What are your favorite courses in Hilton Head area

[Jimmy Muratt]

While watching the MCI Heritage this week at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, it got me thinking about the quality of golf courses in that area.  Most people seem to think that Harbour Town and Long Cove are the top 2 courses in that area.  

I am anxious to also play Chechessee Creek and Secession that are in nearby Beaufort.  For those that have spent time in the area, what are your favorite courses?  I was shocked to see that Chechessee wasn't in Golf Digest's top 25 in the state after the great word-of-mouth that I have heard.

[Top100Guru]

I am a member at Secession and would have to state that the overall experience you would have playing there would be second to none around the Hilton Head area.

I played H Town a few weeks back and it was in the best shape I have ever seen it and I have been going down to Hilton Head for over 35 years, back to win it was a sleepy little island.

As for other courses to play, I would pass on Chechessee Creek and play at Secession, The Ogeechee Golf Club at The Ford Plantation, Spring Island, Colleton River, and Long Cove first and play at Chechessee as a last resort if you can't get on the others.

Hope this helps!!!

[Mike_Sweeney]

Top 100,

Any feeling on Norman's Oldfield ? I am headed to HH this summer.

Thanks

[Robert Kimball]

Damn, Shivas.  Ya beat me to it!!!  
I played both a few years back and prefered Melrose over Harbour Town hands down!!!(In all fairness, that was right before they closed H.T. for renovation).  
Also, anytime to have to reach a golf course by ferry, you have to like that!!!  

[Jimmy Muratt]

Melrose on Daufuskie Island does indeed look like a great layout.  It appears that 16, 17, and 18 would make a great finish.  Have you played Rees Jones' course on Daufuskie Island, Haig Point?

[ChasLawler]

I played both Melrose and Haig Point about a month ago. I'd give Melrose the edge, simply because it doesn't cross as many streets as Haig Point. Other than that the courses are similar, but Haig Point's greens did seem significantly larger in comparison with Melrose's rather small complexes.

18 at Melrose is dramatic and gets most of the attention, due mainly due it's proximity to the ocean, but it's the inland holes which I found the most interesting - especially the 4-par 4th hole, and 5-par 9th.

Melrose is daily-fee, compared to the private Haig Point, but gets very limited traffic. The Daufuskie Island Resort didn't have a whole lot of business while we were there, and we only saw a few other foursomes the whole day.

Both courses are very walkable, with the edge going to Melrose again for lack of street crossings.

Bloody Point is the 3rd course on the island, and I only drove by it on my golf cart (no cars allowed on the island), but it looked interesting, and almost had a "The Shining" feeling of isolation to it (for lack of a better adjective). It sits on the opposite end of the island from Haig Point, and the buildings around it seem very deserted.

I personally don't think any of the courses are worth going out of your way for on their own, but the Daufuskie Island experience is unique, and would make for an interesting excursion from the HH area. It also seems like a great place to take the family for a week to get away from it all.

[tlavin]

Everybody knows that Long Cove is a spectacular place, and Secession, Haig Point and Colleton River are great, but here's one for you: Old Tabby Links on Spring Island, which is just north of Hilton head.  It's a Palmer/Seay course that was built about five years ago and it looks like it's been there since the Confederacy.  What a special place!

While watching the MCI Heritage this week at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, it got me thinking about the quality of golf courses in that area.  Most people seem to think that Harbour Town and Long Cove are the top 2 courses in that area.  

I am anxious to also play Chechessee Creek and Secession that are in nearby Beaufort.  For those that have spent time in the area, what are your favorite courses?  I was shocked to see that Chechessee wasn't in Golf Digest's top 25 in the state after the great word-of-mouth that I have heard.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Tlavin,

Top 100 mentioned Spring Island (Old Tabby Links) also and you are right it is a special place.  The hole with the ruins is quite impressive on its own, but the rest of the course is good as well.

Mike,

To answer your question Normans Oldfield is also quite good, not as spectacular as some others around there, but a solid strategic course all around.  Some great holes, stacked sod bunkers, and walkable.

I also would concurr with "100" when he speaks of Secessions overall experience.  A fun course (although I am not crazy about the opening hole) and a great caddy program utilizing the local Marine base as well as local folks.  Good stuff.

[Boo]

My HH area top ten courses

1) Harbour Town
2) Long Cove
3) Colleton River (Dye) - very underrated in my opinion
4) Belfair (West)
5) Chechessee - bice but not as good as Cuscowilla
6) Sucession - probably the best overall experience in the area
7) Belfair - East
Colleton River (Nicklaus) - Shoal Creek level of interest
9) Haig Point - Rees' usual blah
10) Old Tabby - very disappointing; Palmer - need I say more

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

A while back, I spoke to Pete Dye in a conference call with Ron Whitten.  He raved about his course at Colleton River -- he said it was one of his best.

[Hillsideb52]

I played and stayed at Secession this Spring.  As for the atmosphere, I have never experienced anything like it.  Plus, I enjoyed the golf course immensely.

[themashie]

I dabbled in GCA last year but abandoned it rather quickly, mostly as a result of a frustration with its lack of balance...so when a buddy emailed me saying that I might enjoy reading a GCA topic regarding the Lowcountry, the last thing that I expected to read was a positive review of Jack and Rees' layouts on Daufuskie. What a pleasant surprise! Cheers! Only disagreement is with the comment regarding them being similar. In fact, the three courses on Daufuskie are each very distinctive, and I would recommend playing Bloody Point and Melrose in one day if you don't have access to Haig Point. On a weekday, you'll play a three-hour pace, walking, and you might not see another golfer. Agree with The Shining comment, but The Shining applied to public golf should be nothing to fear. You can literally drop your bag and throw a line in the stocked ponds at Bloody Point for half an hour, then pick up where you left off potentially without even having anyone to play through. I have a friend that has done just that on several occasions. There is also a resident bald eagle who nests high above the 7th green. Have to also say that the 16-Queen bed mansion on the beach at Bloody has to among the better dream rentals for a golf getaway anywhere. You may want to bring your chef though...or your bow and arrow.

In addition to Daufuskie, I have played H-town, Tabby Links, Chechessee, Berkeley Hall North, Colleton Dye and Nicklaus plus a number of other less noteworthy public tracks on Hilton Head. Secession, Long Cove, Belfair, Berkeley Hall South and now Oldfield comprise my shortlist of yet-to-be played tracks down there. No doubt that area is overbuilt, but oh and how!

I have to comment on Chechessee since it is featured on this site. It is a great layout, and unique for the lowcountry, but is it truly special? I didn't find it that memorable. The greens were great, but would it be special in an area where similar layouts are so common, such as the Met section? I think it would be above average but hardly revered. So take a playable, classic inland track from the NY area and drop it in the Lowcountry. Sure, it's unique, but I'd take bent grass greens over Spanish moss on a course like that. It is an asset to the Lowcountry, but it is way down the list if you are new to the Lowcountry golf experience. Colleton's inland holes, on both Dye and Nicklaus are as special as Chechessee, but both Colleton courses find their way to the water, adding a touch of the dramatic to the classic. Nicklaus' effort at Colleton should be applauded by the old guard on this website. And Dye's course is probably my favorite in the entire Hilton Head area...you have to start there!

[Mike_Sweeney]

Mashie,

Thanks for the info. I am headed to HH for my first time in late August, and I am planning on playing over at Daufaskie with my son, partly due to the reviews here. But I have to say that I am interested to hopefully see Chechessee due to my recent trip to Hidden Creek. Reality is it is a trip with the family, so golf takes a back seat.

[Mike_Cirba]

themashie;

You'd take "bent grass greens over Spanish Moss on a course like" Chechessee?

Am I interpreting you correctly that you are saying that grass types should be a predominant determining factor in your opinion of a course's attributes?

I also must ask what you find to be so superb about the Dye course at Colleton.  It's certainly not one of his designs that has opened to huge acclaim, and I'm interested to hear why you see it as the best course at HH.  

Thanks for your response.

[themashie]

Mike_Sweeney,
You should call up Haig Point and ask for a Real Estate tour package and stay on Daufuskie. Very inexpensive and the accommodations are perfect for family type trip. You will need to spend probably an hour with an agent showing you the layout of the place, but this will get you access to the 27 holes at Haig Point, basically for free, as well as put you next door to Melrose and Bloody. Haig Point is a special place aside from golf too. Your family will thank you.

Mike_Cirba,
First point-not saying that you have to have bent grass to have special greens...in fact, BH-North has bent greens and I found it to be a negative there. Bent grass just doesn't work in the Lowcountry climate. Furthermore, the massive effort that it takes to make bent grass survive in the South (ex-mtn courses) detracts from the overall golfing experience for me. It makes the course seem less natural (I guess unless you can just shut down the course in the summer a la Augusta). I think Coore/Crenshaw did a lot with an average piece of land, but in my opinion, not enough with it to make it truly remarkable. It is a natural layout and it is noteworthy that they did not use bent. They did not even use the new Tif-Eagle. Their greens are Tif-Dwarf, I believe, and it is perfect for the undulations and the climate. Bent surely wouldn't survive regardless of expense with those undulations. However, I can't get past the fact that the holes are not memorable. I have played Winged Foot several times, but I could describe holes 1-18 after the first experience there. That is a truly special course on an average piece of land. Bethpage as well. Better piece of land than Winged Foot and Chechessee, but not exceptional. Memorable holes.

The Dye Course at Colleton has a lot of very memorable holes, albeit an easier endeavor given the remarkable piece of land. The front nine is in the same genre as TPC Sawgrass. A lot of beautiful bunkering. Inland doglegs. Meandering waste bunkers and artistic greenside traps. The Classic redan #3 reminded me of the #3 at Bethpage. Also loved the other par 3 on front #6. Elevation change on #9 is very natural and memorable for Lowcountry, and a great segway from front to back. The marshside stretch of holes from 12-16 is one of the most scenic anywhere. Playable too. 17 and 18 are long, difficult finishing holes. I also don't recall much devt. I put it at the top of my list in HH area.

[tomdeignan]

jimmy

Id also recommend that you take a trip out to daufuskie, and as said earlier try to get in both melrose and bloody point in the one day. I worked on these courses for a year and I have to say that I felt Melrose played better than Harbour town, although many may diagree!? If you are going to play at the Seapines resort, Id only advise Harbour town, as both the other courses in the resort arent great.

hope this helps, enjoy