Jekyll Island in Glynn County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
What Was Here Before?
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 14, 2018
1. What Was Here Before? Marker
Great Dunes Park is named for the historic Great Dunes Golf Course, designed by Walter Travis. Travis was considered the most successful amateur golfer in the United States during the 1900s and 1910s. The golf course was an 18-hole course placed among the dunes in this area for the Jekyll Island Club. The course opened for play in 1928. Great Dunes was the center of golf activities on the island from its opening until the close of the Jekyll Island Club in 1942.
Once the Club closed, there were no workers to keep the course maintained and nature quickly took over. By 1955, severe erosion and development on the island marked the demise of the back 9 holes of the Great Dunes Golf Course. The excavated dirt was used to build the island's causeway entrance road and other nearby road networks. This excavation cleared the area, making way for what is now Beachview Drive behind you.
To learn more about the history of Jekyll Island, visit the Jekyll Island Museum in the Historic District at 100 Stable Road.
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Peppermint Land Amusement Park
After the dunes were cleared and Beachview Drive was completed, a contract was signed to bring an amusement park to the island. Peppermint Land Amusement Park was opened in the late 1950s and operated for nearly 10 years along the
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Did you Know?
To discover a more detailed history of golf on the island, visit and play the historic 9 holes that are still intact from the Great Dunes Golf Course of 1928.
Erected by Jekyll Island Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. 31° 2.818′ N, 81° 24.633′ W. Marker is on Jekyll Island, Georgia, in Glynn County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Ocean Way and Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on Ocean View Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 Ocean Way, Jekyll Island GA 31527, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. A different marker also named What Was Here Before? (within shouting distance of this marker); Great Dunes: A Golf Tradition (approx. half a mile away); Jekyll Island Boat House Site, Shipshape for the Season
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 14, 2018
2. What Was Here Before? Marker (wide view; overlooking the Village Green from Ocean View Trail)
More about this marker. This marker was replaced by a new one also named What Was Here Before? (see nearby markers).
Also see . . . Great Dunes Course.
Famed course designer Walter “Old Man” Travis put his stamp on Jekyll Island when he constructed Great Dunes in 1926. Summoned to the Island by some of the nation’s most elite families during the Club Era, Travis created the best course money could buy and the first course on the Island. Jekyll Island became a testing ground for the future of golf. In 1924, the USGA tested new steel clubs in favor of original hickory shafts and ball size & density tests were conducted, all of which changed the game of golf forever. (Submitted on March 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 14, 2018
3. Sand Dunes (view east from marker)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, March 14, 2018
4. Sand Dunes (view east from marker)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 18, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
