The Ford Plantation is as much a premier sporting club as it is a private residential community. The 1,800-acre property, once Henry Ford’s winter retreat, offers opportunities for outdoor sports and recreational activities for members and guests.  The amenities include an award-winning Pete Dye Golf Course, Dorchester Shooting Preserve, deepwater-access marina, equestrian barn, fitness complex, tennis courts, nature tours, and more. A team of experts leads each amenity for world-class experiences that are available to enjoy on a Discovery Visit, which also includes accommodations in Henry Ford’s historic Greek Revival inspired house, and gourmet cuisine prepared by Certified Master Chef®, Jerry Ford.  

“Finest Southern Links” Golf:

When World Golf Hall of Fame golf course designer Pete Dye completed The Ford Plantation Golf Course, he proudly proclaimed it his “Finest Southern Links.” The unique golf course features a parkland-style front nine and a Southern links-style back nine, giving players the experience of playing two courses in one. Restored in 2014, the course has received high praise from national publications. Golfweek recently rated it among its “Top 100 Best Residential Courses,” and Golf Digest named it among the “Best Golf Courses in Georgia.”

A Pete Dye protégé and turfgrass expert, Nelson Caron is The Ford Plantation’s Director of Golf Course & Grounds Maintenance.  Before joining The Ford Plantation, Caron worked on two other Pete Dye courses and collaborated with Pete Dye on the 2007 remodel of The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Caron, a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, proudly created The Pete Dye Scholarship Foundation.  

Director of Golf Ryan Skipton, has served in lead positions at top clubs including the National Golf Links of America in Southampton, NY, The Creek Club in Locust Valley, NY, and the Pebble Beach Golf Links.  A Certified TrackMan instructor, Skipton was recently named the 2018 Georgia PGA East Chapter Golf Professional of the Year.

Equestrian:

The Ford Plantation Equestrian Center caters to all skill levels of both horse and rider. Equestrian Director Kate Jones accommodates many styles of riding, from Western, to Hunt Seat, to Dressage. The Equestrian Center, which features a 22-stall barn, is a full-service boarding facility tailored to members’ needs. The Club offers daily turnouts in grassy paddocks surrounded by premium horse-fencing and shaded by 100-year-old live oaks.  Riders can enjoy the 12 miles of groomed trails to explore the property’s woods, oak allées, and riverbanks.

Jones has more than 20 years of experience working with performance horses. She has worked with some of the leading veterinarians and clinics in the United States with the focus on veterinarian care, equine nutrition, and soundness for a performance horse. She is a Certified Riding Instructor through the

Certified Horsemanship Association. Because of her vet-tech experience, Jones is able to develop and implement nutrition programs and provide many on-site medical services to the horses under her care, including administering shots and oral and intravenous medications.

Fisherman’s Paradise: Fishing and Marina

Some of the best fishing in the Lowcountry is found in the property’s waters along the Ogeechee River with easy access to endless creeks and tributaries including 200 acres of fresh and brackish water lagoons. Down the river, pristine salt marshes are lined with oyster beds and are teeming with redfish, sea trout, and tarpon. Further offshore, the Georgia coast offers some of the most productive waters on the Atlantic coast.

The Ford Plantation’s beautiful, deepwater marina accommodates boats up to 65 feet, allowing The Ford Plantation to host fishing tournaments and community events. Ford has three United States Coast Guard certified boat captains and two fishing guides on staff to help make fishing trips safe, fun, and successful for small or large groups.

Director of Outdoor Pursuits Mike Womble has 25 years of outdoors expertise at federal parks, private lodges, and sporting communities. Now with The Ford Plantation for more 14 years, he has turned his passion for the waterways into a career.

Danny Sharpe, who has been on staff at The Ford Plantation for almost two decades, leads fishing excursions from the Ogeechee River to the Atlantic Ocean. Sharpe was recently recognized by the United States Coast Guard for responding to a distress call and rescuing three people whose boat capsized off-shore.

Dorchester Shooting Preserve and Naturalist Walks:

Mike Womble and Danny Sharpe also lead hunting trips and shooting expeditions at the stunning Dorchester Shooting Preserve, located just 18 miles from The Ford Plantation. The property features more than 5,000 acres of quail habitat that have been quality managed for more than a decade. Experienced guides ensure that hunts are both fun and safe, and the club takes great pride in its well-trained pointers and retrievers. Dorchester Shooting Preserve also offers opportunities to hunt duck, pheasant, and wild boar.

For members and guests interested in non-game shooting, Dorchester provides a world-class sporting clays course and a gun range. Designed by Chris Batha, both novice and experienced shooters will enjoy the fully-automated, 15-station sporting clays course. The pistol and rifle range accommodate shooting distances of up to 300 yards and lessons are available from certified instructors for all skill levels.

Bird watchers, snake hunters, alligator followers, and lovers of bees, flora, and fauna can enjoy nature walks.   These are led by Biologist, Brittany Dodge who earned her M.A. from Clemson University and worked with the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Biology doing sea turtle and alligator research.