T - Frederica Golf Community

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Golden Isles Under Way With Goal To Become
‘A Nationally-Recognized
Resort Destination’
T
Photo: GoldenIsles.com
he Golden Isles have a storied history as Georgia’s vacation
and recreational playground. These five distinct areas – St. Simon’s
Island, Little St. Simon’s Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island and
Historic Brunswick – are part of the lengthy chain of islands along
the coast that form a protective buffer for the mainland against
the forces of the mighty Atlantic Ocean. They are also a focal
point of coastal tourism in the state, thanks to their
myriad of attractions and activities.
With its strong dependence on visitors and
their discretionary income, the Golden Isles were
susceptible to the effects of the economic plummet
Photo: Jekyll Island Authority
that begin in 2008. “The economy was turbulent
for many industries, particularly the tourism
industry,” says Golden Isles Convention & Visitors
Bureau CEO Scott McQuade. A number of highlyregarded resort areas suffered through trying times
and the Golden Isles were no exception, seeing
foreclosures and property exchanges in the aftermath of the economic storm.
Photo: Jekyll Island Authority
www.georgiatrend.com I MAY 2012 I 55
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Rebranding the Golden Isles
Photo: The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort
But, like the breaking of dawn the morning after a terrific
storm, the sun is rising on what McQuade pictures as a
bright new day for the Golden Isles. Its warmth is already
being felt by the area’s tourism economy.
McQuade came to the Golden Isles in January 2011
with a record of success in revitalizing tourism meccas.
During five years in Telluride, Colorado, he was credited
with leading the Rocky Mountain ski resort through an
impressive transformation and a better emergence from
the recession than many of its competitors. Before that
he served as vice president of sales and marketing for
Sugarloaf USA in Maine, with a deep experience in global
sales and marketing.
Upon arriving in the islands, McQuade says, “I was
charged with creating a new brand for the Golden Isles,
changing our look and feel in marketing the area. My end
goal is to make the Golden Isles a nationally-recognized
resort destination.”
A new logo has been created and “Golden Isles” was
chosen as the signature brand name for the destination.
The new brand is now being promoted through a marketing
campaign in key target areas across the country. There is
a completely-redesigned website – www.goldenisles.com
– with a wealth of information about history, culture,
accommodations, dining and shopping, attractions, and
activities available across all five locations. In all, says
McQuade, several marketing tools are being used in conjunction with the Jekyll Island Authority, Sea Island, the
Brunswick/Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, and others.
Local response to the plan has been “enormous,” says
McQuade. “The community is rallying around the brand and
marketing concept, and we are moving forward together.”
McQuade says the marketing effort is already paying
off, with inquiries by potential visitors up 100 percent over
this time last year. More than a dozen highly-recognized
publications have approached the CVB about stories and
there have been at least six requests regarding film locations
for television or movies.
The expected result is a domino effect for tourist attractions and related businesses such as hotels, restaurants,
The King and Prince offers three pool areas
56 I MAY 2012 I GeorgiaTrend
convenience stores, and other retail or business services
visitors use during the time they spend in the Golden Isles.
Coupled with the marketing effort is the “ripple effect”
of investment in the community.
For instance, “Things (happening) in Jekyll Island are
really monumental,” McQuade says, with the new 128,000square-foot beachside convention center front and center
in revitalization of the one-time millionaires’ retreat. New
hotels are also adding to the base of overall hotel investment.
“The Hyatt’s and Westin’s (future) arrival speaks volumes
to the overall experience offered” to visitors, he says.
Sea Island
On Sea Island, the renowned The Cloister resort is under
new ownership and, McQuade says, “The Sea Island Team
are engaged in taking the resort to the next level and
continuing the tradition of excellence.” The island is also
preparing for the third annual McGladrey Golf Classic, a
PGA golf tour event set this year for Oct. 15-21.
Sponsored by the Davis Love Foundation, the
tournament is an indication of the quality of golf in the
area, McQuade says. “The Golden Isles’ status in the golf
world continues to expand,” he says. Eleven professional
golfers live in the area, he adds, “and do (their) training
and playing here.” Golden Isles CVB plans to launch a
promotional effort highlighting the quality of its golf
facilities and the presence of professional golfers.
Brannen Veal, Sea Island’s director of golf, cites the long,
shared history between Sea Island and professional golf.
Says Veal, “Sea Island has long been synonymous with
golf and has a rich history of both amateur and professional
events. Sea Island is known as a training ground for players
and a top location to develop golf talent. We are proud to
offer golfers of all levels access to our extensive Learning
Center, top-ranked instructors, sports psychologist, renowned
fitness trainer and three championship courses. The combination of all of these amenities, coupled with five-star
accommodations, is something that no other destination
in the country has, and it has helped to solidify Sea Island’s
reputation as a world-class golf resort.”
The Cloister underwent a total renovation in 2006 that
introduced a new Cloister Beach Club, a Forbes Five-Star
Cloister Spa, a yacht club and a tennis center. Hotel suites
include updated technology (even adding televisions in
the bathrooms).
In keeping with its culinary tradition, Sea Island this year
introduced Tavola, an authentic Italian trattoria; Southern
Tide, a pool- and beach-side casual option with traditional
Southern fare such as low-country shrimp boils; and
Wonderland, described as a “Willy Wonka-esque” sweet
shop. The island’s finest venue, The Georgian Room, a
Forbes Five-Star establishment, has added a “Chef’s Table”
multi-course experience for two to four diners, complete
with a television offering alternate views of the kitchen as
the meal is being prepared.
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On St. Simon’s, The King and Prince Beach and Golf
Resort has completed a significant renovation project
that is expected to wow guests with one of the most
luxurious oceanfront swimming experiences on the
Georgia coast.
Michael Johnson, vice president of The King and Prince’s
resort operations, says, “The staff of our resort has been
anticipating the unveiling of this spectacular pool complex
renewal for many months. We are all thrilled with the
results created by our designers and landscaping artisans.
Excitement is high as we eagerly await our spring and
summer guests’ arrival, anticipating their desires whatever
their age.”
Whether swimming or simply lounging, guests can
avail themselves of three pool offerings: a family-friendly
wading pool for toddlers that offers water features, shaded
areas and castle-building space; a lagoon-style pool for
older kids with underwater benches and deck-jets for
splashing; and a formal relaxation pool for the grownups
with chaises, umbrellas and food and beverage service.
All ages can enjoy the oceanfront deck for relaxing and
sunbathing.
The King and Prince recently welcomed new executive
chef Jeff Kaplan, who has experience with such top resorts
as The Inn at Great Neck on Long Island, The White
Elephant Resort of Nantucket, and the Sawgrass Marriott
Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Frederica – Sea Island Private Community
A stellar example of the residential good life on St. Simon’s
is the Frederica private community and golf development,
named after the historic fort that was established in the
vicinity in 1736 by British General James Oglethorpe to
guard the Georgia colony against Spanish encroachment
from Florida. Founded and originally designed by the
Jones family and Sea Island Company, Frederica is now
owned by Huizenga Holdings, headed by Wayne Huizenga,
well-known in the corporate world as chairman and/or
CEO of Blockbuster, Waste Management and AutoNation,
among others, and also as owner of the Florida Marlins
and Miami Dolphins.
According to Bill Peacher, president of Frederica Realty,
“The new ownership of Frederica has positioned the
community strongly in the marketplace and has addressed
the uncertainty that has existed at Frederica during the
past four years.” Frederica Realty was created in early
2011 for the express purpose of marketing and sales of
the developer’s Frederica properties.
Frederica encompasses 3,000 acres and is self-described
as an “elegant playground of interconnected waterways,
verdant wooded acres and the country’s best-stocked trophy
bass lakes,” accompanied by a members-only championshipcaliber golf course. The golf club now has 200 dues-paying
members – 85 new in the last year alone – and made
58 I MAY 2012 I GeorgiaTrend
Photo: Frederica Realty
The King and Prince
Frederica, a 3,000-acre private community on St. Simons Island
more than $5 million in improvements in 2011, including
the addition of five new club cottages for members and
guests; restoration of the tennis courts; the addition of
new boats and fishing tackle at The Boathouse; over-seeding
of the golf course; a new fleet of golf carts; and the
creation of new social events for members.
On the real-estate side, as of April, Frederica Realty
officials said six new families have purchased home-sites
in Frederica. Two custom homes have been completed
and construction begun on three others.
Among the additional amenities available at Frederica
(but note, simply purchasing land does not include access
to all of the amenities) are a boathouse with silent ELCO
boats; a pool and poolhouse; the Sea Island Stables; a
cultural arts center; a private 24-hour gatehouse; dining at
the clubhouse and boathouse; a 400-acre rookery dedicated
to shelter and study of the indigenous wood stork; and
riding and walking trails.
Old Town Brunswick
On the mainland, new life continues to be breathed
into Old Town Brunswick, the city’s historic central business
district. Renovation and restoration of many old buildings
and public squares is taking place, including the Ritz
Theatre, originally built in 1898 as the Grand Opera House.
Visitors can also view the Old Town residential district,
which features a wide variety of architectural styles from
as far back as 1819.
On the mainland and the nearby islands, there’s a lot
happening in Georgia’s Golden Isles with more to come.
Ultimately, the Golden Isles marketing campaign is expected
to attract more tourism and demand, which will allow hotels
to bolster their occupancy rate. More hotel guests will
naturally translate to more customers for other businesses.
“I think we’ll see even more of that as time goes on,”
the CVB’s Scott McQuade predicts.