The gnocchi at Michael Anthony's is legendary.
As the PGA Tour moves 150 miles southeast from Augusta, Georgia to Hilton Head, South Carolina this week, you can bet that some of its famous faces will be showing up at the island’s better dining establishments. And, if you’re looking for a great meal on your Hilton Head golf vacation, you might want to put your face in these places, too.
One of Hilton Head’s best restaurants is also one of its newest. The Sage Room, located at the back of Heritage Plaza (much of Hilton Head is composed of strip mall-type plazas), features an exhibition kithcen in a casually upscale dining room. The eclectic menu draws on influences from all over the globe. Take a seat at the bar and watch the chefs prepare your appetizers and entrees to order. The seafood is wonderful, especially the almond-crusted tuna steak. Read more →
Sign of the times: Hilton Head goes smoke free in May.
You can smoke a drive or burn the edge of the cup on a Hilton Head golf vacation, but if you try to do the same with a cigarette or cigar at the 19th hole, you could get hit with a $500 fine.
That’s because Hilton Head is the latest of many local governments in the Lowcountry area to ban indoor smoking in public places. Read more →
Delay of game: The Club at Savannah Harbor is worth playing before heading to Hilton Head.
I like Savannah. And, I’ll admit, it’s partly because I really like saying the name, which instantly evokes the city’s Southern charm and easygoing vibe. Must be the “ahhs.”
Well, there’s a lot more to like than just the sound of it, especially if you budget some time to play golf as part of your Hilton Head golf vacation. Read more →
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff's spa is seductively serene.
If you’re looking for the ultimate in pampering and relaxation on a Hilton Head golf vacation, a visit to the Spa at Palmetto Bluff will certainly meet your needs.
The spa is located slightly inland from Hilton Head Island at the opulent Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a sister hotel to the fabulous Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley, and the first Auberge Resorts property in the eastern United States. Read more →
Crescent Pointe has hoards of hazards on every hole.
If you’re a fan of Arnold Palmer’s feisty-but-fair golf course designs and want to play one on your Hilton Head golf vacation, drive about 10 minutes to the town of Bluffton where you’ll find Crescent Pointe Golf Club.
Crescent Pointe, which opened in 2000, is the only public course in the immediate Hilton Head area designed by The King and it really doles out the royal treatment with heroic carries, delicate strategy and even some elevation changes. Read more →
The Arthur Hills Course is Palmetto Dunes' best.
Many people find themselves at the three-course Palmetto Dunes resort on their Hilton Head golf vacation, but insiders know the best course to play there is the Arthur Hills Course.
It’s a beautiful low-country layout that rolls over natural sand dunes as it passes through a system of lagoons. Anything but long — it’s only 6,651 yards from the back tees — this par-72 test captivates you with its unique elevation changes and challenging approaches to feature-filled greens. Read more →
Daufuskie's two courses, Melrose and Bloody Point, take advantage of the island's natual beauty.
If you really want to get away from it all on a Hilton Head golf vacation, make a reservation at the Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa on nearby Daufuskie Island.
This small land mass, which is only reachable by ferry (from Hilton Head and Savannah), doesn’t have all the modern conveniences of the mainland, but its sleepy pace and moss-draped trees instantly transport you back to a simpler time and make complete relaxation that much more attainable. Read more →
A river runs through it: the 14th at Nicklaus' May River.
Formerly a wildlife preserve, the Jack Nicklaus-designed May River Golf Club occupies pristine low-country terrain at the convergence of tidal rivers, salt marshes and maritime forests. That alone doesn’t make it the best new off-island course to play on a Hilton Head golf vacation, but it sure helps.
That’s because its scenery is utterly breathtaking. Four holes look out onto the May River and the entire routing is an aesthetic masterpiece highlighting majestic, mature trees (the tee markers are named oak, cedar, hickory and magnolia), prolific wetlands and design elements such as pine needles in the rough, varied bunkering and crowned greens a la Donald Ross. Read more →
