Hilton Head Offers Winter Relief for Windy City Golfers

For cabin fevered Windy City Golfers, dreams of winter golf in warmer climes are foremost in our minds, with Florida and Arizona the most likely options, but South Carolina is another viable alternative.  The golf mecca of Myrtle Beach is the high profile destination in the Low Country, but head south down the coast 200 miles to the tip of the state and Hilton Head will open its arms and embrace golfers with better weather and the same world class golf.

Within the 43 square miles of land on Hilton Head Island, there are 15 courses open to the public, with an additional 15-20 in close proximity on the mainland and on reclusive Daufuskie Island, a short boat ride across Calibogue Sound.  Most of the courses on Hilton Head are located within "plantations", secured resort / neighborhoods that house many of the residences and activities on Hilton Head.  The most recognizable and renowned course on HHI is Harbour Town, the Pete Dye masterpiece in the Sea Pines plantation that is home to the PGA tour Heritage Classic.  Harbour Town is ranked #18 on the current Golf Digest top 100 U.S. public course list and was voted as the 2nd favorite tour stop by the pros, but if the $200+ green fee is out of range for your budget, there are plenty of others available that won't empty your wallet.  The other Sea Pines courses, Heron Point (another Dye design) and the Ocean course (the first island layout dating back to 1962), are both around $100.  The Ocean course was updated in 1995 by former tour pro Mark McCumber, and is one of a handful of South Carolina courses that is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Several other top flight architects have their names imprinted on HHI designs.  The 3 layouts at the Palmetto Dunes Plantation were designed by Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills and George Fazio, an esteemed trio to feature in any golf course portfolio.  The par 70 Fazio course, with over 120 bunkers, is considered the hardest of the three, but the Jones course commands the top dollar at $95, with the rates at the other two in the $80 range, but all are considered as excellent plays.  Three more affordable options are down the road at Port Royal Plantation, where the Barony Course, Planter's Row and Robber's Row are all under $70.  The original designs for Barony and Robber's Row date back to the 1960's, though Pete Dye (who apparently spent a significant amount of time in Hilton Head) put his unique stamp on Robber's Row in a 1994 renovation.  Planter's Row is a Willard Byrd layout that opened in 1984 and at one time hosted a Seniors Tour event.  All three par 72 courses max out at 6,600 yards from the tips and may provide slightly less challenge for the average golfer.

Arthur Hills has another signature course on the island at Palmetto Hall Plantation, which also features an additional 18 holes designed by former Golf World architect of the year Robert Cupp.  The Hills course opened in 1991 and was listed as one of America's top 10 new courses.  Rates at both the Hills and Cupp courses top out at $75 in February and March.  An open to the public Jack Nicklaus design is also featured on HHI at the appropriately named Golden Bear Golf Club at Indigo Run.  I was told by a reliable source that some of the best greens on the island are at Golden Bear, and with spring rates at the bottom end of island pricing in the low $70's, it's one of the better deals available.

I visited Hilton Head in November with my wife, and I was able to squeeze in 36 holes during the week.  I played the Galleon/Clipper nines at the 27 hole facility on the Shipyard Plantation, and at Oyster Reef on the Hilton Head Plantation.  Both courses are prototypical Hilton Head layouts, carved out of thick forests of towering pines and live oaks draped with spanish moss, with plenty of lagoons and bunkers to navigate.  The Shipyard courses are said to be home to a number of alligators, and thankfully I did not come in contact with any, but I much preferred the Rees Jones design at Oyster Reef.  The par three 6th hole, with Port Royal sound as the backdrop, is considered one of the best views on the island, and it did not disappoint, but this course was loaded with good holes and great scenery.  I really enjoyed the par five 9th, a dogleg right with traps narrowing the fairway the last 150 yards, and the par three 16th, all carry over a pond with a chasm of a bunker fronting the wide, bowl shaped green.  The rack rate at Shipyard is $69 thru February, while Oyster Reef is well worth the $75 fee.  Rees Jones also designed the Country Club of Hilton Head, a previous U.S. Open Qualifying site.  The view from the 12th hole, the highest point on the island, is reportedly spectacular.  Current green fees are $92, but play in the afternoon is a much more palatable $52 at this semi-private club.

Most of the off island options are in nearby Bluffton, led by the highly regarded May River course.  This Jack Nicklaus track holds spot #27 on the Golf Digest U.S. public course list, and the $175 early season rate (caddie included) reflects the lofty status.  But in general, the rates will be a bit less than on HHI.  Two courses that were recommended by locals were Hilton Head National and Old South.  HHN is a Gary Player / Bobby Weed collaboration that is notable for being the only area course not routed through a residential development, and it's been selected as a top play by several local publications.  Old South is also a local favorite, as indicated by being voted as a Reader's Choice winner several years running for "Favorite Public Golf Course" by Hilton Head Monthly Magazine.  Old South will cost $70, while HHN will run an additional $10 to $20 higher before the high season.  Golf royalty with names like Palmer (Crescent Pointe), Love III (Eagle's Point), Zoeller (Island West) and yes, Dye (Hampton Hall) are all represented in the Bluffton area, with rates between $40 and $70 providing great value alternatives.

Further west along Route 278 are the three courses at the Sun City complex, with 2 full length Mark McCumber layouts (Okatie Creek and Hidden Cypress), plus a 4,000 yard par 60 executive course (Argent Lakes).  Sun City residents have first crack at tee times, but the general public can reserve up to 3 days in advance, with green fees right around $50.  The newest course in the Hilton Head area is in Hardeeville, with the Golf Club at Hilton Head Lakes created by Tommy Fazio, the youngest member of the famous golf design family.

Nearby Daufuskie Island provides tantalizing opportunities to experience a trio of pedigreed South Carolina courses.  Daufuskie lies just off the southwest corner of Hilton Head and access is by boat as there are no bridges that connect to the island, but there is a large potential payoff for the adventurous golfer.  The Melrose Course is a highly regarded Nicklaus design that opened in 1987, while Bloody Point is a Tom Weiskopf / Jay Moorish original dating to 1991 that runs along the intercoastal waterway.  Both courses closed upon the bankruptcy of the Daufuskie Island Club and resort in 2008 and lied dormant for several years until new ownership stepped in to resuscitate the layouts.  Davis Love's design group completed the renovation of Bloody Point, which reopened in May 2013, and the Melrose Course will be opened for play in 2014, and features several holes along the ocean and views of the iconic candy cane striped lighthouse at Harbour Town across Calibogue Sound.  Both facilities are semi-private but welcome visitors willing to make the trip.  Haig Point is a unique Rees Jones layout that features 20 holes on the main layout (there is also a full length 9 hole course), with alternate par 3's available for play on the 8th and 17th holes.  The course is a monstrous 7,380 yards from the tips with a 76.6 rating / 147 slope, and although Haig Point is a private club, tee times can be booked on a limited basis through Hilton Head Rentals & Golf.

The average temperature on Hilton Head is 60, 63 and 69 degrees January thru March, not balmy, but certainly warm enough to pull the clubs out of storage.  The high season is mid-March thru May, but winter weary Windy City golfers will find an abundance of deals in January and February.  In addition to Hilton Head Rentals & Golf (golfhiltonheadisland.net), other locally based operators such as Hilton Head Golf Vacations (HHIgolfvacations.com), Hilton Head Island Golf (hiltonheadisland.org/golf/)and the Heritage Collection on HHI (HiltonHeadGolf.net) that specialize in the region will provide significant savings from the listed rack rates.  Throw in some excellent local dining (try One Hot Mama's BBQ, Hudson's and Annie O's Southern Eats) and the close proximity to Savannah (a great city to visit if the once in a generation polar vortex closes the courses) to the world class golf, and you'll understand why Hilton Head is ranked as one of the top U.S. golf destinations, and why I can't wait to make a return trip to sample more tasty treats from the buffet of HHI golf.