Course of the Week: South Seas opens 12-hole course, The Clutch
South Seas opened a new 12-hole golf course, The Clutch, for play in May. Located on Captiva Island along Florida’s Gulf Coast, The Clutch offers a short, family-friendly course with coaster water and island views. The addition follows the resort’s ongoing rebuilding following destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. Beau Welling designed the course for South Seas, emphasizing playability, ease and enjoyment.
Photo: Beau Welling Design
Named after a turtle’s nest, The Clutch is walking-focused and overlooks the water for the majority of the course. The average player will spend 60-90 minutes on the course, with golf carts available for accessibility. Each of the 12 distinct holes feature multiple routes of play to indulge players with diverse skillsets. The course follows modern golf design trends as short courses become more popular
Photo: Beau Welling Design
“The course is positioned to be a contender for top short courses in the U.S., competing with the likes of Pinehurst and Pebble Beach,” South Seas General Manager, Shawn Farrell said. “The appeal of this course at a resort like South Seas is the time available to enjoy all of the resort amenities and still take in a quick round of challenging golf.”
The Clutch logo, a turtle holding a golf flag, persists throughout course on signage, holes and merchandise. Players who make a hole-in-one are given a coin designed specifically for each hole of the course to commemorate the occasion.
The Clutch is available exclusively to resort guests and Captiva Club members and intends to create enough challenge to satisfy both experienced golfers and novice players. The course design prioritizes precision, preferred angles of play and shot values.
Photo: Beau Welling Design:
The 12 holes of The Clutch are named after area history, landscape and wildlife that can be viewed as golfers play.
Hole 1 – The Calusa
The Calusa, the first shell collectors, are the Native American inhabitants of Captiva Island.
Hole 2 – Key Lime
Prior to being a golf club, South Seas spent its early years as a Key Lime farm owned by the Chadwick family, creating a salt-resistant lime called the Chad Lime. The farm became the world’s biggest supplier of the fruit.
Hole 3 – Mariner
Hotel ownership company, Mariner Group, catalyzed the most substantial development of South Seas, making it an expensive resort and destination in the early 1970s.
Hole 4 – Heron
Multiple species of Heron call South Seas home and can be found near freshwater and coastal areas.
Hole 5 – The Vow
As South Seas and Captiva is a popular location for weddings, golfers can view the wedding venue from the course. The view reminds players of the similarities between golf and marriage. Both are thrilling and glorious while sometimes difficult and challenging.
Hole 6 – Osprey
At this hole, golfers can look up to see a large osprey platform nearby the green. Osprey will return year-after-year to the same platform for mating and during migration, making the platform a consistent staple for osprey watching.
Hole 7 – Redfish
The hole runs along the Redfish Pass, named after the prized sport fish.
Hole 8 – Junonia
Junonia shells, a rare and coveted shell for collectors, can be found on Captiva Island.
Hole 9A – Hawksbill
One of the smaller turtles inhabiting Captiva, the Hawksbill uses its unique, beak-like mouth for finding food sources in cracks and crevices.
Hole 9B – Loggerhead
The Loggerhead turtle is the most abundant sea turtle in the United States and can be recognized by its large head.
Hole 10 – Egret
A variety of species of egrets reside at South Seas. The egrets can usually be found standing still, wading in shallow water and watching for unsuspecting prey (including golf balls!) to pass by.
Hole 11 – Snook
Snook, found on the beaches of Captiva, are prized game fish known for their fighting capability.
Hole 12 – Manatee
As a grand finale to golfers’ rounds, the 12th hole offers a view of Captiva Island manatees as they swim and play along the fairway and green.
Photo: Beau Welling Design
Captiva Island connects to Florida’s mainland via Sanibel Causeway and a small bridge over Blind Pass, which joins it to Sanibel Island. South Seas is located between Pine Island Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, bordered by two-and-a-half miles of white sand beaches and tucked into the northern end of the five-mile long, one-half-mile wide island.
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