Most casual golf fans have never heard of St. Simon’s Island/Sea Island, Ga. But the luxurious coastal Atlantic establishments, which sit squarely between Savannah to the north and Jacksonville to the south, house some of golf’s best.

For the last three years in the late fall, Sea Island Golf Course has opened its prestigious doors to the world’s elite, who will compete on the demanding links-style Seaside Course in The McGladrey Classic.

Believe it or not, Bobby Jones once graced an elegant nine holes before it later became the visually stunning 18-hole course it is today. Last week, Dustin Johnson came through as a fantasy pick and snagged a victory in Shanghai. This week, there’s a little less purse to play for, but there are 500 FedEx Cup points available.

St. Simon’s claims to be the birthplace of the famed Brunswick stew found just inland, so let’s take a look now at the dicey recipes, the meat and potatoes and the rotten ingredients. It’s Risk, Reward, Ruin.

RISK

Whenever evaluating a Risk component, such as Dustin Johnson was labeled last week, it’s usually about course unfamiliarity, injury or trends of recent play. But in this case, we have several golfers who know the course, but don’t really have a recent body of work to oust the Sea Island residents that make up the Reward category. And as such, it might be smart to use a start on a risky resident and save a start for guys who you’ll undoubtedly use during the major championship season.

Lucas Glover

One of several Sea Island residents, Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open but since has underwhelmed. He does have a victory in 2011 to his credit, but he was injured 2012 and his 2013 season left much to be desired. He missed the cut in 2010 here, but rebounded for a T15 in 2011. He’s already MC’d twice this year.

Jonathan Byrd

The St. Simon’s resident and 2002 Rookie of the Year went T66, T32 in the first two years of the tournament. He has five wins on Tour, but his last came in 2011. He missed 10 cuts in 2013, and had his worst year of earnings since 2006. You’re not picking him to get a win, but more so just hoping to catch lightning in a bottle.

Tommy Gainey

Now we get a little bit more interesting material. Ol’ Two Gloves is back on the site of his first PGA Tour win, where he destroyed the 18-hole (60) and 72-hole records (264). The South Carolina native has missed two cuts already in this new season, but it’s hard to discount his McGladrey win. Some courses just suit a guy.

Hudson Swafford

He’s a Tour rookie, but lives and trains on Sea Island, giving him that valuable local knowledge. Playing round after round on the course with other experienced pros like Byrd or resident, pro and college teammate Brian Harman should not be overlooked when looking for a sleeper. Those Georgia boys can play, as Russell Henley and Harris English proved last year. What better venue to get your first win?

Ben Crane

Like Gainey, Crane made a charge on the final day in 2011, shooting 63 to reach a playoff with Webb Simpson that he went on to win. But that was then and this is now, and “The Golf Boys” member has not performed as well lately. He did finish T27 in 2012 and has made two cuts this year, but he’s sporadic and his kind, goofy nature doesn’t seem to mix well with being a regular at the top of the leaderboard.

REWARD

You really couldn’t get a much better group than you have below. I burned through this list’s starts last year and was rewarded handsomely with their consistency. Want to start the year off with a bang and put yourself ahead of the curve? Then go with the chalk. Just know it may cost you at the end of the year.

Matt Kuchar

Sea Island resident. He’s among the world’s best ball strikers and is really coming into his own as one of the premier players on Tour. He won The Players Championship this past season, and should destroy a course he’s completely familiar with. He finished tied for 20th in 2011 and is well rested. Guess where he’s been spending all of his practice time? You got it.

Zach Johnson

Another Sea Island resident. Johnson has a recent win at the BMW Championship on his resume and a solid year to boot coming in. He finished T49 in 2012, but that’s not worrisome in the least when he’s as hot as he is now, both with his irons and with his putter.

Harris English

Yet another Sea Island resident. English won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June and was T15 here in 2012. He has all the make-up of a multiple time winner and will be completely at ease. The University of Georgia All-American is also coming off finishes of 8- and 10-under par at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open and the CIMB Classic, respectively.

Webb Simpson

Simpson comes in with a recent win at the Shriner’s Open, and now he returns to finish the business he started in 2011 when he lost in a playoff. The U.S. Open champ is perfectly suited to burn this course and post several low scores. He’s my pick to win.

Chris Kirk

Another St. Simon’s resident, another Georgia boy, another golfer looking to get his first Tour win. I’m extremely high on him and love his current form. Yeah, he has an MC to his credit here (2011), but all signs point up for him to post a low score.

RUIN

Aside from your usual “Who are they?” suspects, there are several draws that might seem like good picks but should be avoided.

Davis Love III

Yes, he’s a Sea Island resident and he did compete up until the end last year, finishing tied for fourth. But he doesn’t get much competitive golf in these days. And with every day, he falls behind longer hitters. He MC’d two years ago, but does have two sub-par tournaments under his belt this year. That’s not enough comfort for me to consider him.

David Duval

At 41, the best days of Duval’s career are more than a decade behind him. He’s a regular trunk slammer, and this event has been no different for him. It’s really hard to believe he reached No. 1 in the world as far as he’s fallen. Although he’s had bright spots (a T2 finish at the 2009 U.S. Open, for example), he’s never been able to regain top form, and he won’t start this week.

David Toms

Toms got passed on the final day by Gainey to lose the 2012 McGladrey Classic by a stroke. The year before he missed the cut. Like Duval, Toms best days are behind him. Every once in a while he’ll pop up and become a feel-good story, but I never want to be the guy guessing on which week that is.

Darren Clarke

He could seem like a sneaky pick since he’s a British Open champ and Sea Island is a links-style course. But this isn’t Europe, and Clarke has been all over the place in terms of success. He’s coming off four great days at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but missed the previous two European Tour cuts. Currently, 280th in the world, you can do much better.

Paul Goydos

Goydos only played in two events last season and missed both cuts. He’s 0 for 2 this year and withdrew after shooting 79 here in 2011. His last win was 2007, and nearing 50-years old, he’s an easy pick for an MC this week.

As always, you can find me on Twitter @bricmiller to tell me you’ve actually tried Brunswick stew (it’s delicious!) or discuss any fantasy inquiries you might have. Happy picking!