you are going for this green in two.
Hole 15 – 131 yards – Par 3
Depending on the pin position, this is an inviting or demanding approach. The back right pin seen below is in a smaller portion of the green with difficult chip shots. If it’s in the front left, you can take advantage and try to make a deuce.
Hole 16 – 355 yards – Par 4
The bunker on the right is a good reference point for picking a line. Trees and small hazard guard the left side so favoring the right is a good idea.
Make sure you’re on the right section of the green or your putt will be tricky.
Hole 17 – 171 yards – Par 3
Like the other water holes, the wind will almost certainly affect your tee shot. The green is a bit narrow but there is a large bailout area short and left of it. Long and left is bad news.
Hole 18 – 441 yards – Par 4
The finishing hole at Ocean Forest is not asking a tricky question, but it is demanding. You’ll need a good drive that pierces the wind to attack this green.
Missing short or slightly right is not too bad with this green.
Depending on your accuracy, you might have a heavily breaking putt to finish out your round.
Ocean Forest was a demanding test from start to finish. If your driver isn’t up to snuff you’ll have a tough day out there. It’s also imperative to feel comfortable chipping from tight Bermuda lies. Basically, there are no shortcuts out there and you have to hit the shots. Are you up to the challenge?