Golf on Hilton Head
The Lowcountry's golf island, where Pete Dye's Harbour Town and its lighthouse meet two dozen resort courses among the live oaks and marsh. The courses that matter, the seasons, the costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Harbour Town Golf Links, Harbour Town Golf Links, via Google
Why golf on Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island, off the coast of South Carolina, is one of the great resort golf destinations in the United States. The draw is Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort, the Pete Dye design that opened in 1969 and changed American golf architecture overnight, with its small greens, tight tree lined corridors and the famous red and white lighthouse behind the 18th green. Every April it hosts the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage, the week after the Masters, and for the rest of the year visitors can tee it up on the same fairways. Around it sit more than twenty courses among the live oaks, lagoons and salt marsh, including the oceanfront Robert Trent Jones Sr layout at Palmetto Dunes and the Davis Love III designed Atlantic Dunes, named National Golf Course of the Year for 2017.
The island works as a complete trip. The courses cluster within a short drive, the resorts and rental homes are built for golf groups, and the setting, a low, green barrier island of beaches, bike paths and Lowcountry restaurants, keeps the non golfing partner happy. Add the nearby mainland courses around Bluffton, including the celebrated Jack Nicklaus design at Palmetto Bluff, and a buddies trip or family week can be filled with quality golf without ever facing a long transfer. It is genuinely warm enough to play through the winter, and at its best in the spring sunshine around the Heritage.
The areas
Sea Pines
The island's original and most prestigious resort at the south end, home to Harbour Town Golf Links and the lighthouse, the Pete Dye remodelled Heron Point and the Davis Love III designed Atlantic Dunes, the heart of any Hilton Head golf trip.
Palmetto Dunes and mid island
The mid island resort belt, with the oceanfront Robert Trent Jones Sr course, the George Fazio and Arthur Hills layouts at Palmetto Dunes, and the Shipyard and Palmetto Hall courses nearby, the easiest base for variety and value.
Around the island and Bluffton
The Port Royal courses and the rest of the island's public golf, plus the mainland gems a short drive away around Bluffton, including the Jack Nicklaus course at Palmetto Bluff, for those wanting to extend a trip beyond the island.
The courses that matter
Harbour Town Golf Links
The island's signature course and the host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every April, a Pete Dye design of small greens, railroad ties and claustrophobic tree lined corridors that ends with one of the most famous closing holes in golf, played to the red and white lighthouse on Calibogue Sound.
Palmetto Dunes, Robert Trent Jones
The first course built at Palmetto Dunes and still the resort favourite, a Robert Trent Jones Sr design of generous fairways and large greens that runs to the island's only true oceanfront hole at the par 5 10th, the easiest great round on the island to enjoy.
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III
A full Davis Love III redesign of the old Ocean Course that opened in 2016 and was named National Golf Course of the Year for 2017, a fresh, walkable layout of restored dunes, native grasses and Lowcountry character at the Sea Pines Resort.
Heron Point by Pete Dye
A complete Pete Dye reimagining of the resort's old Sea Marsh course, opened in 2007, a tougher and more strategic test of water, sand and angles than its sister Harbour Town, and the third championship course at Sea Pines.
Palmetto Dunes, Arthur Hills
The third course at Palmetto Dunes, an Arthur Hills design that weaves through the lagoons and dunes with rolling fairways and elevation rare on the island, a varied and enjoyable round that completes the resort's trio.
Palmetto Dunes, George Fazio
The toughest test at Palmetto Dunes, a George Fazio design and the only par 70 on the island, a long, demanding course of just two par 5s that rewards accurate, controlled golf among the pines and water.
Port Royal, Robber's Row
One of three courses at the Port Royal club, a classic, tree lined layout steeped in island history that has been refreshed over the years, a popular and good value round away from the big resorts.
Palmetto Bluff, May River
The standout mainland course a short drive from the island, a Jack Nicklaus design at the luxurious Montage Palmetto Bluff resort, routed through maritime forest along the May River, an immaculate and exclusive round worth the short trip off island.
Designers and opening years verified June 2026 where stated. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| March to May | Warm, lower humidity, the courses at their best | Prime season, the RBC Heritage peak in April, book early |
| September to November | Warm days, easing humidity, settled weather | The autumn sweet spot, quieter and excellent value into late fall |
| December to February | Mild, cool mornings, the occasional chilly day | Genuine winter golf and the best rates of the year |
| June to August | Hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms | Playable early, family season, watch the heat |
Spring around the Heritage is the island's signature window. Autumn rivals it for weather with smaller crowds and softer rates.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Harbour Town green fee | Around $300 to $450 | The island's premium round, peak season, resort guest rates vary |
| Leading resort course | Around $120 to $250 | Palmetto Dunes, Heron Point, Atlantic Dunes by season |
| A week, all in | Around $2,500 to $5,000 per person | Good courses, resort or villa stay, car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Hilton Head is easy to reach. Savannah Hilton Head International airport is the main gateway, around forty five minutes from the island by car, while the small Hilton Head Island airport takes regional flights and sits a few minutes from the courses. Many American groups simply drive in, with Charleston about two hours north. A hire car is the sensible choice on the island: the resorts and courses are spread along its length, and while Sea Pines and the mid island clusters are close together, the Bluffton mainland courses are a short drive over the bridge. Traffic builds around the Heritage week in April, so allow extra time for tee times that spring.
Where to stay
Match the base to the trip. Sea Pines at the south end is the prestige choice, a gated resort of villas and the Harbour Town marina with the island's marquee golf on site. Palmetto Dunes mid island offers oceanfront condos and three resort courses for variety and value, ideal for a buddies group wanting volume. Off the resorts, the villages and rental homes around Coligny and the island's north end suit families and longer stays, and for a luxury leg the Montage at Palmetto Bluff on the mainland pairs the May River course with one of the region's finest hotels. Book well ahead for spring.
Plan your Hilton Head golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Hilton Head golf questions
What is the best golf course on Hilton Head?
Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort, the Pete Dye design that opened in 1969 and hosts the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every spring, is the island's signature course, famous for its tight closing stretch and the red and white lighthouse behind the 18th green. The Robert Trent Jones Sr course at Palmetto Dunes, with its lone oceanfront hole, is the leading resort alternative.
When is the best time to play golf on Hilton Head?
Hilton Head plays year round and is at its best in spring, from March to May, and in autumn, from September to November, when the days are warm and the humidity eases. Spring around the RBC Heritage in April is the peak. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and winter is mild and the best value.
How much does it cost to play golf on Hilton Head in 2026?
Indicative 2026 peak season green fees run roughly from $300 to $450 at Harbour Town and around $120 to $250 at the leading resort courses by season. A week with resort accommodation and a car typically lands between $2,500 and $5,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Harbour Town tee windows, RBC Heritage week planning and the best value dates on Hilton Head and the Lowcountry. Every other week.