Without out-of-state license tags, Hilton Head Island on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, might not be recognized as a vacation destination. The dense vegetation of this planned community comes across as a well-heeled residential suburb melded into the landscape so as not to disturb the surrounding environment. By design it has excellent amenities - numerous golf courses, miles of ocean beaches, great shopping and bountiful seafood restaurants.

Year-round the pulse beats slower here. Some may say that’s because this is the heart of the Old South simply because of its geographic location between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Others disagree because Hilton Head’s soil - sandy ground covered with thick underbrush and large oak trees - lacks the depth of colonial history and generations of wealthy plantation owners. Instead outsiders have transplanted themselves on a permanent or semi-permanent basis to enjoy their retirement in this golfers paradise or keep a second home or condo as a beach getaway. To get your fix for true antebellum south, a rich connection with southern cuisine or a strong southern dialect, it may require a drive south to Savannah or north to Charleston.

Access from the mainland is via U.S. Highway 278. Development on this stretch of road seems to have occurred without a plan. Commercialism and traffic are much more visible and less controlled. A word to visitors - you might as well slow it down anyway, since it’s inevitable once you cross over the bridge.

A Planned Development
Like many barrier islands, it was not until a permanent bridge was constructed that the island began to truly prosper. Prior to that its economy was limited to crops that could be transported by water - rice, cotton and indigo, but those disappeared just like slave labor after the Civil War. Fortunately about that same time as the bridge (1956), architect and conservationist Charles Fraser designed Sea Pines Resort on the southern portion of the island. Working with a blank slate, he was able to incorporate the island’s natural assets, thus controlling how Hilton Head was developed.

Transportation issues and adequate roads appear to have been addressed from the onset. Through the inner island is the William Hilton Parkway, named for the sea captain who discovered the landmass in the mid-1600s. This four-lane road when connected with U.S. Highway 278 or the Cross Island Parkway creates a loop through the boot-shaped island’s interior.

The northern section of the island near the airport has more of a commercial feel - to the extent that’s possible considering shopping centers and brand name hotels and restaurants are set back and hidden behind pine trees and palmettos and signage is minimized. Directions are given, not by business names, but by the number of stoplights. A real effort has been made to blend commercialism into the background. With everyone playing by the same set of rules, everyone’s equally inconspicuous.

Golfer’s Delight
Because golf courses are numerous there’s plenty of green space, all lending to the natural feel of the island. Let’s see; on the north end of the island outside the parkway, there’s the Country Club of Hilton Head (18-holes; public), Oyster Reef Golf Club (18-holes; semi-private), Palmetto Hall Golf Club with Arthur Hill and Robert Cupp courses (both semi-private) and the Port Royal Golf Club featuring Barony, Planter’s Row and Robber’s Row courses (all semi-private). Inside the loop is the Golden Bear Golf Club (18-holes; semi-private) at Indigo Run.

To the east, find the Robert Trent Jones (18-holes; public), George Fazio (18-holes; public) and Arthur Hill (18-holes; public) golf courses, all part of Palmetto Dunes, as well as the Shipyard Golf Club (27-holes; semi-private). On the southeast corner find Sea Pines Resort’s three public courses: Harbour Town Golf Links (18-holes), Ocean Course (18-holes) and Heron Point by Pete Dye (18-holes). On the mainland, there’s another whole world of golf just get off and on the links before mainland-to-island traffic backs up. If you’re interested in golf for the entire family, miniature golf is available on the island.

Public Beaches
All of the beaches on the island are public, but not all are easily accessible because parking is limited to resident-only parking passes. Which translates to the owners need to be with you or lend you their vehicles. On the northeastern-most part of the island, there are three visitor friendly beaches clustered together beginning with Folly Field Beach Park (50 or so meters), Driessen Beach Park (more than 200 metered spots, but many require resident passes) and Burkes Beach Access (about a dozen metered spaces). All are north of Chaplin Community Park. Walk across the dunes on elevated boardwalks to reach the sand and the Atlantic Ocean.