Old South Golf Links
Every golfer knows about Harbour Town Golf Links and The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island. If you’ve never played it, and haven’t played the other two courses there – you probably owe it to yourself to make it happen at some point in your life.Â
Harbour Town, site of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, is iconic to say the least, especially with the finishing hole and its signature red and white lighthouse in the background on Calibogue Sound. And the other two courses at The Sea Pines Resort – Heron Point by Pete Dye and Davis Love III’s Atlantic Dunes – are premium experiences as well.Â
But they are premium priced as well, as are the courses at Palmetto Dunes (although they are less expensive than The Sea Pines Resort) so if you come to Hilton Head Island and want to find a little more affordable golf, you might want to take a look at some of the courses that are a bit under the radar.
Dolphin Head Golf Club
We did just that recently with a round at Dolphin Head Golf Club on the north end of the island. It’s a super enjoyable and challenging layout by Gary Player that definitely favors course strategy and precision over power. This classic Lowcountry course is also scenic with a mixture of mature pines and oaks with water coming into play on many of the approach shots, some to semi-island greens. It’s just 6,600 yards, but hardly a pushover.
Locals know about Dolphin Head and a few other courses that visitors might not be familiar with. It’s also a good idea if you’re on a bit of a budget to consider courses that are just off the island, perhaps in Bluffton, which you will drive through if you’re coming in from the airport in Savannah to the south. Here then is a look at a few courses that might be a little off the radar, but worth considering if you’re making a trip to Hilton Head Island.
Dolphin Head Golf Club
Old South Golf Links
If you were looking to just play one (sort of) under-the-radar golf course in addition to some of the better known courses, Old South Golf Links would probably be the pick.Â
Located in Bluffton on the other side of the bridge from Hilton Head Island, Old South is a Clyde Johnston layout with no homes and stunning scenery. It’s laid out over rolling terrain and through towering live oaks. There are island greens that border the salt marshes of McKay’s Creek, and you’ll see plenty of deer, storks, hawks, and a few alligators.Â
The GEO Certified environmentally sustainable course opened in 1991 and has five sets of tees, playing nearly 6,800 yards from the tips. It also has a beautiful clubhouse, featuring the Old South Golf Southern Cafe, which serves up breakfast and lunch in a laid-back, friendly setting, as well as the breezy Shark Lounge.
Old South Golf Links
Hilton Head National
A collaboration between Gary Player and Bobby Weed, Hilton Head National isn’t actually on Hilton Head Island. Like Old South, it’s located on Bluffton, but it’s also a very popular course with locals and won’t disappoint golfers who make the trip to HHI.
Like Old South, there are no homes on this 6,600-yard par-71. Weed crafted the front nine with larger, more contoured greens, while Player did the back nine, which probably requires a little more precision and strategy. There are standout holes on each nine, of course. The par-4 sixth is flanked by a lake down the entire right side, and the green is protected by pot bunkers. The finishing hole is a tough par-4 that has a marsh that runs the entire length of a narrow fairway.
In a unique twist, the course is actually right next to the Hilton Head RV Resort, so if you’ve got a camper or motorhome, this is a great stay-and-play opportunity as the resort offers some really nice amenities.
Hilton Head National
Golden Bear at Indigo Run
This stellar Jack Nicklaus design (not to be confused with the private Golf Club at Indigo Run) often gets overlooked because it’s not part of a resort, but it really is a bit of a hidden gem.Â
The par-72 layout, which plays more than 7,000 yards from the tips, is a great test, requiring precision and good course management, given the obstacles golfers will encounter along the way. The course is also picturesque with its mature trees lining the fairways, undulating greens, and beautiful bunkering.
Operated by Invited Clubs, this semi-private facility also features nice practice facilities and a comfortable clubhouse that includes Bites and Sips, where you can get a cold beer and a burger with a view.
Golden Bear at Indigo Run
Oyster Reef Golf Club
Perhaps the gem of the Heritage Golf Collection, which operates several courses on the island, Oyster Reef is a stellar Rees Jones design with elevated greens and quite a few dramatic holes.
The signature hole is arguably the sixth, a 192-yard par-3 perched along the backdrop of the Port Royal Sound. But it’s hardly the only highlight as the course runs through winding lagoons and native vegetation. From the tips, it’s a stiff test at more than 7,000 yards, but there are six sets of tees, so anyone can enjoy it. Oyster Reef is a bit of a premium course, so morning tee times can be a bit pricey, but it’s definitely affordable in the afternoon.
The club also features one of the best clubhouse restaurants on the island, the LagerHead Tavern, which attracts nongolfers as well as golfers. It serves a variety of craft beers, signature grilled oysters, seafood chowder, and its Lowcountry Reuben, made with in-house pulled pork and slow-smoked Smithfield ham.
Oyster Reef Golf Club
Palmetto Hall Arthur Hills Course
There are two courses at Palmetto Hall Plantation – the Robert Cupp Course and the Arthur Hills Course. The Hills was built on an old Civil War Garrison and it hasn’t a different feel than most of the marsh heavy courses found on the island. Plus, as Hills Courses tend to be, it’s very challenging.
Opened in 1991, the Hills Course, also part of the Heritage collection, tips out at a little more than 6,900 yards. The undulated fairways work their way through forests of pines and moss-covered live oaks. There are lakes and plenty of bunkers, including those that protect the course’s large greens. It was named the 2024 Golf Course of the Year by both the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association and South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association.
Palmetto Hall Arthur Hills Course
Eagle’s Pointe Golf Club
Finally, another Bluffton course worth considering is Eagle’s Pointe Golf Club, which is somewhat player friendly and very popular among the locals.
Designed by five-time RBC Heritage champion Love III, the course has generous fairways, but water that comes into play on 16 holes. On some of the holes, like the difficult par-4 16th and 18th, players will have to negotiate it both off the tee and on their approach shots. There are five sets of tees, including the longest Love III tees at just under 6,800 yards.
The course also offers special promotions, including afternoon nine hole rates if you’re pressed for time.
Eagle’s Pointe Golf Club