The 10 Best Hilton Head Golf Courses: Tee Off in Paradise

Along with many keen golfers, Hilton Head Island is a favorite of ours at Premier Golf. So here are our recommended top 10 Hilton Head golf courses you can play on, where coastal beauty meets championship challenges. 

From iconic layouts like Harbour Town Golf Links to hidden gems awaiting exploration, each course promises an unforgettable golfing experience. Join us as we unveil the best of Hilton Head’s golfing paradise.

1. Harbour Town Golf Links – Sea Pines Resort

Home to the annual RBC Heritage tournament on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town Golf Links is the most famous golf course on Hilton Head Island. The iconic red and white striped lighthouse behind the 18th Hole is one of the most familiar images in golf.

The tournament regularly follows the Masters, offering a relaxed environment for players and their families to enjoy time away from the golf following an intense week in Augusta.

Course Details

Opened: 1969
Par: 71
Length: 7,099 yards
Designer: Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus

2. Robert Trent Jones Course – Palmetto Dunes

Leading the lineup at the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, the Robert Trent Jones Course is located right on the Atlantic Ocean, offering beautiful views and challenging winds throughout your round.

Originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course underwent renovations in the early 2000s, lengthening the course beyond 7,000 yards, and firmly establishing it as one of the best on Hilton Head Island, and across the state of South Carolina.

Course Details

Opened: 1967
Par: 72
Length: 7,005 
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr.

3. The Signature Course – Haig Point

Technically Haig Point is located on Daufuskie Island, neighboring Hilton Head Island across the Calibogue Sound. However, this spectacular layout should be a must-play on your next Hilton Head golf vacation.

This Rees Jones masterpiece originally opened in 1986, and he returned in 2007 to evolve the course to one of the best in the nation. The privacy, tranquility, and natural beauty of the Signature Course are what sets it apart from the other courses in the area.

Course Details

Opened: 1986
Par: 72
Length: 6,680
Designer: Rees Jones

4. George Fazio Course – Palmetto Dunes

One of the most challenging courses on Hilton Head Island, the Par-70 George Fazio Course is an excellent test of skill and strategy. Large bunkers set this course apart from many others in the area, with water hazards, encroaching trees and Diamond Zoysia greens all contributing to the enjoyable challenge. 

Course Details

Opened: 1974
Par: 70
Length: 6,873 
Designer: George Fazio

5. Arthur Hills Course – Palmetto Dunes

The third Palmetto Dunes course to make the list, but by no means the third course at the resort, is the Arthur Hills Course. Arthur Hills created a test of precision play utilizing low-country features at every turn.

Extensive lagoons and natural dune lines combine to create a unique flavor to the Hills, with undulations and elevation changing the real signature to this elegantly crafted layout.

Course Details

Opened: 1988
Par: 72
Length: 6,651
Designer: Arthur Hills

6. May River – Palmetto Bluff Golf Club

May River is less well known than some of its Island counterparts, but by no means should it be overlooked. It’s located in the lowlands of Bluffton, just off the main route from Savannah to Hilton Head Island, and is designed by Jack Nicklaus. 

The secluded location combines rivers, lagoons, and marshes to create a flawlessly picturesque round. Awarded Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status, enjoy a testing but enjoyable round at one with nature. A true taste of the low country.

Course Details

Opened: 2005
Par: 72
Length:  7,171
Designer: Jack Nicklaus

7. Atlantic Dunes – Sea Pines Resort

Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III is part of the Sea Pines resort, and reopened in 2016 after redevelopment. Originally the Ocean Course, the layout still plays near the shoreline, with the signature Par-3 15th, one of only 2 oceanside holes on Hilton Head.

The introduction of more native vegetation and waste areas by Love gives the layout a more authentic and natural feel than Sea Pines other courses, while large greens make for a more inviting albeit no-less challenging round.

Course Details

Opened: 2016 
Par: 72
Length: 7,065
Designer: Davis Love III

8. Oyster Reef Golf Club – Hilton Head Island

Located on the less developed northern end of Hilton Head Island, the course is built among tree-lined corridors, with occasional openings to strategically located lagoons. 

Well-located bunkering and dog legs and to the challenge of this immaculately presented golf course. A true island favorite for guests and locals alike.

Course Details

Opened: 1982
Par: 72
Length: 7,018
Designer: Rees Jones

9. Dolphin Head Golf Club – Hilton Head Island

Garry Player-designed Dolphin Head is located on the Northern tip of Hilton Head Island, with the mouth of the Atlantic surrounding the layout. This course was Player’s first design on the island, and his primary objective was to utilize as many of the natural features of the Hilton Head Plantation as possible. 

Surrounded by wildlife and natural preserves, this memorable layout is as scenic as it is enjoyable for golfers of all standards.

Course Details

Opened: 1974
Par: 72
Length: 6,606
Designer: Gary Player

10. Heron Point – Sea Pines Resort

A masterpiece from the late, legendary Pete Dye, you’ll experience several renowned Dye features throughout the round. Risk-rewards on long and short holes, hazards including mounding, and runoffs test players of any skill level, making it a challenge of the mind as much as physical talent.

Offering a different but equally enjoyable round to Sea Pines’ other two 18s, Harbor Town and Atlantic Dunes, this trio makes one of the finest resort combinations in the U.S.

Course Details

Opened: 2007
Par: 72
Length: 7,035
Designer: Pete Dye

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