The destination
Hilton Head Island is twelve miles long, five miles wide, and organized around golf. The first course opened in 1963. Within six years, Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus had built Harbour Town Golf Links, the PGA TOUR arrived, and the island's identity was set. Sixty years later, golf remains the organizing principle around which the rest of the island operates. You are looking at twelve significant courses across a single barrier island, anchored by the RBC Heritage host and supported by a Lowcountry beach-and-marsh setting that makes the off-course hours their own draw.
What distinguishes Hilton Head is the plantation system. The island is divided into gated residential communities, each called a plantation, and most significant courses sit within them. Sea Pines alone contains three courses, including Harbour Town. Palmetto Dunes holds three more. Port Royal, Shipyard, and Palmetto Hall add to the count. Tee times are booked through resort properties.
The courses
Harbour Town Golf Links is the course that put the island on the map and the one that keeps it there. Pete Dye designed it in 1969 with Jack Nicklaus consulting, and it has hosted what is now the RBC Heritage every year since. A major restoration completed in November 2025, led by Love Golf Design, rebuilt greens, bunkers, bulkheads, and agronomic systems. The course plays 7,099 yards from the Heritage tees with a slope of 147. The iconic red and white striped lighthouse behind the 18th green is the single most recognizable image in Lowcountry golf.
Sea Pines flanks Harbour Town with two additional courses that carry their own weight. Heron Point by Pete Dye is a 2007 redesign of George Cobb's original Sea Marsh layout. Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, a complete reconstruction of Hilton Head's first golf course, reopened in 2014 with Spanish moss-draped oaks and native grasses.
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort provides the island's other major cluster: a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design from 1969, an Arthur Hills layout from 1986 with lagoons winding through ten holes, and George Fazio's 1974 contribution, the island's only par-70 layout. Palmetto Hall (Arthur Hills, 1991) runs through heavily wooded terrain. Shipyard Golf Club provides 27 holes across three nines by George Cobb and Willard Byrd. Port Royal's Barony Course, one of the first on the island dating to 1963, rewards accuracy.
The mainland courses in Bluffton are often overlooked. Hilton Head National pairs a Gary Player back nine with a Bobby Weed front. Old South Golf Links (Clyde Johnston) runs through Lowcountry marshland and was named among Golf Digest's Top 10 New Public Courses when it opened in 1992. Crescent Pointe (Arnold Palmer) offers the lowest green fees in the area.
When to go
The golf calendar runs twelve months. March through May is peak: April highs average 73, humidity is manageable, and the RBC Heritage draws the PGA TOUR. September through November is what many experienced visitors consider the best overall window: mid-70s through October, thinning crowds after Labor Day, and courses at peak condition. Summer (June through August) shifts the island's identity from golf to beach, with highs of 87 to 88. December through February delivers the lowest rates with January highs around 57.
Getting there
Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) sits on the island itself but flight options are limited; American flies year-round from Charlotte and Delta and United add seasonal routes. The more practical option for most visitors is Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV), 39 miles away with a 50-to-60-minute drive, served by every major carrier. The island sits within easy driving distance of Savannah (one hour), Charleston (two hours), Charlotte (3.75 to 4 hours), and Atlanta (4 to 5 hours), which makes it a natural long-weekend drive across the Southeast. A rental car is essential. One detail to know: Sea Pines Resort charges a $9 gate fee (cash only) for non-residents entering the community, even if you are just playing Harbour Town or catching the Savannah ferry from Harbour Town Marina.
Beyond the course
The water is the main attraction. Dolphin cruises depart from multiple marinas, and guided kayak tours through Broad Creek Wildlife Area paddle through the salt marsh ecosystem. The Savannah Day Trip by Boat departs from Harbour Town Marina and docks on River Street, providing roughly four hours in one of the most compelling small cities in the South. The island's 60-plus miles of paved leisure pathways and 12 miles of hard-packed beach earn Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community recognition from the American League of Bicyclists. Four to seven nights is the right window.
