ABOVE: The Atlantic Ocean serves as the backdrop for the par-5 10th hole on the Robert Trent Jones course
at Palmetto Dunes. No. 2 at Arthur Hills is one of 10 holes lined with lagoons.
LEFT: The Fazio Golf Villas are a short walk away from the beach.
HILTON HEAD FAMILY MAGIC
Some stay-and-play resorts make visitors
pick their destination based on whether
they want to stay in a hotel, house or villa.
Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island
in South Carolina makes the decision a
bit easier by offering all three housing
options on one 2,000-acre property that
spans three miles of beachfront land. That
may not even be the best part, according
to Palmetto Dunes manager Brad Marra.
“The nice thing is once you drive here,
you never have to get in your car again,”
Marra said. “We have a buggy that takes
you from course to course, all the restau-
rants, the [stores] across the street.
There’s entertainment. Then we have
vsga.org
three really good golf courses here with
distinctive designs.”
Those three courses are named after
their designers—Arthur Hills, George
Fazio and Robert Trent Jones.
The Jones course is a relatively open
concept that ushers in the breezes from
the Atlantic, most notably on the par-5,
No. 10, where players putt out next to the
water. Fazio is considered the hardest of
the three, not to mention one of Hilton
Head’s most difficult. And Hills’ design
is a thinkers’ track, complete with water
carries and plenty of palmetto trees.
Away from the golf, Palmetto Dunes is
every bit the destination resort. Among the
other highlights are a massive tennis center
and pickleball courts, as well as bike rentals to
offer another mode of leisure transportation.
The focal point for many is the 11-mile-
long lagoon that stretches throughout the
entire property, giving kayakers and those
longing to fish another outdoor enter-
tainment option. Also on the water are
fishing and boating charters that venture
out into the Atlantic, not to mention a
177-slip marina with ample opportunities
from jet skis all the way down to laid back
mini-cruises.
For those looking for a more tradition-
al vacation and the hotel environment,
Palmetto Dunes has that avenue as well,
albeit indirectly. Two hotels, the Hilton
Head Marriott Resort & Spa and the Omni
Hilton Head, are not technically part of
the resort. However, each has a part-
nership that allows those staying there
to take advantage of the full Palmetto
Dunes experience.
It’s a well-rounded experience, to be sure.
“You name it,” Marra said, “and we
have it.”
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