Courses, Travel & Tee Times

Travel tips: Ten things you should know about Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island is famous for Harbour Town Golf Links and the iconic candy-striped lighthouse. But there is a lot of other things to learn about this idyllic coastal spot of the Carolina lowcountry. If you've never been, here are ten things you should know about golf on Hilton Head Island.

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort: A staple for Hilton Head Island golf vacations

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is lauded by countless travel experts as a world-class resort for golf, tennis and families. This is thanks to its three designer golf courses, a tennis center that rarely falls out of the top five in the world and Shelter Cove Marina, which is large enough to handle yachts of up to 120 feet. Thousands of visitors yearly can attest to Palmetto Dunes' mastery of leisure living in accommodations that range from swanky hotel rooms to oceanside mansions.

Near Hilton Head Island, Bluffton has must-play courses of its own

Not all of the Hilton Head area's best golf courses are on the island itself. In fact, Bluffton is generally more convenient to get to and serves up its own brand of coastal resort golf.

Are you ready for Hilton Head Island's toughest golf courses

Numbers don't lie, especially when it comes to a course's slope and rating. So here's a fairly indisputable list of the toughest golf courses on Hilton Head Island -- from Harbour Town Golf Links to Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. The numbers are based on playing from the tips, but the slopes and ratings for these courses stay pretty high no matter which tees you play. And therein is the key.

Memorial Day weekend golf: Hunting for bargains & birdies between Hilton Head Island and Savannah

When a friend's family offers you the keys to their remote vacation house near Hilton Head Island for Memorial Day weekend, you take them up on it, which is what writer Brandon Tucker did. The Bray's Island Plantation house served as a fitting base camp for his golf-intensive weekend. Tucker recounts how, in less than 72 hours, his group played 63 holes on four different courses: Bray's Island Plantation Golf Club, Golf Club at Hilton Head Lakes, Heron Point at Sea Pines Resort and Crosswinds Golf Club.

In town for The Heritage? Five things to do off the golf course

You're on Hilton Head Island to watch the action at the PGA Tour's Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links, but you're looking for something else to do when you're not at the course. Luckily for you, you don't have to look far. From beaches to seafood, live music to shopping, the island and the Lowcountry offer a lot to the visiting golf fan.

The Dye course at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, S.C.

The Dye course at Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton begins in stunning fashion and builds from there. The scenery is breathtaking, with views of the Atlantic Ocean on 11 holes and centuries old live oaks standing sentry. The golf is something else, too, Lisa Allen writes.

The Dye golf course at Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton: It just might be one of Pete's best

There is nothing mundane about the links-style Dye course at Colleton River Plantation, located a few miles from Hilton Head Island in Bluffton, S.C. It pulled together elements that cannot be duplicated: gorgeous oceanside real estate, gifted designers and a staff relentless about maintenance and service. Member or guest, playing here really is a privilege, Lisa Allen writes.

Heritage visitors: Five must play golf courses in Hilton Head Island

Planning to see the PGA Tour's top players compete in The Heritage? We know watching the best of the best, particularly in person, triggers an insatiable itch to play golf. Whereas, Harbour Town is out of the running this week, there are more than two dozen courses on Hilton Head alone, plus a slew on the mainland beckoning you to play. Winnowing the list to only five must-plays is tough, but here goes ...

Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Located on Hilton Head Island, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort boasts one of the Southeast's top golf vacation experiences. The resort is home to three miles of ocean coastline as well as three championship golf courses - the Robert Trent Jones Course, the Arthur Hills Course and the George Fazio Course.