Golf at Hilton Head – Always a Fun Experience
With dozens of golf courses to play, Hilton Head is a golfer’s paradise. Famous for it’s lush landscape, sandy shoreline, and charming southern cuisine, Hilton Head has everything we were looking for in a golfing gal’s vacation, so it was with high hopes sixteen happy golfers of our Tee Club hit the road.
It was an easy flight on Jet Blue from Boston to Savannah, GA but getting the rental vans we had ordered from Budget Rental took a bit of wrangling. It took longer than expected, but after some persuasive conversation with their front office, we had four vehicles big enough to carry us and all our luggage to the Palmetto Dunes Resort Golf Villas — “home” for the next three days.
Tired and hungry, our group of four decided to forego unpacking our bags, or do any grocery shopping. We chose to do the most reasonable thing of all: find a good restaurant and have a drink!
We were in luck. Just across the main entrance from the resort was a new shopping area where we found the best spot on the island for casual dining: Jane Bistro & Bar We were seated at an outdoor table and had only just ordered drinks when eight more women from our Tee Club found us.
It was Burger Night and most of us indulged! I tried out the fried green tomatoes, which I really enjoyed.
Next morning, up and out for 10 am tee times at Sea Pines at Atlantic Dunes. A great golf course with wide fairways and forgiving bunkers.
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III is a complete reconstruction of The Sea Pines Resort’s historic Ocean Course, the first course built on Hilton Head. Featuring a pronounced seaside ambience and Lowcountry feel accented by coquina shells and seaside grass, it incorporates elements of the surrounding beachfront along with the area’s bounty of native pines and oaks lining the fairways.
To keep play moving along, we played a Lowball Tournament Format*. Rules: Every golfer plays their own ball but only the lowest score of the four is recorded as a team score. The only trick is that each player’s score must be used four times during a round, so there is some strategy involved.
Friday Night: Dinner at the Old Oyster Factory, casual dining with fabulous sunsets and great food. I ordered another Key Lime Pie and a bunch of forks. It was ok. On a scale of 1 – 10… I’d say the pie came in at about a 6.
Saturday Golf: At Oyster Reef – 9:30 Tee Time – Challenging with lots of water – lost a few balls in the pond. We continued to play the Lowball Tournament Format. *
Dinner at Old Fort Pub: There is a widow’s walk above the second floor restaurant with great views of the bay. A few of us took advantage of the warm summer evening to watch the sunset before dinner.
Perched on the banks of the Intra-coastal Waterway, it showcases unrivaled nightly sunsets and a rich history.
Ordered another Key Lime Pie for dessert – I was on a mission. This one rated a notch above the night before.
Sunday Golf at the Palmetto Dunes Robert Trent Jones Course: With a twist on the Lowball Tournament Format – Buckshot – whoever hit the widest tee shot on each hole got to wear a silly hat for the remainder of the hole. Hysterical results followed and some golfers loved the hat so much they wore it that night to the formal closing dinner.
Dinner at Red Fish – specializes in cuisine where an eclectic blend of seafood, steaks, fresh local fruit and vegetables are combined with Lowcountry specialties. The restaurant has an extensive wine list that has won Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence.”
We shared storied, exchanged silly hats and bragged about our adventures. The Key Lime Pie – again a notch up! This one was an 8 on a scale of 1 – 10.)
Monday: Time to pack up and head out. But first a stop for lunch on the way. Our car found our way to The Salty Dog – an outdoor bar/dining experience up the road a piece. We sat down at 11:30 but by the time we left at 1, the place was mobbed. And, by far, the best Key Lime Pie on the island. I’ll give it a 10!!!!
A great vacation: fun golf, wonderful food, good friends and an adventure to remember.
*When playing on an unfamiliar golf course with golfers of varying abilities we’ve found this format works best. Prizes for the winning teams are usually socks or towels or ball markers from the pro shop. We’re playing for fun and bragging rights not for prize money. Makes a BIG difference.
I am planning a road trip from Jekyll Island to Philadelphia with 2 other lady golfers. We will leave Georgia on April 15th. Looking for suggestions on golf courses to stay and play in North Carolina near I95. Appreciate your response.
You can’t go wrong if you play Pinehurst. Great resort, and wonderful golf for both men and women. Lots to do in the area. If you really want an adventure try out Tobacco Road Golf… totally different from anywhere else you may have played. A total challenge. https://www.facebook.com/TobaccoRoadGolfClub/ and loads of fun. Bring a lot of extra balls though.