Sea Island Golf Performance Center

Golf Performance Center History

Davis Love, Jr., moved his family to Sea Island in 1977 to teach golf at Sea Island Golf Club, following two years on the PGA TOUR and several as a club professional and teacher. Father of future Ryder Cup Captain and 22-time PGA tournament winner Davis Love III, he pioneered the idea of offering golf instruction year round in a permanent location. Over the next decade, Sea Island’s Golf Learning Center grew. Love taught novices and touring pros alike, largely through Golf Digest Schools held throughout the year. When Love, Jr., died in 1988, Jack Lumpkin, Love’s long-time friend and fellow instructor, assumed leadership of the program, overseeing its progress in size and stature. The Center officially opened in 1991, with Penta Love, Davis, Jr.’s widow, hitting the first ball on the practice range. Four years later, the Center was the first in the country to be recognized by the USGA. Today’s Golf Performance Center is the outgrowth of Love and Lumpkin’s vision and talent, with nationally recognized staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and students ranging from juniors just picking up a club for the first time to US Open and Masters champions.