Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort Completes Multi-Million Dollar Ocean Point Golf Links Renovation By Brian Weis

Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort Completes Multi-Million Dollar Ocean Point Golf Links Renovation

The modernized Dye Designs layout is now open

By Brian Weis

Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort today announced the completion of an extensive multi-million dollar renovation of its acclaimed Ocean Point golf course, led by the Dye Designs Group (DDG) to modernize the original George Cobb layout. The course is now reopen for member and Resort guest play.

Since opening in 1964, Ocean Point Golf Links has long stood out as a premier seaside course, featuring five holes with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean and celebrated for its small, well-bunkered greens and sweeping Lowcountry vistas. To deliver an elevated playing experience, every hole on the course was given a significant design upgrade. The result has dramatically improved the visual appeal and playing experience, further elevating its attraction for members of the Fripp Island Club and stay-and-play Resort guests.

The completed vision of the acclaimed mother-son architect team, Cynthia Dye McGarey and Matt McGarey involved the reshaping of more than 50 bunkers, including adding 11 new greenside bunkers. DDG also incorporated new fairway bunkers, added 5.5 acres of waste area, and added and or leveled multiple tee boxes and constructed native dunes to increase both play and visual appeal for members and Resort guests alike.

The final phase of the renovation will see more than 13,000 native plants added to the course - a testament to both the Resort's and DDG's commitment to sustainable course design, a key driver in the selection of DDG for the project.

The completion of the renovation marks another milestone for Seascape Hospitality Group since its purchase of the Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort in 2023.

"We are delighted to work with the world-renowned Dye Designs Group team to bring our shared vision for Ocean Point to life," says John Scappatura, Chief Operating Officer of Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort. "The end result has exceeded our expectations and we are confident that our members and guests will enjoy this refreshed layout that offers a fun and rewarding experience through our beautiful Lowcountry surroundings."

"Ocean Point epitomizes the best of the Lowcountry golf, something my family knows well," says Matt McGarey, senior design associate, Dye Designs Group. "We enjoyed partnering with the Fripp Island Resort to bring about a more modern playing experience that capitalizes on the unique Lowcountry elements - all with an eye toward the intent of Mr. Cobb's original design."

Golf Course Services Inc., a leader in golf course construction and maintenance, served as construction partner on the project. Since its founding, Golf Course Services Inc. has constructed some of the finest resorts, public, private and municipal golf courses and facilities in the Southeast and collaborated with architects such as Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones and Greg Norman.

Ocean Point was recently named one of the Best Classic Courses in South Carolina for 2024 by the members of the SC Golf Course Ratings Panel. The refreshed layout further capitalizes on the stunning coastline of the island, which was already named a top five golf course in South Carolina by GolfPass.

The Fripp Island Golf & Beach Club Resort is also home to the Davis Love III designed Ocean Creek course, host of the Big South Men's and Women's golf championships. The course features a modern design, with five holes edged by marsh, and another six holes incorporating interior wetlands, preserved and connected to the course through a network of wooden walkways and bridges.

Fripp Island is the perfect destination to play golf, family style. Resort guests can explore the best of Fripp Island with the stay-and-play service, combining a diverse selection of vacation rentals with premier Lowcountry golf on both courses. In addition to great golf, guests enjoy full access to all Resort amenities, including restaurants, bars, pools, marina, tennis/pickleball courts and equestrian facilities. Packages can be booked by calling the Resort at 843-838-1507 or by visiting FrippIslandResort.com.

Revised: 10/02/2024 - Article Viewed 1,610 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the mastermind behind GolfTrips.com, a vast network of golf travel and directory sites covering everything from the rolling fairways of Wisconsin to the sunbaked desert layouts of Arizona. If there’s a golf destination worth visiting, chances are, Brian has written about it, played it, or at the very least, found a way to justify a "business trip" there.

As a card-carrying member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA), and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG), Brian has the credentials to prove that talking about golf is his full-time job. In 2016, his peers even handed him The Shaheen Cup, a prestigious award in golf travel writing—essentially the Masters green jacket for guys who don’t hit the range but still know where the best 19th holes are.

Brian’s love for golf goes way back. As a kid, he competed in junior and high school golf, only to realize that his dreams of a college golf scholarship had about the same odds as a 30-handicap making a hole-in-one. Instead, he took the more practical route—working on the West Bend Country Club grounds crew to fund his University of Wisconsin education. Little did he know that mowing greens and fixing divots would one day lead to a career writing about the best courses on the planet.

In 2004, Brian turned his golf passion into a business, launching GolfWisconsin.com. Three years later, he expanded his vision, and GolfTrips.com was born—a one-stop shop for golf travel junkies looking for their next tee time. Today, his empire spans all 50 states, and 20+ international destinations.

On the course, Brian is a weekend warrior who oscillates between a 5 and 9 handicap, depending on how much he's been traveling (or how generous he’s feeling with his scorecard). His signature move" A high, soft fade that his playing partners affectionately (or not-so-affectionately) call "The Weis Slice." But when he catches one clean, his 300+ yard drives remind everyone that while he may write about golf for a living, he can still send a ball into the next zip code with the best of them.

Whether he’s hunting down the best public courses, digging up hidden gems, or simply outdriving his buddies, Brian Weis is living proof that golf is more than a game—it’s a way of life.