Crescent Pointe Golf Club

Crescent Pointe is the only Arnold Palmer-designed public course in the Hilton Head area, opened in 2000 by Palmer and Ed Seay in Bluffton, roughly three miles from the Hilton Head bridge on US-278. The location, the designer name, and a green fee that starts at $34 add up to a combination you won't find anywhere else in the Lowcountry. It tends to fall off the radar of visiting golfers who focus on the island's resort courses, which is a genuine missed opportunity.

You're playing up to 6,773 yards, par 71, slope 137 from the Palmer tees, with a full six sets of tees ranging down to 4,126 yards (the widest range in the area). Palmer's design philosophy is visible throughout: generous fairways encourage aggressive driving, elevated greens demand approach shots that carry to the surface rather than running on, and white sand bunkers frame the greens without overwhelming them.

The course is welcoming without being simple. From the back tees you get a legitimate test; from the forward tees it opens to beginners and juniors. For a group with widely varied handicaps, this layout solves the problem of finding a course where everyone has a reasonable chance at a good round.