At 75 years old, the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort continues to be the royalty of St. Simon's Island, Ga. The King & Prince combines its history with that of this old southeast Georgia getaway that for more than 300 years has lured everyone from Spanish and English soldiers fighting over a new land to New England socialites looking for a warm winter climate.
Located midway between Jacksonville, Fla., and Savannah, Ga., and originally built as a dance club in 1935, the King & Prince is one of the country's great seaside resorts, with amenities that include five pools, the Royal Treatment Cottage for massages, tennis courts and stunning ocean views from its guest rooms as well as the King's Tavern restaurant. An early morning breakfast at the King's Tavern, or a sunrise stroll on the wide beach likely will reveal dolphins playing in the surf. Presumably the German U-boats that were spotted off the coast in 1942 are gone.
The 20-minute drive to the recently-renovated King & Prince Golf Course, which cuts through ancient forests, reveals why the late Joe Lee remains one of golf's most underrated architects. The 'marsh holes - 12-15 that wind through some amazing marshland and are connected by a series of bridges - alone are worth the playing experience. But all told the King & Prince GC is what a resort course is all about - not overly long at 6,462 yards - but a challenge for players of all skill levels and perhaps most important, a course that you want to play again after walking off the 18th green.
Thanks to Lee and Bobby Fuller, whose company, Bobby Fuller Golf Design, did the $3.6 million update on the 21-year-old layout, the King & Prince GC doesn't beat you up - it tantalizes you with great shot-making opportunities. There is not a better-conditioned or better presented golf course on St. Simon's Island. Golf packages, well as other packages, are offered year-round at the King & prince Beach & Golf Resort.
"Tantalizing'' is great way to describe the King & Prince resort as well as all of St. Simon's Island. The resort is a great place to set up headquarters - for a family or couple - who want to explore a combination of nature and history. Actually the adventure begins off the island at the Georgia Pig, a ramshackle barbecue joint just off I-95 at the St. Simon's Island exit and continues across the Lowcountry marshlands through Brunswick and on to St. Simon's Island, which early Spanish explorers called "San Simone.'' It was those Spanish explorers who met the Native American Timucuan people and thus began to change the history of the island as well as the Southeast U.S.
The early - and often bloody - history of St. Simon's Island That history culminated with the battle of Bloody Marsh, where on July 7, 1742, British troops ambushed Spanish troops and ran the Spanish off the island. Spain would never again have a significant presence in Georgia. Bloody Marsh, as well as the remains of the British stronghold Fort Frederica (now Fort Frederica National Monument), are great places to visit going to or from the King & Prince GC. Fort Frederica National Monument has a very good visitor's center that serves as a front door to the remains of the fort, which include the foundations of a barracks, magazine and several houses.
Back closer to the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort is the St. Simon's Lighthouse, a 104-foot tabby tower that features a 129-step, spiral staircase. Visitors can ascend the steps to the top of the lighthouse, but be forewarned that the staircase is narrow and walk is steep. Few people make it to the top without stopping at least once to rest.
Located on the south end of the island and a short bike ride from the resort, the lighthouse actually is the second such structure on the spot known as Couper's Point. In 1862 Confederate troops burned the original lighthouse, built in 1810, so occupying Federal troops could not use it as an aid to help blockade the island.
Today the lighthouse is a beacon of another sort as it draws visitors from all over St. Simon's Island. From the lighthouse it's an easy walk or bike ride to various shops and restaurants as well as the beach. The lighthouse is a great spot to get a feel for the island's relaxed atmosphere - a stark contrast to its stuffy sister Sea Island just a few miles away.
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, which underwent a multi-million dollar interior renovation in 2009, is anything but stuffy, beginning with Mediterranean-style architecture and extending to its oceanfront suites, eight oceanfront cabanas and Solarium, site of the hotel's original lobby that features overstuffed chairs, game tables and a large fireplace. Photos of the resort and island's history line the walls throughout the property and outside, the Paradise Beach Bar and Grill is a favorite lunchtime and early evening meeting spot for beach goers and pool guests alike.
The aforementioned King's Tavern serves a great assortment of local seafood for dinner.
The King's Tavern dessert menu, however, doesn't include birthday cake but maybe it should. The King and Prince is having one heck of a 75th birthday.
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Love your adventure at king and prince. Great story.
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