SAVANNAH, Ga. – The International Network of Golf scheduled its Spring Forum at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club. While it was a much different venue than the ones used in the past, the decision to go to The Landings was a good one for lots of reasons.
A key word in describing The Landings is that it’s different and that should – by all means– be taken in a good way.
Maybe the best way to describe The Landings is by the numbers. They’re impressive.
There’s six golf courses, 31 tennis courts, 22 pickleball courts, eight Bocce courts, a 52,000-square foot fitness and wellness center, three outdoor swimming pools, four golf clubhouses, nine dining venues plus a food truck and a golf performance center.
These numbers might interest you, too.
The Landings has 7,500 total members, and over 1,100 children under 18. Ninety-two members are non-residents. The median age is between 65 and 66. There’s 1,725 golf memberships.
“We are golf centric,’’ said director of marketing Gary Lorfano noting that the club on Skidaway Island hosts a $1 million event on the Korn Ferry Tour called the Club Car Open. Last year 180,000 rounds were played on The Landings courses with women accounting for 50 percent of the play.
The tee time policy is interesting. Players sign up to play on a certain date, but club officials determine the course you play as well as the tee time. All six courses are open together only on Sundays, allowing for more time for maintenance procedures.
Make no mistake, though. The Landings vision is “to be the most desirable private residential golf, athletic and social club in the Southeast.’’
“We want our club to be indispensable in our members’ lives,’’ said Steven Freund, The Landings executive director. “They must live there. It’s not a must play there. We come together because we love this game.’’
Two of The Landings courses, Marshwood and Magnolia, were designed by Arnold Palmer. Two others, Palmetto and Oakridge, had Arthur Hills and Bill Bergin are co-designers. Tom Fazio designed Deer Creek and Willard Byrd created Terrapin Point – a layout that will soon be renovated by Davis Love III.
The Landings opened in 1972 with Branigan its original owner. Freund has been aboard for nearly 17 years and The Landings has come a long way since he arrived.
“At first we didn’t have money. We had to deal with a real leadership issue. We had to deal with organizational disfunction,’’ said Freund.
“I came from the luxury hotel world,’’ he said. “We don’t want to turn into a resort. We’re a private residential area that has touches of a resort. We’re addicted to golf.’’
After coming from Reynolds Lake Oconee, in Georgia, he’s built a staff that shares his passion for The Landings’ future.
“What we are can’t be our future, because we’ll die,’’ said Freund. “We want to be the most desirable, remarkable value for our members. Ten-fifteen years ago we were just thinking about survival. Now we’re large, and we need to be more human. Private clubs now can make a difference. They should be a reward for a life well lived.’’
The Landings has 4,350 rooftops (which means homes) and a little over 8,000 residents, plus there’s a few non-members that swell Skidaway Island’s population to about 10,000.
Full club (golf) initiation fees in 2026 are $80,000. It’s $40,000 for athletic initiation. Associate golf memberships start at $50,000 and national golf ones are $35,000.
For more information contact The Landings at www.LandingsClub.com or call 912-598-8050
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