Heritage Golf Group Now Offers 117 Holes of Championship Golf on Hilton Head Island

Heritage Golf Group has held a stake in the Hilton Head Island golf scene for a long time. Since 2005, the company has owned three of the oldest and most respected golf courses on the island ?- Oyster Reef Golf Club, Shipyard Golf Club, and Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club. Now, with the addition of Palmetto Hall, Heritage Golf proudly offers 117 holes of robust, championship golf on Hilton Head Island. No matter which course you play, you’ll enjoy the beauty and character of each, with its many lagoons and ponds. Just beware of the alligators! Here’s a quick look at Heritage’s Hilton Head Island collection.

Shipyard Golf Club

Over the years, Shipyard Golf Club has hosted several premier events and is the former home of the Hilton Head Senior International (1982 to 1984). At the time Shipyard was recognized as one of the finest layouts on the CHAMPIONS TOUR. Shipyard has 27 holes, creating three distinctly different 18-hole layouts.?Each course offers four sets of tees and can be played by any level of player. Not too long ago, all 27 greens were resurfaced with Diamond Zosia, a grass that stands up well to the Carolina weather. Several holes offer excellent risk/reward opportunities, but you’ll need accuracy off the tee and a good command of your short game to score well here.

The Clipper and Galleon course at Shipyard Golf Club were the first two courses and opened in 1970; nines the Brigantine Course followed in 1982. Of the three nines, the George W. Cobb-designed Clipper Course?may be the most difficult. Most holes have A combination of long fairways lined with towering oak trees and perilous hazards such as sand bunkers and water hazards to keep you on your toes. All three nines require a good long game and soft touch around the greens.

Three holes stand out in my mind at the Shipyard. The 2nd hole on the Galleon Course is a short, 440-yard par 5 that doglegs to the left. To reach the green in two, you’ll need to pound your tee shot over the fairway bunker on the left side at the corner of the dogleg. As you turn the corner you’ll find water all down the left side. Your 2nd shot plays uphill and is at least an extra club if not two. The elevated green sits behind a pond and is guarded by bunkers on either side.

The Clipper Course is the longest and provides the toughest test. Number 6 on the Clipper course is a challenging par 4 that plays 400 yards from the White Tees. It’s a dogleg right with a fairway bunker at the corner. Playing your tee shot slightly left of center will provide the best angle into the green which slopes back left to front right. The bunkers on either side of the green add to the challenge.

Brigantine is the shortest to the three nines, playing 2,885 from the White tees. The second hole on the Brigantine Course is the layout’s #1 handicapped hole and is the mirror image of the 2nd hole on the Galleon nine. ?It plays 359 yards from the White Tees and with water all down the right side and in front of the green, you’ll need both accuracy and length off the tee. Playing your drive out to the left may force a longer approach shot, but it’s beer than putting it in the water. Your approach shot will be over water into a very large green. ?depending on pin placement and prevailing winds it can be a two or three-club difference. Bunkers in front of the green and behind only add to the difficulty of this challenging golf hole.

Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club

Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club is located in the very pristine Port Royal Plantation and features 36 holes of championship golf. Legendary golf architects such as George Cobb, Pete Dye, and Willard Byrd have left their marks on Port Royal. The club’s golf accolades include a #7 ranking in “The Best 18 – The Greatest Holes of Hilton Head and Bluffton” by Hilton Head Monthly in 2015 and as a “Top 75 U.S. Golf Resorts,” by Golf Digest magazine. In addition to fantastic golf, Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club is also an award-winning tennis destination.

Robbers Row Course was originally designed by George W. Cobb and William C. Byrd. It opened in 1967 and in 1994 it underwent a redesign at the hands of Pete Dye. The course sits atop some Civil War grounds and each hole features historical markers that describe events that took place on the Island. Robbers Row is located on the marsh side of the Port Royal Plantation and cuts through beautiful strands of magnolia and live oaks. It’s known for its generous fairways and well-protected greens.

The 6th hole at Robbers Row is a 517-yard (White Tees) dogleg right par 5 that can be reached in two with just the right tee shot. By playing down the right side of the fairway, you can shorten the hole or make it even shorter by hitting your driver over the trees and giving yourself a chance to get on in two! A layup shot up the left side of the fairway will leave the best angle into the green, which is shallow and mostly flat. It’s a good chance to pick up a stroke or two.

The Barony Course is best known for its generous greens and challenging bunkers. Golf course architect George W. Cobb designed The Barony Course in the early 1960s making it one of the first courses on Hilton Head Island. From the tee, you’ll get the idea that many of the holes are relatively open, but as you make your way toward the Bermuda greens, you’ll begin to figure it out. These large greens are protected by thick, rough, and unforgiving bunkers. This places an emphasis on accurate approach shots, or a really good sand game! It truly is a course where brains over brawn are necessary.

Oyster Reef Golf Club

Over the years, Oyster Reef Golf Club has been recognized as one of the most spectacular golf courses on Hilton Head Island. This Rees Jones design is carved from 190 acres of breathtaking low country terrain and has received numerous accolades from golf publications such as Golf Digest (“Top 75 U.S. Golf Resorts”) and the Low Country Golf Course Owners Association (Top 20 courses in the Carolinas and “Golf Club of the Year.”) Here you’ll find elevated tees and lush fairways lined by thick stands of live oak and pine trees as well as strategically placed grass mounds and sand bunkers. Greens come in all shapes and sizes, and several have multiple tiers. It too is a favorite among local golfers.

One of the most memorable holes is the par-3 sixth hole, which plays 145 yards from the White Tees The green is set against a backdrop of Port Royal Sound making it one of the most photographed and visually spectacular holes on Hilton Head. Pay attention to the bunker in front of the green; it has seen its fair share of play from golfers too busy admiring the scenery!

Palmetto Hall Golf & Country Club

A recent addition to The Heritage Golf Group portfolio is Palmetto Hall Golf & Country Club, which adds another 36 holes to its collection of Hilton Head courses. Heritage Golf Group’s goal is to return both layouts to their former glory.

Palmetto Hall features two courses by two iconic designers – Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp. Collectively, these courses have long been considered among the best layouts in the Lowcountry and present a compelling contrast. Shortly after purchasing Palmetto Hall last year, the Arthur Hills Course received a multi-million dollar renovation which included all-new greens and Billy Bunkers, the best-draining bunker system on the market. The Hills course has the traditional look and feel of what you would expect from the designer. You’ll wind your way through heavily wooded forests of moss-draped oaks and towering pines that frame the fairways of many holes. The course also features undulating fairways and a lot of mounding on the peripheries.

The computer-designed Robert Cupp Course features straight lines and defined angles as the norm for many of the hazards; Perfectly round greens, rectangular greens, square bunkers, and mounds that look like pyramids can be seen as you make your way around the layout. When the course opened in 1993, it has the highest slope rating of any course in the state! Billy bunkers were completed on the Cupp Course over the winter.

Each facility has excellent practice facilities including a full-length driving range, short game area, and practice green. The staff of PGA Professionals at any of these courses can help you get the most out of your game. They offer private lessons, group lessons, camps, and clinics for golfers of all skill levels.? There’s no excuse not to play your best when you step up to the first tee.

Heritage Golf Group has partnered with two local resorts: The Westin Resort & Spa and The Sonesta Resort. To get to the Sonesta Resort, you drive right by the Shipyard’s clubhouse, making it easy to get in an extra nine holes in the evening.

The Sonesta Resort is a AAA Four Diamond family-friendly beach resort that recently underwent a $30 million renovation. The renovation included a spectacular new swimming pool complex with a shaded lap pool and Jacuzzi, a zero-entry heated lagoon swimming pool, and a children’s area.?The 340 spacious guest rooms and suites?offer views of the Shipyard Plantation grounds, lush tropical gardens, swimming pools, and the Atlantic Ocean. The resort offers indoor and al fresco dining at Bayley’s Lobby Bar & Terrace, Seacrest Restaurant and Terrace, and Sweet Cane restaurants.

At the Westin Resort & Spa, coastal splendor meets southern hospitality. The resort sits nestled amid natural dunes and Hilton Head Island’s pristine white sands, The Westin Resort & Spa offers its guests oceanfront resort views from most guest rooms, the ?Heavenly Spa by Westin, and three outdoor pools. All of Westin’s bright, open rooms include WiFi, a flat-screen cable TV, a small refrigerator, and coffee-making facilities. There’s family-friendly dining in the Carolina Room, poolside dining at Splash, with additional dining at View 32 and Ingredients.

Any or all of these courses can be packaged together through The Heritage Golf Collection with a single phone call.