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Hilton Head CoursesCallawassie Island Club Dogwood/Palmetto Course Magnolia/Dogwood Course Palmetto/Magnolia Course The three nine-hole courses at Callawassie Island Club--to be played in tandem pairs to create an 18-hole round--were designed by Tom Fazio and built in 1986. Fazio says it's one of his best; of course, he likes all of his designs, as well he should. Callawassie Island is an 880-acre sea island that sits among the marshlands between the Colleton and Chechessee rivers. A short drive from Charleston or Hilton Head and just past Beaufort, this island showcases a delightful piece of nature where birds and wildlife disregard your golfing and your round is relaxed and easygoing--but not necessarily easy. The order of difficulty is Magnolia, Dogwood then Palmetto. The Dogwood is the newest, and its four finishing holes along the river lend dramatics to your game. Greens are tifdwarf, and fairways are bermudagrass. The signature hole at Callawassie is the par 4 No. 9 on the Magnolia Course, where your approach shot must clear a marsh and find an island green. The 4th hole on the Dogwood is tough--a 450-yard par 4 with a wetlands hazard on the right that narrows your driving area. On 15 of Callawassie's 27 holes, you will encounter marshland or ponds. Practice greens, a driving range, pro shop, rental clubs, locker room, bar and restaurant are available. Approximate greens fees range from $55 to $80, including cart. Walking is allowed for members only. By the way, if you've never seen a black river, spend an extra few hours and paddle a kayak or canoe along some barely discovered water where you will find nature like nowhere else. It could be within sight of I-95, and you still can hear not a sound--save an occasional chirp or splash. If you should find Tulifinny Joe's Outpost in Ridgeland (we'll give you the number--(843) 726-5334--to help in the search), where the best kayaks and guides hang out, be sure to ask Leon, Judy or Em to tell you all about this location where the Waterway was born. Country Club of Hilton Head Part of Hilton Head Plantation's complex, the 18-hole course was designed by Rees Jones and built in 1985. It features bermudagrass greens and fairways. The 12th green lies on the Intracoastal Waterway, and others run near it as well as along freshwater ponds and marshlands. Several holes are long par 5s, two of them measuring more than 575 yards each. For instance, No. 18 is 579 yards uphill from the back tees. All in all, you will encounter 13 doglegs as well as water hazards on 14 holes. Elevation changes are constant, including some tees, landing areas and greens. And what about that punch-bowl-shaped green on the 6th? A practice green, driving range, pro shop, beverage cart and club rental are available. The greens fees, including cart, range from $60 to $80. Walking is not allowed. Eagle's Pointe Golf Club This Davis Love III 18-hole course opened in 1998. It's a classical design created in the tradition of courses by Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast and Alister Mackenzie and reminiscent of Pinehurst No. 2 and Augusta National. It's noted for natural beauty, strategy, variety and superb conditioning throughout the 18 holes. Homesites border one side of seven holes. The course winds through stands of moss-draped live oaks and pines plus freshwater wetlands and lagoons. Spacious corridors and dramatic bunkering plus unique green sites and contoured putting surfaces will create an exciting venue. Generous fairways should allow for few forced carries and open fronts on many of its greens, so it accommodates golfers of all skill levels. The course includes a driving range and practice putting range. The clubhouse, which opened in the spring of 1998, is a 6,500-square-foot Lowcountry design with pitched roofs, dormers and wide verandas. Inside, it includes locker rooms, a grill room and dining areas for large groups. Approximate greens fees including cart range from $50 to $85. Walking is restricted. Golden Bear Golf Course at Indigo
Run The chief architect for this Nicklaus design was Bruce Borland. Fairways and greens are bermudagrass. Lagoons and freshwater wetlands are sprinkled among oak, cypress and pine forests around the fairways and greens. Mounding and elevation are minimal. One of the most challenging holes is 446-yard No. 11, a long dogleg left with water to the left of the green. The par 5 15th, a dogleg right of 512 yards, has a substantial landing area for your tee shot. As long as you pass the trees on the right side of the fairway, you should have a somewhat easy shot to the green. Practice greens, a driving range, pro shop, rental clubs, a bar and grill and a beverage cart all add up to an enjoyable golf excursion. Approximate greens fees range from $55 to $73, including cart. Individuals can book tee times 30 days in advance; if you book through a golf package, that time increases to 120 days. Walking is not allowed. Hilton Head National Golf Club Gary Player designed this 18-hole course in 1989. Fairways and greens are bermudagrass, and the course is always in superb condition. There is no residential development here, just marshland. The 9th is a tough hole due to its length, and you're almost always driving into the wind to an elevated green. Marshland lines the entire right side of the hole. The No. 17 signature hole is a par 3 with a fountain guarding the front. Other than the 17th, the narrow fairways and lack of marsh resemble a Northern course more than a typical Carolina layout. A driving range, practice greens, pro shop, bar, restaurant and rental clubs are available. Walking is not allowed. Approximate greens fees range from $45 to $90, including cart. Island West Golf Club Fuzzy Zoeller designed this 18-hole course in 1992, and the architect was Clyde Johnston. The 150-acre coastal forest includes live oaks and tall pines around lush wetlands and richly colored bermudagrass greens and fairways. The course caters to the novice as well as to the veteran and exudes Fuzzy's trademark sense of fun. The forward tees are well-placed for ladies or juniors; on 12 holes they are in front or to the side of the carry--over water or wetlands. Shooting from the back tees... well, you'll have the carry on those 12 holes to have the opportunity to test your skills. Island West's front nine starts with a par 5 that is not overly difficult and ends with a unique large double green on No. 8 and a beautiful No. 9. The signature hole is the 17th, which also plays to the double green. Practice greens, a driving range and beverage cart are available. The Southern-style clubhouse has a bar and grill and a pro shop. Book your tee time up to one year in advance of your game. Approximate greens fees and cart range from $45 to $75. Walking is not allowed. The Links at Stono Ferry Ron Garl designed this beautiful resort in 1989 as a Southern experience that can include a polo game after your round of great golf. It lies along the Intracoastal Waterway toward the mainland and has bermudagrass greens and fairways. The signature hole is the 14th, a par 3 measuring 157 yards. The tee box is built out into the Intracoastal Waterway, and the carry is about 120 yards to the green over marsh and wetlands. Water is prevalent on the back nine and comes into play on five holes. Practice greens, a driving range, pro shop, rental clubs, a bar and restaurant and a beverage cart are available. The cost of a round is $30 on weekdays and $35 on weekends. The cart fee is $15. Walking is not allowed. Old Carolina Golf Club This new club opened in 1997, with a masterful bermudagrass sculpture by Clyde Johnston. It was built on the site of a thoroughbred horse farm and retains the oak-lined driveway and the original horse barn. It is a sister course to Old South (see write-up below) but showcases a quite different type of terrain with a series of high ground meadows. Johnston calls this a modern links-style course. Dramatic mounding combines with natural wetlands. The fairways are rolling, and hazards are numerous. The signature holes are No. 9 and 18. Both are par 4s of 430 and 405 yards, respectively. Both carry the same lagoon off the tee to a landing area. No. 9 then has a slight dogleg right, and 18 a slight dogleg left. Rather than a double green, which was originally planned, several big oak trees were saved and now separate the greens. The back tee box is the same for both holes. One hits one way, and one the other, over the same big pond. Then both approach shots are into heavily guarded two-tier greens over another lagoon. Both tee shots could find a big bunker. If you play it right on 9, you need to stay right of the bunker; on 18 you need to stay left of the sand. Walking is allowed any time of day. Approximate greens fees range from $50 to $85 including cart. A full service pro shop, driving range and beverage cart are available. Old South Golf Links This Clyde Johnston course includes 18 holes of bermudagrass greens and fairways, and it's open to the public year-round. It's easy to find on the mainland just before reaching Hilton Head Island. Johnston's Old South is a tribute to a man working within nature's guidelines. You will experience natural amenities and fabulous views playing this course. Johnston said, "The variety of the setting, from oak forest to open pasture to tidal marsh, provides an opportunity to vary the design elements and strategy of play." This all adds up to marvelous variety. It's a popular and beautiful course featuring seven marsh-front holes and three spectacular island greens among live oaks scattered on rolling terrain. The clubhouse verandas overlook the large putting green and the lagoon, a reminder that you're in the Lowcountry, not in Scotland as the links might persuade you to believe. The par 4 16th is the signature hole, with two carries over marsh. Lateral water hazards are characteristic. The 7th also requires two shots over water. The course offers rental clubs, practice greens, a driving range, pro shop, bar, restaurant and beverage cart. Walking is allowed any time of day. Cost ranges from $50 to $85, including cart. Oyster Reef Golf Course Bermudagrass greens and fairways characterize the 18-hole Rees Jones course built in 1982--part of the Hilton Head Plantation complex. Nine ponds and 66 bunkers contribute to the fairness of the nicely laid out course where every hole is challenging. Doglegs are surrounded by mounds and fairway bunkers. Exact approach shots are required to the large greens with well-defined tiers. The 6th is the signature hole. It overlooks Port Royal Sound, and beautiful oak trees surround the green. It's a par 3 of 192 yards from the tips. A chipping green, practice green and driving range and club rentals are available. You can also enjoy a pro shop, bar, restaurant and beverage cart. The locker room is for members only. Rates range from $69 to $79, including cart and greens fee. Walking is not allowed. Palmetto Dunes Golf Course The three 18-hole courses provide an outstanding golf experience on Hilton Head. The oldest of the trio, the Robert Trent Jones course, involves a winding lagoon affecting 11 holes, and stray shots can easily find their way into one of the many fairway bunkers or lagoons. The Arthur Hills layout, heavily wooded with trademark elevation changes and rolling fairways provided by sand dunes, was overhauled and reopened in the fall of 1995. All greens were rebuilt, some tee areas expanded and the irrigation system reworked. Unrestricted walking is allowed on all courses any time and any day. According to management, an increasing number of good players are asking to walk, keeping with golf tradition and reaping the fitness benefits. Approximate greens fees, including cart, begin at $40 and go to $80. Specials are available when booking through the resort. Arthur Hills Course The par 4 12th hole has water running along an entire side from tee to green. The par 5 13th hole, 507 yards from the blue tees, is built for the long driver--your tee shot must carry over water. Your second shot entails a fairway wood, but you must be careful because both fairway and green are guarded by a lake bordering the right side. George Fazio Course This is a straightforward course with water coming into play on only six holes, which makes it forgiving though not easy. Bunkering is dramatic, and fairways are rolling. The fairways are open on the front nine but are more severe on the back nine. The finishing hole has a large bunker right off the tee that must be carried with your tee shot, and your second shot must also carry a bunker to a short fairway leading up to the green. This course has only two par 5s and three par 3s. The series of long par 4s will test your ability. Robert Trent Jones Course Fairways on this layout are extensively bunkered, landing areas are generous, and the water hazards are abundant en route to the large well-trapped greens. A winding lagoon system comes into play on 11 of 18 holes here. You go out from the clubhouse to the left of the water, make the turn and return on the right side. The fairways are open, and the greens are large. The majority of the holes on the back nine involve water; exceptions are the 10th, 11th, 16th and 18th. The signature is the 10th, a par 5 that plays into an ocean breeze and a spectacular ocean view. The course was named to Golf for Women magazine's first list of the top-100 most-women-friendly golf courses nationwide in 1995. Palmetto Hall Plantation Palmetto Hall features two 18-hole layouts. The Arthur Hills course opened in 1991, the Robert Cupp course in 1993. Unrestricted walking is allowed on the Cupp course, a recent change that management is finding pleases many good golfers who respect the game's traditions. A luxurious 14,000 square-foot Lowcountry-style clubhouse complements the rich sense of history here. The new clubhouse features trophy cases and historic artifacts. Antiques and paintings add an elegant touch. A pro shop, men's and women's locker rooms and lounges are on the main level. The grill room is a typical gentlemen's club with English golf paintings. Upstairs a ballroom is divided into smaller banquet rooms for weddings or corporate parties. Approximate greens fees, including cart, range from $35 to $74.50. Arthur Hills Course This first course of the community was spread across the site of a former Civil War garrison. Oaks, pines, willow and lakes wrap the rolling curves of this course. Some greens are edged with bunkers, and water is involved in 12 of the 18 holes, providing a formidable challenge. The par 5, 490-yard 5th hole, for instance, has water up the entire right side of the fairway, so all shots must be placed to the left. Save some strength for the signature par 4, 434-yard 18th hole, which has water running all the way up the left side of the fairway. Robert Cupp Course As with many courses along the South Carolina coast, this scenic course has a lot of water and sawgrass marshland, although these hazards may not always come into play. Dense forests of oak and pine also wrap around the course. It is somewhat original with straight lines and sharp angles evolving from Cupp's computerized design. The geometric shape includes square greens, angular bunkers and pyramid-shaped mounding. The 6th hole is a par 5, 542 yards from the back tees. It doglegs left. A good second shot will be played to the right because the green is bordered by a pond on the left and rear. The 12th hole is a beautiful 208-yard par 3 with sand guarding the left front and side of the green. Port Royal Golf Club The three 18-hole courses at Port Royal offer enough variety to keep you interested for three good rounds any time. All fairways and greens are covered with bermudagrass. A pro shop, locker rooms, bar and restaurant, rental clubs, practice greens and driving range round out the resort's golf amenities. Walking is allowed occasionally on all of these courses during the winter, but you should ask before making plans to walk. Fees range from $40 to $80, including cart and greens fees. Barony Course The Barony Course was built in 1963 and designed by George Cobb. The 12th on the Barony is a good par 4 measuring 428 yards. Water flanks the right and left of the fairway. Most of the greens are small with numerous bunkers, some deep and wide, surrounding the greens. This course brings shot-making ability to the forefront and downplays long drives and iron shots. Planters Row Course Planters Row was built in 1983 and designed by Willard Byrd. On Planters Row, the hole to fear is the 12th. It's narrow, measures 424 yards and requires a carry over water to the green. The course ends with a 480-yard par 5, with woods to the left and water to the right of the fairway. A good second shot will set up your pitch to the elevated green. Robbers Row Course The Robbers Row Course was designed by George Cobb and Pete Dye and built in 1967. It was recently redesigned by Pete Dye, who added several water hazards. On Robbers Row take note of the 10th, a long, slight dogleg right that plays par 4 at 454 yards. Most greens are guarded by bunkers, thus requiring precise shot placement. Rose Hill Country Club South-East East-West West-South The 27 holes at Rose Hill designed by Gene Hamm are set along rolling terrain bordered by tall pines, live oaks and magnolias. The course combinations offer many challenges for golfers of all levels. Although it doesn't come into play on every shot, water borders all but five holes. The West is the most-played course. No. 1 on the West is a dogleg over water and is sometimes considered the signature hole. One of the tough holes is No. 2 on the West Course. It's 401 yards with water all along the left side, then cutting into the middle of the fairway so you must clear the water on your second shot. It has bermudagrass fairways and greens. The East Course is more open than the West and South, and it is slightly shorter. The South Course fairways are tree lined, and greens are well bunkered. No walking is allowed. Club rental, driving range, putting green, beverage cart and restaurant are provided. Approximate greens fees range from $50 to $65 including cart. Sea Pines Resort These three 18-hole courses are among the most popular on Hilton Head Island and offer preferred tee times and reduced rates to resort guests. Afternoon summer specials may offer you two courses for $130. That's a bargain. Afternoon summer specials at Harbour Town are $110. A more typical price is $170 or more, including cart. Enjoy a half-day school plus 18 holes of golf and cart on the Sea Marsh Course for $165. Eight hours of beginner golf instruction are also available for $200. Harbour Town Golf Links You've seen this course on TV. It's one of the most popular courses on the PGA Tour and is home to the MCI Heritage Classic, played each year the week after the Masters. The course is tight off the tee and most of the greens are small and heavily bunkered: it's a shorter, shotmakers course and a great example of early Pete Dye work. The most famous hole on the course is the 450-yard par 4 18th, which plays to a wide fairway with the famous lighthouse in clear view. It sounds like an intimidating hole, but for the pros, it's just a drive and a 6- or 7-iron. Must be nice. Play this course from the forward tees if you're not a PGA touring professional and be prepared to use your three wood off the tee a lot. Ocean Course The Ocean Course--the island's first course, and now among its newest--was designed by George Cobb in 1962 and remodeled by PGA veteran Mark McCumber in 1995. Multiple tees accommodate all skill levels, and the restructuring preserved traditional beauty while modernizing the layout. Various hazard placements add to the excitement, and the fabulous ocean vistas, especially on the dramatic beachfront 15th, are tough to beat. Sea Marsh Course The Sea Marsh Course was designed by George Cobb in 1964 and remodeled in 1990 by Clyde Johnston. The Sea Marsh's varied layout often crosses lagoons or marshes. Fairways are wide, and oaks, pines and palmettos surround them. Medium-size greens are bunkered and slope from back to front, requiring exact approach shots. Distance shots are sometimes required, although the course is not lengthy. Shipyard Golf Club Three nine-hole layouts at Shipyard include the Brigantine, Clipper and Galleon courses. Fairways and greens are bermudagrass. Oaks, pines, magnolias, lagoons and ponds populate these courses and demand driving accuracy and putting delicacy. Water comes into play on 25 of the 27 holes. Amenities include a practice putting and chipping green and a driving range. A pro shop, locker room, bar and restaurant, beverage cart and club rental are all on-site. The course also offers memberships. Summer rates begin at $40 for late afternoon specials and increase to $90 during the spring season, including greens fees and cart. Walking is allowed after 5 PM during the summer, which means it's not really allowed. Galleon Course The Galleon is a George Cobb design. A nice par 3 is No. 5--179 yards and fronted by two bunkers that may come into play if your shot falls short. Fairways are defined by trees; they are of medium width and allow enough space to work the ball. The Galleon's second hole is its signature, a dogleg left, par 5, with a bunker to the left that can be carried by a long hitter. Then you have a chance to go for the elevated green, which has water in front and bunkers to left, front, right and rear. The uphill shot cannot be short or it falls back into the water. Clipper Course The only hole on this George Cobb design that doesn't involve water is the par 4 427-yard 6th. This was the original back nine for the Galleon when the course began as an 18-hole layout. One of the Clipper's spectacular holes is the 9th, which doglegs left, has bunkers to the right of the fairway and one on the left corner that is difficult to carry. From there in, the hole is well bunkered. The green is somewhat elevated and has bunkers 100 yards out and to the green. Shots that miss the green will be in these bunkers. Brigantine Course Tree lines also define the fairways here. The 5th hole, a par 3, measures 180 yards from the back tee. A bunker circles the left back portion and around two-thirds of the green. It's a slight downhill shot with water from the tee to the green. A good carry is required. Watch out for the 6th hole on this Willard Byrd design, a long par 4 with bunkers by the landing area and water on the left. Likewise, beware No. 9, a par 5, 523 yards, with water running down the complete side of the fairway. Private homes and rental condominiums surround this course but blend with the pines and don't distract from the golfing experience.
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