Palmetto Hall/Heritage Golf Group

Palmetto Hall

The ‘Golf Island’ hasn’t gotten any bigger, it’s still smaller than 50 square miles. But the number of great public courses on Hilton Head Island has grown to two dozen with the acquisition and multimillion-dollar renovation of the

Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club courses by Heritage Golf Group. The two courses, one designed by Arthur Hills, the other by Robert Cupp, raise the bar for intriguing play on the Golf Island and add to Heritage Golf’s portfolio that can keep players busy for days playing its 117 holes that include 36 holes at Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club, 27 holes at Shipyard Golf Club and 18 at Oyster Reef Golf Club. “With the resurgence in golf travel and the number of choices

golfers have for golf getaways, it’s crucial that we promote our region’s amazing golf, lodging and culinary assets,” says Mark Burnett President and CEO of Heritage Golf Group. Brad Marra, President of the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association, is thrilled about the additions. “It’s an exciting day when we can welcome one of the area’s

iconic brands back to prominence on Hilton Head Island,” he says. The Hills and Cupp Courses aren’t brand new, although they’re going to look like it with the renovated

greens and new “Billy-bunkers” on the Arthur Hills course, slated to open in early October. Similar renovations are planned for the Cupp course soon, restoring the pair to their 1990’s

Port Royal

glory as a delightful contrast of the more-traditional Hills layout with the ultra-modern shaping and geometric bunkers of the Cupp Course. Both will be even more highly praised for their ingenuity, shot values, playability and conditioning with the investments made by Heritage Golf Group. And nobody offers more variety of stay-and-play packages, multipleround options and those special family and buddy trips that create lifetime memories than the folks at

Heritage Golf. In fact, they’re already up with special trip packages for the spring of ’23 that can give you the jump on planning a special getaway considering the “resurgence in golf travel’ noted by CEO Burnett. You can find out more, and even book those trips online at www.hiltonheadgolf.net.

As for the golf itself, a Heritage Golf trip will challenge your game as much as you want, without overwhelming you. A rainy summer and aggressive maintenance have golfers raving about the conditioning at all of Heritage Golf’s courses. Oyster Reef was just restored in 2018 by its original designer, Rees Jones, the renowned ‘Open Doctor’, closer to its original design, exchanging six acres of bunkering for new water-saving TifEagle Bermuda sod to create challenging run-off areas around larger, elevated greens. Yes, there’s less sand, but now arguably the best bunkers anywhere on Hilton Head Island and a fresh, new test. Port Royal’s two great layouts, Robber’s Row and Barony, have undergone extensive tree work and bunker

renovation while still offering a fun challenge through the historic mossdraped oaks, with a dash of the Island’s legacy as a strategic outpost during both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Renovations have also taken place at lagoon-surrounded Shipyard Golf Club’s 27-holes that have also reduced

bunker sizes. If you really want more sand, you’re welcome to visit the 12 miles of pristine Hilton Head

beachfront easily accessible from all of the Heritage Collection courses. And if you want more variety in activities away from the golf courses or the beaches, Port Royal has two pickleball courts and eight new Har-Tru tennis courts, offering extensive opportunities for all ranges of players. Hilton Head Island also offers nearly 100 miles of bicycle trails for the entire family to enjoy. Once you’ve planned a golf itinerary, you need a place to stay. Nobody can help you navigate the accommodation landscape any better than the pros at Heritage Golf Group, who can help you decide between the hotel options on and off the island and have access

to over 500 villa and home rental

options to fit your price points. And you gotta eat, right? The Heritage Golf Group’s popular-with-the-locals dining options fit right in with the upscale, bistro-like vibe that’s made Hilton Head Island a culinary getaway over the last few years. Whether its indoors, on the patios, or even take-out, Oyster Reef’s LagerHead Tavern, Port Royal’s Robber’s Row Grille and Shipyard’s Brickyard Pub offer a variety of specialty delights. If there’s one thing we’ve all come to appreciate during these very ‘different’ times, it’s the in-person relationships we can nourish through outside activities. No place knows that better than Heritage Golf Group on the Golf Island. It’s in our name, our outlook, our DNA. Like very few vacation destinations, this one place can be your sanctuary, to escape the cities, the crowds, the ‘other’ world. Beaches beckon, bike trails entice, sailing, fishing, paddleboarding and other water sports are also available, even on days when you also enjoy a round of our favorite sport, golf! For more resource information

or to book tee times, visit www.hiltonheadgolf.net or call -1-800-2-FIND-18.

Oyster Reef Shipyard

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