Pin itPalmetto Dunes - George Fazio Course
The only par 70 on the island, built around long par 4s and Diamond Zoysia greens that separate the Palmetto Dunes trio by temperament.
Designed by George Fazio (1974)
$150–$241
Booking via GolfNow
The George Fazio Course at Palmetto Dunes is the only par-70 public course on Hilton Head Island, built in 1974 as the middle child of the resort's three-course rotation. Fazio gave it a personality that sets it apart from both the Robert Trent Jones layout and the Arthur Hills design: just two par 5s, a series of long par 4s that demand quality ball-striking, and Diamond Zoysia greens that roll true once you get there.
What to expect
The rating of 74.0 and slope of 145 make this the most demanding of the three Palmetto Dunes courses by a comfortable margin. From the tips, you are looking at 6,873 yards, longer than the Jones course and significantly more demanding than the Hills layout. The difficulty concentrates on the par 4s, several of which stretch past 440 yards and play into prevailing breezes that add effective distance. Golfers with two reliable long shots will find the course honest. Golfers who struggle with long irons or fairway woods will find it exhausting.
The Diamond Zoysia greens are the course's most distinctive feature. The grain runs less aggressively than Bermuda, the speed is more consistent, and the roll truer, which rewards confident putting and punishes the tentative stroke. The course was named South Carolina Golf Course of the Year by the SC Golf Course Owners Association, recognition that reflects both the design and the conditioning standard.
By the numbers
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 6,873
Is it worth the green fee?
At $150 to $241, the Fazio course matches the Hills course in price, which makes it a bargain relative to its difficulty and its conditioning. Local golfers tend to rank it as the strongest of the three Palmetto Dunes layouts, and visitors who play all three often arrive at the same conclusion. It does not have the Jones name recognition or the Hills accessibility, but it has teeth and a putting surface that justifies the round on its own.
Booking and trip fit
Tee times are available through the booking link on this page. Schedule the Fazio when your game is sharpest; this is not the round to play on day three of a long trip with tired legs and a dialed-down swing.
Within the resort, pair it with the Palmetto Dunes - Robert Trent Jones Course and the Palmetto Dunes - Arthur Hills Course to complete the three-course offering. For a wider Hilton Head itinerary, Harbour Town Golf Links and Heron Point by Pete Dye give you contrast at the south end of the island, and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III adds another stylistic angle.
The bottom line
The demanding sibling at Palmetto Dunes, anchored by long par 4s and putting surfaces that locals quietly favour. The price says mid-range. The course plays better than that.
Where to Stay
Accommodations near Palmetto Dunes - George Fazio Course
Resort
Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Disney service and family infrastructure for golf trips where not everyone came for the golf.
From $296/nightPalmetto Hall (~3 mi)
Direct websiteVisit website
Inn
Hampton Inn Hilton Head
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Adjacent to Palmetto Hall, near the Bluffton bridge, and priced to redirect the budget toward green fees.
From $88/nightPalmetto Hall (adjacent)
ExpediaCheck availability
Resort
Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa
Hilton Head, South Carolina
The island's largest hotel, inside the Palmetto Dunes gates with three courses at the door.
From $107/nightOn-site golf
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Hotel
Holiday Inn Express Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head, South Carolina
South Forest Beach positioning with walkable sand and Port Royal within a short drive.
From $76/nightPort Royal (~3 mi)
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Other Courses Nearby
Premium
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III
Hilton Head, South Carolina
A complete reconstruction of Hilton Head's first golf course, with water on nearly every hole and Spanish moss overhead.
$120–$180ResortDavis Love III (2016 redesign)
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Hidden Value
Crescent Pointe Golf Club
Hilton Head, South Carolina
The only Arnold Palmer design in the area, with six sets of tees and green fees that start at $34.
$34–$74PublicArnold Palmer / Ed Seay (2000)
GolfNowBook tee time
Bucket List
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head, South Carolina
The lighthouse, the tournament, and a Pete Dye design that has not stopped being relevant for more than fifty years.
$399–$518ResortPete Dye / Jack Nicklaus (consultant) (1969)
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Premium
Heron Point by Pete Dye
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Pete Dye returned to Sea Pines nearly four decades after Harbour Town and built a course that plays like a conversation between two eras.
$169–$265ResortPete Dye (2007 redesign)
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Mid-Range
Hilton Head National Golf Club
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Two distinct design voices on a single routing, with time-of-day pricing that rewards flexible scheduling.
$110–$160PublicGary Player / Bobby Weed
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Hidden Value
Old South Golf Links
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Lowcountry marsh golf at mainland prices, with a slope of 141 that keeps the design honest.
$55–$100PublicClyde Johnston (1991)
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Mid-Range
Palmetto Dunes - Arthur Hills Course
Hilton Head, South Carolina
The thinking player's course at Palmetto Dunes, where lagoons wind through ten holes and accuracy matters more than distance.
$150–$241ResortArthur Hills (1986)
PartnerBook tee time
Premium
Palmetto Dunes - Robert Trent Jones Course
Hilton Head, South Carolina
The first course at Palmetto Dunes, and the one that best represents the Jones Sr. philosophy of bold bunkering and strategic risk-reward.
$200–$300ResortRobert Trent Jones Sr. (1969)
PartnerBook tee time
Mid-Range
Palmetto Hall - Arthur Hills Course
Hilton Head, South Carolina
A wooded corridor through towering pines and moss-draped oaks, away from the plantation resort atmosphere.
$100–$185Semi-PrivateArthur Hills / Spencer Holt (1991)
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Mid-Range
Port Royal Golf Club - Barony Course
Hilton Head, South Carolina
One of the first courses on the island, where small greens and thick rough reward accuracy over ambition.
$60–$190ResortGeorge Cobb (1963)
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Mid-Range
Shipyard Golf Club
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Twenty-seven holes across three nines, with a green fee range wide enough to accommodate nearly any budget.
$39–$160ResortGeorge Cobb (Clipper/Galleon, 1970) / Willard Byrd (Brigantine, 1982)
GolfNowBook tee time
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