Golf on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Your guide to golf on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and the Lowcountry — Harbour Town Golf Links, Heron Point by Pete Dye, Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, the Palmetto Dunes trio (Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio, Arthur Hills), Country Club of Hilton Head, Long Cove Club, Wexford, Belfair, Berkeley Hall, May River at Palmetto Bluff, Colleton River, and every championship course inside Beaufort County.
Hilton Head Island
Golf
Report 2026
Your guide to every course, current conditions, local news, and insider tips for golf in the Lowcountry / Beaufort County of South Carolina.
Hilton Head Island and the surrounding Lowcountry pack one of the densest concentrations of championship-caliber golf in the United States. From Pete Dye's iconic Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines (host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every April) to the Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, and George Cobb signature designs woven through Palmetto Dunes, Long Cove, Wexford, Berkeley Hall, Belfair, Colleton River, and Palmetto Bluff, Beaufort County offers roughly two dozen courses inside the Hilton Head and Bluffton corridor. Climate Zone 8a delivers playable golf nearly year-round, with peak conditions in spring and fall.
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Hilton Head Island SC Golf Courses
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage Signature Event each April. Pete Dye's masterpiece on Calibogue Sound, with the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse framing the 18th green. Tight tree-lined fairways, tiny greens, and constant Lowcountry wind make this one of the most demanding short PGA Tour layouts.
Plays harder than its yardage suggests. The 18th hole along the sound is one of the most photographed finishing holes in American golf.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Pete Dye's 2007 redesign of the former Sea Pines Ocean Course delivers a links-feel layout with rolling fairways, deep waste bunkers, and water in play on multiple holes. The second-most championship-tested course in Sea Pines after Harbour Town.
Walkable layout with caddies available. Hosts qualifying for amateur championships periodically.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Davis Love III's 2016 redesign of the original Ocean Course returned the property to its Lowcountry roots with native grasses, expanded sandy waste areas, and restored ocean views. The most player-friendly of the three Sea Pines tracks.
The most newcomer-friendly Sea Pines course. Walkable and visually stunning.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
The signature Palmetto Dunes course, famous for its 10th hole - one of the only oceanfront holes in the state of South Carolina. Eleven lagoons wind through the layout, providing both visual drama and strategic challenge.
The 10th hole's ocean view is the photo-op shot of Hilton Head golf.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
The traditionalist option at Palmetto Dunes - a par-70 with only two par-5s, putting a premium on iron play and approach precision. Listed by Golf Digest among America's Top 100 Public Courses in past years.
Local favorite for serious players who appreciate a thinking-man's layout.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Arthur Hills routed this course through dunes, lagoons, and lowland marsh - dramatic elevation changes (rare in the Lowcountry) and meandering fairways frame the experience. The most varied of the three Palmetto Dunes courses.
Often the value play at Palmetto Dunes - similar quality at a lower fee than the RTJ Oceanfront.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Private member-owned club on the north end of Hilton Head with a Rees Jones redesigned layout that emphasizes strategic angles into well-protected greens. One of the most well-regarded private experiences on the island.
Member-owned and guest-restricted. Reciprocity available through other private clubs.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
27-hole public course just over the bridge in Bluffton - three nines (Sound, Player, Hills) combined for varied 18-hole rotations. Excellent value for visitors who want championship golf without the Sea Pines or Palmetto Dunes price tag.
Frequently rated among the best public-access values in coastal South Carolina.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Pete Dye's quieter Hilton Head masterpiece - private, member-only, and consistently ranked among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses. Considered by many to be Dye's most balanced design and the connoisseur's pick over Harbour Town.
Strictly private. National membership available; guest play by member sponsorship only.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Private gated-community course with a 2017 Davis Love III renovation that modernized bunkers, expanded fairways, and rebuilt greens. The course winds along an interior tidal harbor with multiple lagoon crossings.
Member-owned. Real estate listings inside Wexford include club membership.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Two Tom Fazio courses on a single Bluffton property. Both are routinely ranked among Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses and the best private golf in the Carolinas. The South Course is generally considered the championship layout.
Private club with national membership. Real estate ownership in Berkeley Hall confers full access.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Two Tom Fazio courses in Bluffton known for impeccable conditioning and a player-friendly clubhouse experience. The West Course is the more demanding championship test; East is the more relaxed members' track.
Private with national reciprocity options. Often paired with Berkeley Hall in best-of-the-Lowcountry rankings.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Jack Nicklaus Signature design at Montage Palmetto Bluff, routed through old-growth oak forest and along the May River. Walking-only with mandatory caddies - the most walking-friendly resort experience on the Lowcountry. Carries top-tier ratings from Golf Digest and Golfweek.
Resort guests at Montage Palmetto Bluff get priority. Limited public access.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Two championship courses by the two most famous golf-course designers of the modern era, on a single Bluffton property with stunning Colleton River frontage. Frequently ranked among the best 36-hole private clubs in the United States.
Private members' club. Both courses are nationally ranked.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Three 18-hole public courses on the Port Royal Resort property at the north end of Hilton Head. George Cobb's Barony Course is the oldest. Robber's Row's Pete Dye renovation added water hazards and bunkering. Classic Hilton Head resort golf at a more accessible price than Sea Pines.
Resort guests get discounted rates. Walkable and family-friendly.
Greens: TifEagle Bermudagrass
Two well-regarded courses on the north end of Hilton Head Island. The Arthur Hills course follows a traditional Lowcountry routing through pines and lagoons. The Robert Cupp design is more geometric and modern, with distinct strategic angles into every green.
Public access. Frequently bundled with stay-and-play packages.
Know a Hilton Head Island-area course that should be on this list? Let us know.
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USC Lowcountry / Beaufort County Spartans golf competes in the Big South Conference. The Hilton Head Island-based program draws on the region's strong golf infrastructure with competitive teams and strong local recruiting ties.
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Hilton Head Island Golf Tournaments & Events
Golf Equipment & Gadgets HERE!
Callaway's flagship four-piece tour ball delivers Tour-level distance off the driver with a soft urethane cover that grips the green on partial wedges. The 2026 dual-core update gets the ball up faster and lands it softer than the 2024 model.
The 2025 Supersoft is the easiest-to-compress ball in Callaway's lineup, ideal for mid-to-high handicaps who lose distance on cold mornings. Straighter off the tee than any premium ball, and you can play three rounds on one box.
The most-used wood tee on the PGA Tour for a reason — paint-marker depth line, hard maple stem that resists snapping off the driver, and a price that lets you lose a handful per round without flinching. 2-3/4" is the sweet spot for modern drivers.
Waffle-pattern microfiber pulls dirt out of grooves better than a plain terry cloth, and the heavy-duty carabiner clip actually stays clipped to your bag through 18 holes of bouncing. 16"x16" is the right size — large enough to wipe a clubface, small enough not to drape.
Full premium Cabretta leather with perforated knuckles for breathability — the gold standard for grip in humid Southeast summers. The Dawn Patrol wears slower than synthetic gloves and breaks in to the shape of your hand within three rounds.
A genuinely lightweight carry bag — under five pounds — with a stable kickstand that actually holds up on a slope. Five pockets including an insulated drink sleeve, and 14-way top organizer so your clubs don't tangle when you sling it back on your shoulder.
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Fred Couples signature course near Beaufort with marsh-front holes and Lowcountry oak corridors. Quieter alternative to Hilton Head with comparable scenery.
Home of The Ocean Course (Pete Dye) — host of the 2021 and 2012 PGA Championships. Five courses total including Cougar Point, Turtle Point, Osprey Point, and Oak Point.
Three courses — Seaside, Plantation, and Retreat — on the Georgia coast. Host of the PGA TOUR's RSM Classic each November. Forbes Five-Star resort.
Augusta's premier public test — a 1926 Donald Ross design later restored. Bobby Jones played his first competitive round here. Daily-fee access just minutes from downtown Augusta.
Three nines designed by Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus — the only course in the world co-designed by all three. Augusta National Women's Amateur first-round host.
Sister property to Caledonia — a wider, more forgiving Mike Strantz layout with sandy waste areas reminiscent of Pine Valley. Stay-and-play packages bundle both courses with on-site villa lodging.
Get your resort featured in the Stay and Play section across the HERE City Network — reaching golfers in 100+ cities.
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Hilton Head Island Golf FAQ
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Harbour Town Golf Links (Sea Pines) is the marquee course - host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every April. Heron Point by Pete Dye and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III round out the Sea Pines triumvirate. Palmetto Dunes Resort's three courses (Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront, George Fazio, and Arthur Hills) are among the most-played public layouts. For higher-end private golf, Long Cove (Pete Dye), Wexford (Willard Byrd / Davis Love III), Colleton River (Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye), and Berkeley Hall (Tom Fazio) are the consensus elite.
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Pete Dye's Harbour Town Golf Links (1969) is the most famous design in the area - widely regarded as one of the most demanding short courses in major-tournament golf. Other signature designers across Hilton Head and Bluffton include Jack Nicklaus (Colleton River Dye Course, Long Cove), Tom Fazio (Berkeley Hall, Palmetto Dunes Fazio), Davis Love III (Atlantic Dunes, Wexford renovation), Arthur Hills, Robert Trent Jones Sr., George Cobb, and Jack Nicklaus again at the May River Course at Palmetto Bluff.
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Harbour Town Golf Links plays a deceptive 7,121 yards from the championship tees - short by modern PGA Tour standards but extraordinarily demanding due to tight tree-lined fairways, small greens, and Calibogue Sound wind. Several Bluffton-area private courses (Colleton River Nicklaus, Berkeley Hall, Belfair) stretch past 7,200 yards from the tips.
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The First Tee of the Lowcountry runs the regional junior program serving Beaufort County and the Hilton Head / Bluffton area. Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, and Port Royal Golf Club all host junior camps each summer. The Heritage Classic Foundation (organizers of the RBC Heritage) operates additional youth golf outreach in Beaufort County. The First Tee of the Lowcountry (serves Beaufort County and the Hilton Head / Bluffton area) also serves the region.
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Public Hilton Head green fees vary dramatically by season and course. Harbour Town runs the highest at $500+ peak season; the other Sea Pines courses run $250-$400. Palmetto Dunes and Port Royal courses range $150-$275. Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront (Palmetto Dunes) commands a premium for its oceanfront 10th hole. Twilight rates and off-season (June-August, December-February) rates drop fees significantly - often by 30-50%.
HEREHiltonHeadIsland’s golf desk covers every course, every event, and every tournament relevant to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Beaufort County. Course coverage includes the resort championship venues (Harbour Town Golf Links — host of the RBC Heritage PGA TOUR Signature Event — Heron Point by Pete Dye, Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, and the three courses at Palmetto Dunes designed by Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio, and Arthur Hills), the elite private clubs (Long Cove Club by Pete Dye, Wexford Plantation by Willard Byrd, Country Club of Hilton Head Island by Rees Jones), and the premier Bluffton-area destinations across the bridge (Belfair East and West by Tom Fazio, Berkeley Hall North and South by Tom Fazio, May River at Palmetto Bluff by Jack Nicklaus, Colleton River with three Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus/Pete Dye Bluffs courses, and Palmetto Hall’s Cupp and Hills courses).
College golf coverage follows the USC Beaufort Sand Sharks athletic program in the NAIA Sun Conference. Tournament coverage centers on the RBC Heritage Signature Event hosted each April at Harbour Town, plus the SC Junior PGA Lowcountry events, Carolinas PGA pro-am stops, the South Carolina Golf Association amateur championships hosted at Lowcountry venues, charity scrambles supporting Lowcountry causes, and the high-school SC High School League golf calendar across Beaufort County District. Coverage also tracks course-condition reports after Lowcountry weather events from the National Weather Service Charleston office, club-pro hires, course renovations, and the small-business sponsorships flowing to junior-golf and adaptive-golf programs across Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County.