Chuck Moore has been the King and Prince Golf Course’s head Groundskeeper since 2000. He was interviewed for Through the Green Magazine (Official Publication of the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association (GCSA)) by Trent Bouts.
Chuck, Rick Mattox and the staff at the golf course have had the pleasure of hosting several GCSA golf events over the years. Read the article here.
Is there such a thing as an absolutely ‘perfect’ day? There are many who will answer this question with a resounding, “YES!” And then they will speak about the day their child was born, the day they got married, the day of their anniversary, or the moment they met their soulmate. Some sports fanatics will even describe their ‘perfect’ day as being the first time they witnessed Tiger hit a hole-in-one. But, on this day, I want to describe to all of you an absolutely ‘perfect’ day that was just had by one of my colleagues. This is a day that everyone who reads this will yearn for more than anything in this world. A day of peace, beauty, serenity, where absolutely nothing can go wrong, and there is nothing bad in the world anywhere.
This day begins at the King and Prince Resort located in the stunning St. Simons Island, Georgia. There is a reason why this location is among the ‘Golden Isles’ because, quite frankly, it may be the only place in this country that is pure paradise.
(Warning: I was told of this perfect day by the person who was immersed in this joy and beauty. And after hearing it, my perfect day would’ve been to slap him silly in order to make sure he knew that I wanted that perfect day, too! (LOL) I have a feeling this may be your reaction, as well.)
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…I awoke to the sun greeting me; that perfect invitation to spend yet another beautiful day on St. Simons Island. The sunrises, the sunsets – there is nothing more invigorating than that perfect picture appearing over the clear, blue water of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rising, looking around at accommodations that are truly fit for a King, I went about my normal routine. A walk on the beach came first; a walk that entailed dolphins playing beside me as I stared out at the vivid flowers, and listened to the myriad of birds add their ‘good morning’ calls into the warm breeze.
I headed straight for the Kings Tavern to enjoy a breakfast of Eggs Benedict and a plate of fruit to get the ole’ synapse firing. Between the luscious sights and smells that are always a part of the King’s Tavern, it becomes almost impossible to leave.
But after the immaculate breakfast served by the nicest and most professional staff I’ve ever met, my partner and I walked the two blocks to “Ocean Motion,” in order to 
pick-up a couple of bikes we rented for the day.
We rode along the serene Ocean Blvd. for a mile to the quaint, elegant village of St. Simons. There, we were looking forward to walking around an arts and crafts fair that was being held. Little did we know this was also a day of celebration; Patriots Day, which is held to “honor the patriots of the American Revolution.”
So a day of sight-seeing soon turned into an amazing day of learning, where I immersed myself in the truly magnificent history of this area. You see, Georgia – and St. Simons Island – played a very significant role in the American Revolution. I soon learned that sixty-four counties in Georgia are actually named after patriots. Georgia also boasts the Revolutionary War Trail, which follows the Savannah River. On this Trail, historians and visitors can see the exact sites of some of the most important battles fought for our freedom. Included are, The Battle at Vann’s Creek; the Battle of Kettle Creek; the Battle of Brier Creek; and other the battles and sieges highlighting Augusta and Savannah. These moments in time were highly significant in building the Republic. In fact, both of these amazing cities are known as ‘Revolutionary Capitals’ of Georgia.
As I discovered the significant role that St. Simons Island played, I was amazed. One of the most interesting points was the huge naval battle that was fought near the Old Fort of Frederica built by the British.
Fort Frederica National Monument, preserves the archaeological remnants of the old fort and the town that was built by James Oglethorpe, in order to protect the southern 
boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids. Over 630 British troops were stationed inside the fort; and a town of over 500 colonial residents ‘grew up’ outside.
It was in 1742 that the battles of Bloody Marsh and Gully Hole Creek were fought here, in which Oglethorpe successfully squashed any and all Spanish attempts to retake St. Simons Island.
But it was also here, during the American Revolution, that an extremely important naval battle – The Frederica Naval Action - was fought and won by the American Colonists on April 19, 1778.
It was on April 15th that colonists discovered the fact that four British ships were going to sail into St. Simons Sound. 360 troops from the Georgia Continental Battalions boarded three Georgia Navy galleys: the Washington, the Lee, and the Bulloch, and entered the Frederica River. They dropped anchor and waited. On April 19th, the colonial ships – armed with heavier cannons and galleys which had a shallow draft so they could be rowed far easier – attacked the British.
When the winds died down and the British ships had difficulty maneuvering, two of them ran aground. The battle showed just how effective the ‘open’ galleys could be in restricted waters over ships designed for only the open sea. The Frederica Naval Action was a huge boost to the morale of the Colonists in Georgia, and the beginning a truly ‘free’ America. Patriots Day held on St. Simons is truly a stunning celebration of that day, and honors those who sacrificed their lives in order to build the Republic which we enjoy today.
I was among hundreds that attended, and not only did I come away with historic facts and knowledge, but I also had a new appreciation for the Colony of Georgia.
Back at the King and Prince, enjoying the food, the rooms, the pools, the golf course…there’s not one moment of the day where you’re not completely enamored. April is a great time to enjoy St. Simons; the vibrant flowers, the stunning landscapes, the quiet nature – and the true history that surrounds you – is, at all times, breathtaking.
I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!
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See that everyone? THAT is a truly ‘perfect’ day. And I know you’re with me in saying that he deserves that slap! J
It’s time for all of us to enjoy that ‘perfect’ day! So, let’s just say that I hope we all head to the King and Prince very soon!
To witness the ‘best of the best’ and make immediate reservations, head to:
http://twitter.com/#!/kingandprince
http://www.facebook.com/TheKingandPrince
http://blog.kingandprince.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/KingandPrince1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingandprinceresort/
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort
201 Arnold Road
St. Simons Island, Georgia 31522
(912) 638-3631: Phone
(800) 342-0212: Reservations
(912) 638-7699: Fax
Source: http://gignewsonline.com/2012/04/22/patriots-day-celebration-on-st-simons/
We are excited to announce that our very own Rick Mattox, King and Prince Golf Course General Manager, received the 2011 Bill Strausbaugh Award. The award is presented to PGA members who have shown outstanding integrity, commitment to mentoring PGA Professionals and who have made a significant impact on the careers of others. We love having Rick a part of our King and Prince family!
Review by Carolyn Burns Bass
It’s not hard to understand why this stretch of the Georgia coast is known as the Golden Isles. Miles of marsh grass wave in the breeze, carved by streams, rivers, and inlets to form a jigsaw puzzle of islands. The sun rises like a glittering coin over the Atlantic and blankets the marshlands in gold and amber as it sets over the isles. Poised on the mouth of the sound leading up to the bustling port city of Brunswick, is St. Simons Island, the largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles.
The Spanish named the island and the sound after a Catholic saint during 16th century exploration of the Southeastern coastline. You can see Spanish influences throughout the region, including the architecture. Mediterranean arches, turrets, clay tiles and stucco make haunting backdrops for the Spanish moss dripping off the massive trees overarching the buildings and lining the streets and lanes. The island has maintained its quaint seaside charm through decades of development in the islands and cities surrounding this wild island treasure.
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort
The jewel of this golden isle is the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort. Perched on the white sandy shore near the mouth of St. Simons Sound, this historic hotel offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the coastline stretching north and south. Built in 1935 as a private dance club for the well-heeled of the area, it added lodging to its original structure in 1941 and opened to the public as a hotel. There was nothing as magnificent as The King and Prince anywhere along the Southeast coast when it was built and even today it rises above many of the cookie-cutter resorts now dotting the coast and the Isles.
A spacious, bright and airy lobby greets you from the main entry of the King and Prince. You can see the Mediterranean design in the arches that line the coastal stretch of the lobby interior. Natural wood bannisters, trim and ceiling beams encasing dark embossed tin tiles add warmth to the lobby’s light interior. Just beyond the reception desk is a fountain, surrounded by palms, lush greenery and flowers, and an indoor pool and whirlpool (one of five pools located throughout the resort).
Guests at the King and Prince have a deluxe array of choices in room types to meet budget or family needs. Oceanfront rooms in the historic building are only steps from the beach, with spacious bathrooms and separate sitting areas. Luxury amenities such as in-room Keurig coffee stations, Bath & Body Works toiletries, and large flat screen televisions are standard in every room. Stretching beyond the historic main building are the Beach Villas. These roomy accommodations offer two- or three-bedroom apartment size villas with master bedrooms, full kitchens, dining areas and private patios or balconies.
Stepping up the game in privacy and luxury at the King and Prince are the Residences, which comprise of six individual houses spread throughout the resort to include quaint beach cottages and even executive-level houses with ample meeting and entertaining areas (with as many as five bedrooms!).
Scenic and Challenging Golf
Competing with beach and ocean activities on St. Simons Island are the resort’s tennis courts, pools and golf course. While the formal name of the King and Prince includes “golf resort,” the greens are actually a bit of a drive to the northern-most end of the island. Known as the Hampton Club, this golf course shuttles hotel guests straught to the course for a day of golf among the salt marshes, swampy lagoons, towering palmettos and grand oaks draped with Spanish moss.
The course was renovated in 2009 with renewal in turf and design enhancements to the original 18-hole, 72-par design. Four of the holes sit upon individual marsh islands accessible by elevated cart bridges, making for challenging play. Practice areas include a driving range, putting green and a chipping green, and golfers can grab lunch or post game cocktails in the roomy clubhouse. You can take a virtual flyover of the entire course from the resort’s website for an overview of this distinctive course.
Georgia Coastal Cuisine at its Finest
Director of food and beverage, Vinny D’Agostino, revitalized the King and Prince’s food culture when he joined the staff in May 2011. A master sommelier and culinary arts graduate from Johnson and Wales University, D’Agostino brought more than two decades of creative culinary experience from some of the nation’s top hotels and restaurants. Food was the centerpiece of D’Agostino’s large Italian family, inspiring his passion for taste, texture and temptation, and it shows in everything he prepares or directs. Be sure to try D’Agostino’s signature shrimp and grits, made with Georgia’s wild white shrimp and Tasso ham in a spicy cream sauce that wraps the tongue in savory delight.
The King and Prince is renowned throughout the Golden Isles for its Friday night seafood buffet and its sumptuous Sunday brunch. Set in the resort’s Delegal room, the Friday night seafood buffet features various preparations of the region’s distinctive wild white shrimp, plus platters of crab legs, chilled and steamed; oysters, both fried and on the half-shell; clams and mussels, along with entrees of salmon, catfish, tilapia, sole, grouper and other chef selections. Sunday brunch includes an omelet bar, plus a wide variety of southern comfort foods such as grits, plain, creamy with cheese, or spiced to delight with shrimp; smoked BBQ ribs; buttermilk fried chicken; succulent pot roast and gravy, crispy fried catfish and plenty of other chef surprises.
The Delegal room itself is a thing of beauty. Commanding the eye is the view of the Atlantic from the windows lining the oceanfront wall. Set above the oceanfront windows and around the entire room are eleven spectacular stained glass windows depicting the history of St. Simons island.
Additional dining choices at the King and Prince include the King’s Tavern set in the hotel’s turret lined with oceanfront windows for stunning ocean views, the Atrium Café where snacks and refreshments, along with barista-prepared coffees and teas are served, plus the seasonal (March through October) Paradise Beach Bar and Grill located beachside with casual fare and cocktail service.
More to Do and See On St. Simons
Guests not getting enough exercise running or strolling along the beach, bicycling through town, or browsing through the myriad shops on St. Simons, have free access to treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and exercise balls in the fitness facility next to the tennis courts.
Set only steps away from the beach guests may rejuvenate body and soul in the Royal Treatment Cottage, an intimate retreat house with a full menu of massage therapies. Lunch can be ordered from the concierge and enjoyed in the quiet of the cottage.
Out and about in St. Simons you’ll find boutiques and souvenir stores, coffeehouses and cafes, candy stores and cocktail happy hours. You can rent a bicycle at Ocean Motion (walking distance from the King and Prince) and pedal around the Island’s 21 miles winding bike paths.
Hop on the Lighthouse Trolley for a guided tour of St. Simons island. The trolley can take you from the Coast Guard station, now a Maritime Museum with history of the island–including its fascinating mission as a coast watching and training facility during WWII–to the working lighthouse; to the picturesque Christ Church, the first English church in Georgia; around town and through the moss-lined lanes from the north end to the south. If you’re lucky to get Cap Fielding as your trolley guide, you’re in for a treat with his arcane knowledge of the region’s colorful history.
On the Water Excitement
Travelers seeking new experiences can get thrills and chills from a shrimping trip on the waters off St. Simons island on The Lady Jane, a former working shrimp boat now USCG certified to carry passengers. The Lady Jane, run by Captain Larry Credle, is an educational and tourism expedition not to be missed.
Guests board The Lady Jane in nearby Brunswick, then head into the waters of St. Simons Sound. Once clear of the marshes, Captain Credle drops his shrimp net and trawls until he figures he’s got a good catch. The net drips with surprise when lifted, then released on the ship’s sorting deck. All hands aboard have a chance to sort the treasures in the net, the jewel of the catch being the wild white Georgia shrimp. It’s not unusual for the net to bring up stingrays, puffer fish, several varieties of flounder, shrimp and crab—including the distinctive horseshoe crabs–plus beautiful whelks. A naturalist on board identifies the different fish in the catch, including the occasional catch of a loggerhead sea turtle. When turtles are caught, they are weighed, measured, and photographed, then released. The details are sent to the Georgia Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Everything but the wild white shrimp is released back into the sea. While cruising back to harbor on The Lady Jane, a shipmate cleans and shells the shrimp, then serves it fresh on a platter with homemade cocktail sauce and lemon. Seafood doesn’t get fresher than this.
Getting to St. Simons Island
St. Simons Island is easily accessible from international airports at Savannah/Hilton Head to the north and Jacksonville to the south, while Delta brings in three flights a day to nearby Brunswick Golden Isles Airport.
The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, 201 Arnold Rd., St. Simons Island, GA 31522, 912-638-3631, www.kingandprince.com.
Read below to see Christine Tibbetts’ article from TibbettsTravel about exploring St. Simons and activities and The King and Prince Resort & Golf Course.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
By Christine Tibbetts
ST. SIMONS, Georgia — Elegance and longevity. Fresh new cuisine wrapping around 76 years of resort history on a barrier island that began forming 200 million years ago.
Grand combination for a holiday at the King and Prince beach and golf resort on St. Simons Island.
Some pleasant places are only fancy; this one has depth too, and neighbors who stay. Here’s how that translates to tourists.
Long-time pleasures keep on happening but change filters in, everything hand-in-hand on this handsome property and throughout the barrier island.
For example: the King and Prince has long served peach cobbler for breakfast. Tradition continues. Now they’re also squeezing juice from their courtyard grapefruit trees for a Prohibition cocktail reflecting one of their historic eras.
Seven decades of menus and history with more in the making.
Well-balanced spirits are only one passion of the new King and Prince cuisine director. Fresh Georgia foods are too, and wines from near and far.
Vinny D’Agostino is his name, steeped in the flavors of his Italian family and schooled at Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, Rhode Island and North Miami.
A member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, D’Agostino holds a string of accolades from Bon Appetit and Food and Wine magazines for restaurants and bars he’s owned and operated.
Wild Georgia shrimp join many King and Prince menu items including this low country boil accented with olive branches from Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland
He speaks as easily of his time as a youth on family farms and vineyards in Fornelli, Italy as he does now about the wonders of wild Georgia shrimp.
“Food and drink,” D’Agostino says, “are tied to the history of place in so many significant ways. Our menus reflect that, and our chefs incorporate their Island family histories along with their professional training.”
Fine eating happens often, at the resort and around the island. In between meals, I listened to local stories on the Lighthouse Trolley, first-person tales since the owner/driver Cap Fendig hails from a family arriving here in the 1800s.
When I’m getting local history from someone whose granddaughter goes to the same elementary school he did, plus his grandfather, I feel grounded.
St. Simons Island is a different experience from resorts with passing-through, seasonal workers.
This bit of the Georgia coast has more residents than visitors: 65 percent full time, Fendig said.
Everyone I talked to loves the tidal marshes, maritime forests, freshwater sloughs and the spartina sugar cane grasses that make local shrimp sweet. They gather at Neptune Park, which visitors do too, so mixing it up is an easy pleasure.
There’s a pier for fishing and gazing and a smooth brick walkway hugging the water, leading to the lighthouse. Talk to Curt Smith; he’s the modern executive version of a light station keeper and an enthusiastic St. Simons Island historian.
Picnic tables and trees galore make Neptune Park a lingering place; for $7.00 get an all-day pass to the big swimming pool.
Tidal marshes are incubators for so many species that this Georgia coast is one of the 20 most diverse in the world.
That where Tim and Melissa Wellford have been serving legendary eggs, muffins, grits with or without shrimp, French toast, sausage, bacon and more for 24 years.
Local people seem honored to live on a barrier island; Fendig says only two percent of the world’s coasts have barrier islands. Made me feel like a new frontier explorer.
Georgia has 15 barrier islands; four are auto accessible. Good idea to be OK with bridges when you go. 1924 was the first year St. Simons was connected by a causeway to the mainland.
Short and wide is the nature of these islands; North Carolina’s Outer Banks are long and ribbon-like.
Curious facts like that are easy to pick up at the Coast Guard Maritime Museum, a handsome Colonial Revival style structure, one of 80 built as WPA projects.
Definitely watch the documentary to understand the territory; National Geographic says this coast is one of the 20 most diverse in the world. Museum exhibits are clear and clean, not too much reading, good graphics.
The Coast Guard Station turned Maritime Center features clear, concise, handsome exhibits, about St. Simons Island ecosystems and history.
One section pinpoints a different kind of amazing history: World War II right off this coast. German subs targeting the beaches. Two oil tankers sank. Dogs trained as defense partners for sentry guards.
Then return to the King and Prince with a different eye knowing today’s elegant pale yellow resort became a radar training school.
The hotel opened to the public July 2, 1941 and in the winter of 1942 was reserved solely for the U.S. Navy and the war effort.
This was the gathering place for families learning their sailor had died because nearby Jacksonville, Fla. was the military point of return.
Looking up in the former ballroom to stained glass window scenes installed in 1938 when this was a private club, and looking out to the Atlantic Ocean, I mused about that war effort, and ours today.
King and Prince staff seem well versed in that history, and proud to be part of a place that sacrificed for the nation. My musing? Who is sharing any thing or any place today? Only our troops?
Shrimp and grits recipe at the King and Prince: long tradition using local wild Georgia shrimp.
mine to act on the thoughts the journeys trigger.
Lighter thoughts swirled in the ballroom too, wishing the King and Prince would reinstitute dancing dominant there decades ago.
My New Jersey parents waltzed often at the nearby Cloister Hotel on Sea Island but I found a gentler, more personable charm at the King and Prince.
Elegance to enjoy, exquisite details shared with pleasure seem the formula here. Bud St. Pierre has directed the sales and marketing for 10 years, happy he and his wife are raising young sons on this barrier island.
“We hire nice people here,” he said with almost a giggle. And I observed hotel and resort staff treating each other like they thought so too.
Many choices at the King and Prince for where to rest starting with oceanfront suites, villas, towers and rooms with balconies overlooking the tennis courts.
G.W. and I stayed in the luxurious Tabby House, a separate structure with space to share and a kitchen; could have brought some of the family.
The Meadows is also a stand-alone house, this one rich with fine and folk art and lots of levels and stairways.
Allow sufficient time when you reserve accommodations to savor the options.
"I never met a blue crab that wasn't angry," says Clifford Credle, naturalist on the Lady Jane shrimp boat in waters near Brunswick.
twice on my morning cruise.
Look fast because back into the water is the mission, tallying life and returning to nature.
Exceptional catches require measuring, like the green sea turtle weighing 30 pounds that surprised Clifford Credle, my 18-year-old eco guide who started learning the estuary life when he was nine with his dad Larry who captains this vessel.
Wild Georgia shrimp caught in this net don’t go back to sea; they’re cooked five minutes later and served to Lady Jane passengers.
A King and Prince holiday merges easily with St. Simons Island discoveries, not always the case with resort vacations. Sometimes they lock you in, or so it feels. Isolated.
I think I figured out the difference. King and Prince personnel really live on this island. I kept seeing them in community places as well as the hotel and grounds.
Even food and beverage director Vinny. Saw him, chowing down on ribs and Brunswick stew at Southern Soul BBQ. Good sign I thought, the pile of local oak in the front yard. Separate smokers for each kind of meat.
Four holes on the Hampton Club course involve the marshes, carefully constructed and monitored to respect and preserve this ecosystem.
I’m no golfer but the King and Prince’s Hampton Club gave me hope. Most encouraging lesson I’ve ever had was with General Manager and Head Pro Rick Mattox.
He just received a major PGA award for outstanding integrity, charity, mentoring and service to community. Golfers would recognize the Bill Strabaugh award name.
For real golfers, this course features four holes playing through the marsh, built and maintained with strict regulations, Mattox says. Marsh golf is not to be found anywhere else.
Wannabe golfers like me have a good chance of being allowed to borrow a cart in the late afternoon and experience the beauty of greens and marsh. The view stretches forever.
Driving to the Hampton Club offers a chance to see island ecosystems, and to visit at least three historic sites: Fort Frederica, Christ Church and the Wesley Memorial and Gardens.
Below is a blog post from Golf.com recommending The King and Prince Golf Course as a must play golf course in the Golden Isles area.
Dear Joe,
My wife is traveling on business to the St. Simons/Jekyll Island region of Georgia in February. I’m planning on traveling along with her to enjoy some golf. Any suggestions on where to play?
Timothy W.
Perhaps the best course in the St. Simons’ region, outside of the private tracks at Sea Island, is the King and Prince Beach Golf Resort ($79-$115; 912-634-0255, kingandprince.com). Formerly known as the Hampton Club, this sporty 6,462-yard, par-72 course was renovated by Billy Fuller in 2009 and features a handful of memorable holes, notably the 561-yard, par-5 3rd, which has marsh down the entire left side and a lake on the right side near the green and the 391-yard par-4 13th, which hopscotches the marsh via islands of turf.
King and Prince Golf Course
Rick Mattox here, Golf Director and General Manager, writing to thank all of you who wrote on the blog and visited our website (www.hamptonclub.com) to see our progress. We are heading toward the finish line with an early October opening. Through the vision of our architect Billy Fuller and the quality building work provided by Medalist Golf, a truly great golf experience is coming your way. The new green and bunker complexes are going to be a surprise for many of you who have played with us in the past. With the addition of fairway bunkers for aiming and increased grassed areas on both left and right to enhance the look and playability, a golfers dream awaits you.
Something new I want to share with you is that we have added a new, outstanding practice area. It includes a 6500+ square foot mini-verde putting green, practice bunker, 3000 square foot mini-verde chipping green, plus a practice swale and mounds for chipping from uneven lies. Along the right side of the range we have added target greens at 50, 70 and 90 yards to practice short wedge shots. On the left side, a fairway bunker is added to practice those pesky fairway bunker shots that we all hate. Range target greens are in place for 120, 150 and 220 yards with bunkers in front, planted with putting green grass for true game-like conditions.
With the changes we have made, once you come to The King and Prince our golf course will be another of the many reasons you will never want to leave!