Harbour Town Golf Links (photo by Bill Hornstein)
If you like a wide variety of golf with beaches, seafood, and a unique laid-back vibe that’s really like no other, we’ve got a great recommendation. It’s known as “America’s Golf Island.”
We’re talking about one of our favorite spots to tee it up — Hilton Head Island on the southern coast of South Carolina, not too far south of Charleston and across from another pretty well-known resort destination as well — Kiawah Island.
From The Sea Pines Resort to Palmetto Dunes, there is no shortage of great places to stay and play on Hilton Head Island. The culinary scene — especially seafood and Lowcountry classics like she-crab soup — along with nature walks, bike trails, festivals, and a variety of other recreational opportunities, is a big part of the appeal of this sophisticated yet relaxed destination.
Of course, our focus is almost always on golf, and there are more than 25 championship golf courses open to the public. They run the gamut from premium courses like Harbour Town down to some relative bargains. Let’s take a look:
The Sea Pines Resort
Any discussion of Hilton Head golf begins with the famous red and white lighthouse beyond the 18th green at Harbour Town Golf Links, overlooking Calibogue Sound. It’s the longtime home, of course, to the RBC Heritage Presented By Boeing on the PGA Tour, and for many, it’s a bucket list course.
So if you’re going to Hilton Head and can get a tee time and don’t mind paying a premium green fee, this iconic course, created by Pete Dye (with lots of input from Alice Dye, too) and Jack Nicklaus, is a must-play. And it was recently renovated by Davis Love III, who probably appreciates Harbour Town more than anyone, considering he won The RBC Heritage five times during his Hall of Fame playing career.
It’s a shotmaker’s course, for sure, as evidenced by the wide variety of players who have won there. The most iconic hole is the par-4 finisher, which usually plays into a sea breeze and features an approach shot over the marsh to a well-protected, semi-island green, with the lighthouse in the background.
The renovation not only preserved Dye’s design but also stressed agronomical improvements, so it’s never been in better shape. Plus, the 55,000-square-foot clubhouse was renovated a few years ago, and it includes a 4,000-square-foot locker room (where there’s all kinds of memorabilia honoring The Heritage) and the Pete Dye Room. This last item is a museum that celebrates the life and work of Pete Dye with exhibits, videos, pictures, and awards that provide insight into Dye’s brilliant career.
In addition to Harbour Town, the resort offers two more incredible golf courses. Heron Point by Pete Dye is a jewel as well, with lots of holes cut around the water, offering flawless conditioning and a challenging and fun experience. And the third course, Atlantic Dunes, is arguably as spectacular as Harbour Town when you consider the totality of the golf course. As the name implies, this redo by Davis Love III of the old Ocean Course has seaside holes and spectacular views.
The resort also features the Inn at Harbour Town, which offers luxurious and incredibly comfortable rooms, dining at The American Grill in the Clubhouse, and, for racquet enthusiasts, a premium tennis center and the famed Smith Stearns Tennis Academy, led by tennis great Stan Smith (who also loves and excels at golf). The Sea Pines Resort also has miles of hiking and biking trails, beaches, rental homes, and villas.
Harbour Town Golf Links (Photo by Bill Hornstein)
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
When you think about Palmetto Dunes, you can’t help but picture the long walks or bike rides on the beach. In terms of golf, the resort is best known for the course that bumps up against the beach.
The Robert Trent Jones Course at Palmetto Dunes’ signature hole is the par-5 10th, which plays right into the Atlantic Ocean (and usually into a stiff breeze). But honestly, the course is one good to great hole after another, with lots of water and sand that comes into play. This 7,000-yard-plus course is very playable with wide fairways, but quite a challenge, too, especially if the wind is up.
One of the toughest courses, however, on Hilton Head Island is the Arthur Hills Course at Palmetto Dunes. It’s less than 6,700 yards, but it plays much longer with its tight doglegs, tree-lined fairways and tucked-away greens. You’re going to need accuracy and solid ball-striking to conquer this test.
The third course at Palmetto Dunes is the George Fazio Course (George was Tom Fazio’s uncle), a par-70 with elevated greens. Some of the holes ride along canals, which can make this course particularly tricky to play.
Palmetto Dunes also has a top-notch golf academy that offers two full days of instruction, plus playing lessons. Golfers can also enjoy Palmetto Dunes’ relatively new Toptracer Range, where visitors can play different games, track their shots, and enjoy food and drinks into the night.
In terms of accommodations, they run the gamut at Palmetto Dunes. But the two main hotels are the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort and Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, Hilton Head Island. The latter is the former Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa, which was rebranded and renovated in 2024.
Palmetto Dunes, Robert Trent Jones Course (photo by Madewell Photography)
The Heritage Golf Collection
There are seven courses in the Heritage Golf Collection, and they often represent not only some of the best values on the island at times, but also a nice change of pace.
A good starting point is the Shipyard Golf Club, a 27-hole George Cobb layout property that sits on property that goes back to the early 1700s, when Henry Talbot-Talbird emigrated from Ireland to start a brick manufacturing operation called “Brickyard Plantation.” Later, Samuel Fickling purchased the plantation and conducted a shipbuilding operation, which is how it got its name.
The three nines at Shipyard – the Clipper, Galleon, and Brigantine – are tree-lined with oak and magnolia. There are lots of doglegs, water, and small greens, which means it’s generally precision over power that equals success.
A longtime favorite on the island, however, is Oyster Reef Golf Club, a wonderful 7,000-yard Rees Jones design with several dramatic holes. The sixth is a par-3 set against the water of Port Royal Sound, while the rest of the course winds through the hardwoods to well-protected, multi-tiered greens.
Over at Palmetto Hall Plantation, a semi-private club, there are two outstanding courses. The Hills Course was built on an old Civil War garrison. It features a strong finishing stretch, including the risk-reward (a Hills design staple) par-5 18th, where players who hit a good drive can contemplate going for the green in two. The Robert Cupp-designed Cupp Course at Palmetto Hall Plantation, which plays nearly 7,100 yards from the tips, has more generous fairways in a layout that meanders through wetlands, streams, and a rolling landscape.
Then there’s the 54 holes of Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club: The Cobb-designed Barony Course, which opened in the early 1960s, is one of the island’s first golf courses. Robber’s Row was originally designed by Cobb and William Byrd, but Pete Dye redid it in 1994. The course sits on a former Civil War encampment. And Planter’s Row, designed by Byrd, has lots of water holes. It’s the former home of the Hilton Head Seniors International.
In addition to the golf, Port Royal also offers eight Har-Tru tennis courts as well as two pickleball courts. Plus, it has some of the best instruction programs and clinics on the island.
Oyster Reef Golf Club (photo by Ryan Barnett)
More golf if you go to Hilton Head Island
Some other options if you visit Hilton Head Island include Golden Bear Golf Club, Bear Creek Golf Club, as well as Eagle’s Point, Hilton Head National, and Old South Golf Links in nearby Bluffton. These are also some of the best values.
Nestled in Indigo Run, Golden Bear is a Jack Nicklaus design routed over rolling terrain, lagoons, and around live oaks.
Bear Creek is another nice Rees Jones design. This Audubon-Certified course showcases lots of natural areas and wildlife diversity as well as some of the best greens on the Island. It’s also very walkable.
Eagle’s Point features a Love III Signature Course that winds through mossy oaks, pines, and lagoons. Hilton Head National is a collaboration between Bobby Weed and Gary Player. And Old South Golf Links is a fun Clyde Johnston design that features stunning marsh-side holes at the end of each nine.
Golden Bear Golf Club
How to get to Hilton Head Island
The most convenient way to get to the island if you’re traveling from a long distance would be to fly right into Hilton Head Island Airport. This usually means a connection through Atlanta, Charlotte or Washington’s Dulles International.
But most visitors fly into Savannah (Ga.) Hilton Head International Airport, which is about 45 minutes south, because there are more flights available and better fares generally.
If you live closer and travel by car, you can reach Hilton Head Island by taking Interstate 95 north or south. Then take US-278 East onto the island.