Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2013 | Page 3

welcome Wel come t o Sea I sland and t o our ina ugur al issue of Sea I sland Li fe! w e are very excited to be launching this magazine during our 85th year— our sapphire anniversary. We welcome you to Sea Island today just as we welcomed our first guest in 1928, maintaining family, friends and nature as our core values. The Sea Island family remains committed to providing every guest with gracious hospitality, extraordinary experiences and a lifestyle worth sharing with generations. We believe this is why so many return year after year, reminiscing of past vacations or celebrating anniversaries while creating new memories and traditions. I feel very lucky to have joined the Sea Island family in 2011, but I am surrounded by a team that includes 76 staff members who have been a part of Sea Island for more than 25 years. No matter how many years of service, everyone is committed to creating lifetime memories, as evidenced by the story on page 81 about one Sea Island honeymoon couple, Faith and Don Walsh, who returned to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary last year. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or you call Sea Island home, I hope you will experience all that this special place has to offer. Hit the tennis courts with Grand Slam champion Murphy Jensen, who will send his signature serves—Mama’s Meatloaf and The Monster—across the net. Or head to our Golf Learning Center, where three instructors are ranked among America’s Top 50 Teachers by Golf Digest and multiple touring PGA Tour players practice and hone their skills. You don’t have to be a pro, however, to take advantage of the Learning Center, as all our instructors are eager to help you take your game to the next level, whatever your handicap. Our Sea Island Shooting School instructors, the four J’s (Jon, Jeff, Jake and Jimmy), have more than 60 years of teaching experience between them. And we are pleased to announce our newest experience, Broadfield, a Sea Island Sporting Club, where you can partake in a quail or pheasant hunt, or learn falconry. Sea Island is positioned between marshland and the Atlantic Ocean, making it the ideal place to explore unspoiled natural treasures. You can take in our five miles of private beach from the vantage point of a paddleboard or kayak, or wander the beaches for an early morning walk—my personal favorite way to begin any day. During the summer, sea turtles nest on our beach, offering the perfect opportunity to join one of our naturalists on a turtle excursion. Head out with our guides for fishing in the marsh, which is teeming with redfish, yellowtails and blue crabs—you might even spot a great blue heron or a bald eagle. Once hitting dry land, our staff can prepare your “catch of the day” at one of our restaurants. Just thinking about all there is to do at Sea Island is enough to make anyone hungry, and we do not disappoint in the culinary area. With eight restaurants, ranging from the fine dining at our Forbes Five-Star Georgian Room and Italian at Tavola, to handheld fare from the Flip Flop Bistro and our famous Gold Brick Sundae at Wonderland, there is something for every age and taste. It’s been 85 years and we feel we are just getting warmed up! We hope you have a great time and look forward to seeing you soon. Sincerely, Rick Riess Managing Director, Sea Island spring/summer 2013 | sea isl and life 3 SI_Welcome-R3-H.indd 3 3/15/13 8:25 AM