Georgia

Intermediate Bridge at Historic Jekyll Island Club

Program No. 11602RJ
Join experts to improve your bridge skills and learn new techniques amid the Gilded Age splendor of Jekyll Island. Plus, enjoy behind-the-scenes access to the Jekyll Island Club!

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At a Glance

Come to Georgia to master your bridge skills and to experience the fascinating nature and history of beautiful Jekyll Island. Each morning, learn from our bridge expert who provides practical instruction on leads, defense, signals and more for intermediate players. Spend your afternoons practicing what you’ve learned during round-robin play, and learn about Jekyll Island’s Gilded Age history and ecology on field trips. Then in the evenings, continue to refine your bridge skills in sessions of “no agenda” play, with the instructor on-hand to answer questions and give pointers.
Activity Level
Easy Going
Walking up to one mile over varied terrain, through museum, and boardwalks. Step on and off the trolley. At the hotel, there are steps leading from the Bellstand to the veranda at the entrance (there is a handicap lift available). There are also four steps leading to the front desk. There is a gift shop at the hotel that has steps as well, which includes three steps up and three steps down.

What You'll Learn

  • Improve your bridge skills under the tutelage of a Ruby Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League.
  • Enjoy your stay at the historic Jekyll Island Club, and go behind the scenes to learn about its past as a resort for wealthy Americans like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts.
  • Learn about Jekyll Island's rich history and culture on a visit to the Jekyll Island Museum and guided trolley tour through the National Historic Landmark District.

General Notes

This intermediate bridge program requires basic familiarity with hand valuation, opener and responder general guidelines for bidding and rebidding, and basic guidelines for play and defense. Please note that it is not suitable for beginners. Also, this program covers all the requirements required to participate in the advancing program, "The Fun Way to Serious Bridge for the Advancing Player" (#13192). Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Faith Willis
Faith Willis retired from a 25-year career as a professor and administrator, but continues work as a consultant, providing research for community, governmental, and non-profit agencies. Faith is a certified ACBL teacher and has taught Bidding, Modern Conventions and Defense for three years. She enjoys tournament play and taking bridge lessons from nationally known teachers, and is a Silver Life Master. She served as Board Chair of the YMCA and was named YMCA volunteer of the year. Faith is an active swimmer and Pilates student.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Faith Willis
Faith Willis View biography
Faith Willis retired from a 25-year career as a professor and administrator, but continues work as a consultant, providing research for community, governmental, and non-profit agencies. Faith is a certified ACBL teacher and has taught Bidding, Modern Conventions and Defense for three years. She enjoys tournament play and taking bridge lessons from nationally known teachers, and is a Silver Life Master. She served as Board Chair of the YMCA and was named YMCA volunteer of the year. Faith is an active swimmer and Pilates student.
Profile Image of JoAnn Buisson
JoAnn Buisson View biography
JoAnn Buisson is a retired elementary school teacher from Boston, Mass. After college, she was employed as a nursery school teacher until 1981. She remained at home until 1994 in order to raise her children. In 1994, JoAnn accepted a position with a local elementary school as an art teacher, eventually retiring in 2014. Upon retirement, she moved to Jekyll Island with her husband. She continues her interest in the arts, taking several classes in pottery.
Profile Image of Jim Gensheer
Jim Gensheer View biography
Jim Gensheer has taught watercolor for more than thirty years in a variety of settings, including as a private instructor in his own studio, workshops in France and Croatia, as a high school art teacher, and as an invited guest artist in art programs across Georgia. Jim has studied with Skip Lawrence, Don Andrews, and Charles Reid, and his paintings have been collected internationally.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
12 meals
5 B 3 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Jekyll Island
D
Jekyll Island Club Resort

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

Dinner: In a private banquet room at the hotel.

Evening: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is intended for participants who already play social or duplicate bridge who would like to improve their game based on modern bridge guidelines. Intermediate Bridge is a program designed to present modern bridge popular conventions such as Stayman, Jacoby Transfer, weak and strong opening bids and slam bidding, as well as the use of overcalls, takeout, and negative doubles in the bidding process. Modern play of the hand and defense by the opposition are also presented. This program is not intended for rank beginner or advanced bridge players, nor those who wish to focus on tournament play. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

DAY
2
Bidding, Defending Against Notrump, Historic District Tour
Jekyll Island
B,L,D
Jekyll Island Club Resort

Activity note: Getting in/out of a trolley. Standing and walking approximately 30-45 minutes on field trip.

Breakfast: In the hotel’s Victorian-era Grand Dining Room.

Morning: Today we’ll study notrump opening bids and responses. We’ll play several hands, with tips for both declarer play and defense. We’ll discuss the Stayman convention and overcalls. Your class all week will be taught by an ACBL-certified instructor.

Lunch: In a banquet room at the hotel.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will learn about Jekyll Island's rich history and culture on a visit to the Jekyll Island Museum as well as on a guided trolley tour through the historic district.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: We’ll gather in our private meeting room at the hotel with our instructor to shuffle, play, and relax for an evening with no set agenda.

DAY
3
Jacoby Transfer Bid, Take-Out & Negative Doubles, Preempts
Jekyll Island
B,L,D
Jekyll Island Club Resort

Activity note: Minimal standing and walking. Walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll begin a discussion today of Jacoby Transfer bids in response to a no trump opening bid. We will discuss the take-out and negative doubles, asking partner to choose one of the unbid suits.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: We’ll enjoy an afternoon of round-robin play with new friends and our instructor. In a relaxed and social environment, we’ll once again play and analyze hands based on this morning’s subject matter.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: We’ll gather for another evening of “no agenda” play, with our instructor on hand to make comments and answer questions. This morning’s lessons are the building blocks for this evening’s play. It’s a great way to learn.

DAY
4
Strong and Weak Bids, Behind the Scenes Tour, Free Time
Jekyll Island
B
Jekyll Island Club Resort

Activity note: Standing and walking 1/2 hour during field trip. Walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: For our shortened bridge schedule today, we’ll discuss another type of competitive bidding – preempts. What type of hand and what bidding situations lend themselves to a weak opening bid or weak jump overcall at the 2 level or higher? When and how should partner respond? Following our morning session, we will be given a private behind the scenes tour of the Jekyll Island Club where we will learn about the events and people that are a part of the property's fascinating history and how it has maintained its standards of luxurious service.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The conference room will also be open for participants who would prefer to continue playing bridge.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy local fare.

Evening: At leisure to explore more of Jekyll Island, relax at the hotel, or play more bridge in the conference room.

DAY
5
Slam Bidding, Wrap-up Session
Jekyll Island
B,L,D
Jekyll Island Club Resort

Activity note: Minimal standing and walking.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Strong hands can be fun – and challenging! Today we’ll discuss slam bidding; and when slam looks like a possibility, we need to know when and how to use the ace-asking conventions, Blackwood and Gerber, and when they are not appropriate.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: We will continue to fine-tune what we learned through play and discussion, then follow up with a review. Remember that bridge is a lifelong game. There are millions of possible hands, each offering its own mystery. While we arrived at Jekyll Island with intermediate skills, we now possess the knowledge and confidence to play with anyone playing the Standard American system.

Dinner: At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: We’ll continue “shuffle and deal” play in a relaxed friendly environment, with our instructor available for assistance. We are not only learning bridge with each other; we will also be playing in a club where gilded-age millionaires once enjoyed the game. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on how bridge has been played around the world throughout history. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Bridge Wrap up, Program Concludes
Jekyll Island
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11 a.m.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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