Palmetto Dunes Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove are popular residential communities located mid-island. Stretching over 1,800 acres this well preserved area has 1,012 homes and 1,470 villas, three miles of illustrious Atlantic Ocean beaches, 11 miles of meandering lagoons as well as one of the largest tennis centers on the island containing 25 courts. Within Palmetto Dunes you will find the Hilton Resort and the Hilton Head Marriott Beach and Golf Resort. There are three public 18-hole golf courses designed by PGA favorites George Fazio, Robert Trent Jones and Arthur Hills. Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove has its share of year round residents to weekend visitors due to the extensive lodging available. The more private and secluded residential area called Leamington is also located inside Palmetto Dunes.

Area: PALMETTO DUNES/SHELTER COVE Address: 6 Night Harbour ListPrice: $3,450,000 Type: Homesite MLS: 262623 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES Address: 206 Somerset Villas ListPrice: $2,475,000 Type: Villa/Condo Bedrooms: 3 Full Baths: 3 Half Baths: 1 MLS: 255209 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES Address: 5 Armada ListPrice: $2,250,000 Type: Residential Bedrooms: 6 Full Baths: 5 Half Baths: 1 MLS: 260096 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES SubArea: Leamington Address: 88 South Shore Drive ListPrice: $1,699,000 Type: Residential Bedrooms: 5 Full Baths: 5 Half Baths: 1 MLS: 255411 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES/SHELTER COVE Address: 2 Junket ListPrice: $1,210,000 Type: Homesite View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES Address: 9 Hunt Club ListPrice: $999,900 Type: Residential Bedrooms: 4 Full Baths: 4 Half Baths: 1 MLS: 258061 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES Address: 430 Captains Walk ListPrice: $899,900 Type: Villa/Condo Bedrooms: 2 Full Baths: 2 MLS: 234749 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES SubArea: Barrington Arms Address: 301 Barrington Arms ListPrice: $849,000 Type: Villa/Condo Bedrooms: 2 Full Baths: 2 MLS: 258716 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES Address: 20 Offshore ListPrice: $675,000 Type: Residential Bedrooms: 4 Full Baths: 3 Half Baths: 0 MLS: 263313 View Listing

Area: PALMETTO DUNES SubArea: Leamington Address: 7614 Huntington ListPrice: $669,000 Type: Villa/Condo Bedrooms: 3 Full Baths: 3 Half Baths: 1 MLS: 256473 View Listing

Hilton Head Tennis – Hone Your Skills to Perfection

While the Hilton Head tennis scene may sometimes be overshadowed by the island’s famous golf scene, the truth is that Hilton Head Island offers tennis enthusiasts a world-class experience. Hilton Head boasts 300 tennis courts, with plenty of choices for those who prefer to play indoors or outdoors. Of these many tennis courts, four of them have been ranked among the nation’s 50 best by Tennis Magazine. Hilton Head Island is a great place to vacation or live if you love to play tennis. One of the premiere tennis courts on Hilton Head is the Port Royal Racquet Club. It features 16 courts and can accommodate guests at its villas. For those preferring a more traditional hotel, the club can arrange for you to stay at the Westin Resort, a beachfront hotel located nearby. One of the specialties of the Port Royal Racquet Club is its ability to cater to the needs of groups, whether they consist of three or four Hilton Head tennis enthusiasts or a larger group of 50 or more. The staff tailors each tennis-and- accommodations package according to the needs of the group. However, individuals will find their service to be equally excellent, providing you with practice drills, training, and court time according to your needs or wants. The friendly and helpful staff makes the Port Royal Racquet Club a first-class Hilton Head tennis experience. Another of the great Hilton Head tennis offerings is located on Shipyard Plantation. The Van der Meer Racquet Club, like the Port Royal Racquet Club, is one of Tennis Magazine’s Top 50 tennis courts in the nation. It has a total of 23 individual courts, including three indoor courts. There is a strong emphasis here on improving your tennis game, with extensive clinics offered over several days as well as single-day clinics. The training is offered at different levels, with beginning clinics for both children and adults wanting to learn the basics of the game, and advanced clinics for experienced players looking to hone their skills. The Van der Meer Racquet Club is a great option for those looking to improve their game. The other two ranked Hilton Head tennis courts are the Rod Laver Tennis Center at Palmetto Dunes and the Sea Pines Racquet Club. The Rod Laver Tennis Center is home to 25 world-class tennis courts, and the Sea Pines Racquet Club boasts some particularly high numbers with Tennis Magazine – number 7 on its list of top tennis resorts and number 1 for its actual tennis programs, making it another great choice for those looking to improve their game. If you are a tennis enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to check out the world-class offerings on the Hilton Head tennis scene.

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Hilton Head Golf Courses – Simply the Best

Hilton Head Island is one of the best golf resort destinations in the United States. Golf Digest has ranked the island as the number ten golf resort in the nation, and its rank is well-deserved. Several Hilton Head golf courses have been used by the PGA as qualifiers for participation in the U.S. Open tournament. In addition, one of the stops on the PGA Tour is the Verizon Heritage Classic, which is played every year on the Harbour Town Golf Links course on Hilton Head. The island’s PGA heritage may be reason enough for any diehard golf enthusiast to visit Hilton Head, but among Hilton Head’s golf courses there are a number of hidden gems as well. One of the most famous Hilton Head golf courses is, of course, the Harbour Town Golf Links course. It is part of Sea Pines Plantation, the first of the island’s modern resort communities. The Verizon Heritage follows the Masters tournament on the PGA Tour. Naturally, its fame has caused it to become one of the most expensive Hilton Head golf courses, but the quality of the course makes it worth every penny. The tees used during the Heritage are very challenging even for the veteran golfer. Although the course size is smaller than average, it offers a subtle challenge that requires incredible accuracy in place of the brute force required by larger courses. In fact, many golfers don’t realize how challenging it is when they first see it. It isn’t until they end up with their first triple bogey that they truly appreciate how difficult the course really is. Fortunately, there are also forward tees available which reduce the challenge considerably, making it an ideal course for both beginners and seasoned veterans. Another of the great Hilton Head golf courses can be found in Port Royal Plantation, where golfers who play Robber’s Row can enjoy some of the most scenic golf to be found on the island. Although it is not overly difficult, it does put up a good fight while offering classic Southern live oaks draped with Spanish moss and beautiful views of the island’s marshes. It is also one of Hilton Head’s less expensive golf courses, particularly during the summer or late in the day. The most beautiful of all the Hilton Head golf courses, however, is easily the Robert Trent Jones golf course in Palmetto Dunes Plantation. It is a relatively friendly course for beginners and those who haven’t played golf for a while, but can still be challenging for those who choose to play from the back tees. Hilton Head’s system of lagoons is used as one of the obstacles in 11 of the course’s holes, and the ninth and tenth holes are famous for their beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean. These are but three of the many world-class Hilton Head golf courses and all of them are well worth checking out. If you are planning a golf vacation on Hilton Head Island, be sure to research the island’s other golf courses as well, as there are many other hidden gems to be found as well.

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A Great Place to Enjoy Water Sports – Hilton Head

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Although Hilton Head may be most famous for its tennis and golf scenes, biking on Hilton Head has been an important part of island life since the beginning of its modern development. Sea Pines Plantation, the first residential/resort community on the island, was built with certain amenities right from the beginning, including tennis courts, golf courses, and…bike paths. The idea was that the communities would be built up around these amenities, meaning that biking on Hilton Head was a major part of developers’ original vision for island life. This approach has meant that Hilton Head Island now boasts a very large—and growing—network of bike paths which are used by both residents and visitors year-round.

Biking on Hilton Head, unlike biking in many of the nation’s communities, is a very popular pastime. Many of the island’s residents are bicycle enthusiasts, taking advantage of every opportunity the weather affords them to travel the island by bike. There are more than 100 miles of bike paths on Hilton Head Island. About half of that total is located within private communities, meaning only island residents and visitors who are staying within the community are allowed to use them.

Fortunately, even with half of the bike paths located on private land, there are still 50 miles of potential biking on Hilton Head for anyone and everyone to enjoy. The majority of the bike paths are shared with pedestrians, but there are also bike lanes located on some of the island’s major roads. The extensive bike paths lead to many prime destinations on Hilton Head Island, including beach access points, tennis courts, golf courses, and public parks. This means that anyone interested in biking on Hilton Head can get almost anywhere on the island they want to using the bike paths alone.

With miles and miles of bike paths located on both public and private lands throughout the island, Hilton Head Island is easily one of the nation’s most bicycle-friendly communities. Bicycle enthusiasts throughout the nation come to experience biking on Hilton Head, exploring the island’s beauty while getting some great exercise. For island residents and visitors who are environmentally conscious, these bike paths provide a “green” way to enjoy everything the island has to offer. Many companies on the island offer bicycle rentals, so that even those who don’t own bikes (or who don’t want to transport their bikes) can enjoy biking on Hilton Head Island.

While anyone can enjoy Hilton Head by car, biking on Hilton Head is truly island life at its best. The many miles of bike paths provide residents and visitors the opportunity to see everything the island has to offer while never leaving the beautiful environment for the confines of a motor vehicle. Anyone who visits owes it to themselves to try biking on Hilton Head, the best way to experience the island.

Hilton Head Island may be best known for golf, tennis, biking, restaurants, and miles of beautiful beaches, but there is much more to do for those willing to dig beneath the surface. The Hilton Head fishing scene is nearly legendary among serious fishermen. Although it can be relaxing to fish onshore, the variety of fish available in the lakes, lagoons, estuaries, and ocean shallows is good but still somewhat limited. Those who want to take advantage of the huge variety of fish that can be caught near Hilton Head need to go offshore, taking advantage of the huge varieties of fish that can be found once you leave the shore. While you can rent a boat and go with some friends, for the best fishing experience it is important to take advantage of what the Hilton Head charter fishing scene has to offer. There are many Hilton Head charter fishing companies with experienced captains who know where the best fishing is available and who also know how to avoid running aground during low tide. When you are unfamiliar with an area it is always best to go fishing with those who are in the know.

If you decide to go charter fishing, that does not always mean that you will be going far from shore. Many Hilton Head charter fishing companies specialize in inshore and near shore fishing. Inshore fishing refers to fishing within the island’s boundaries by setting up anchor in one of the rivers, creeks, or sounds. Only smaller charter fishing boats are allowed in these waters, so most of these trips will involve no more than four passengers on a single boat. Some of the species which can be found in these waters include flounders, sheepshead, shark, sea trout, and red drum. Some other fish which are occasionally found include cobia, jacks, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish.

For an entirely different Hilton Head charter fishing experience, near shore fishing is highly recommended for the increased variety of available fish. Near shore locations are near the beach, including sandbars and artificial reefs which are located within a few miles of the shoreline. Nearshore boats usually can accommodate up to 6 passengers and because of the location only a half-day charter is needed. Some of the fish available include flounder, bluefish, ladyfish, red drum, black drum, cobia, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, jack crevalle, sheepshead, tarpon, lemon sharks and blacktip sharks.

If you want to experience Hilton Head charter fishing at its absolute best, however, offshore fishing is strongly recommended. You need to plan for a longer trip because of the time it takes to get to ideal offshore fishing locations such as ship channels and artificial reefs. Fishing can be done by trolling with a variety of baits or by drift fishing. Some of the fish that can be caught offshore include barracuda, cobia, king mackerel, amberjack, Spanish mackerel, small tuna, grouper, small snapper, black sea bash, sharks, and spadefish. One other option offered by some Hilton Head charter fishing companies is Gulf Stream fishing, which is best from May through September. The trip will last all day or overnight, so plan ahead. Some of the fish that can be caught include dolphin, tuna, wahoo, sailfish, white marlins, and blue marlins.

Anyone who is serious about fishing owes it to themselves to experience one or more of the options offered by Hilton Head charter fishing companies. Be sure to research the Hilton Head charter fishing company you are interested in using to make sure it has experienced captains who can meet your needs and get you to the right location to fish for the type of fish you are interested in. Some of them also offer additional services such as cleaning the fish for you, so be sure to do your homework so that you can find the Hilton Head charter fishing company that is right for you.

It is very easy to visit Hilton Head Island without finding out anything about its history, environment, and wildlife. Many visitors seem content to simply relax on the beach, go biking, play tennis or golf, eat at the island’s world-class restaurants, go fishing, go boating, go surfing, go parasailing, go jet skiing, and more. Needless to say, there is a lot to do on Hilton Head Island. However, there are many Hilton Head tour companies that are more than willing to tell you more about the beautiful island you are visiting. The island has a long history including a seasonal Native American presence, the presence of the French, Spanish, and English during the colonial period, significant roles during the American Revolution and the Civil War, and the rich history of the Gullah people who started as plantation slaves on the island. Hilton Head has a beautiful and complex coastal environment which includes a variety of plants and animals native to the area. Moreover, those exploring on their own may miss out on some of the most beautiful parts of the island and its waterways. Whatever your interest, there is a Hilton Head tour company that can help you find out what you want to know.

Those who are interested in history have several Hilton Head tour companies to choose from. The most traditional of these tours is offered by Gray Line of Hilton Head. They provide a narrated tour of the island while you ride on a modified red trolley. It is an excellent choice for those who would like to learn about the island’s history without leaving their own personal comfort zones. Another excellent historical tour is offered by the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours group, which gives tourists insight into the nature of the Gullah people and their unique, rich history.

Some of the historical tours available are far less traditional. For those interested in a Hilton Head tour full of style, look no further than Camelot Limousine. You ride in a stretch limousine while finding out everything you ever wanted to know about the island’s history. They also provide airport pickup services. Another unique Hilton Head tour company offers a comprehensive tour which includes the history, culture, and wildlife of the island. This company is called Cool Stuff Tours and their claim to fame is that you ride in an amphibious vehicle the size of a typical tour bus. There are both land and water portions to the tour, allowing you to truly see everything the island has to offer.

If your interests run more toward science and nature, the Coastal Discovery Museum of Hilton probably has the right tour for you. Offerings include water tours, marsh tours, beach walks, and ACE basin cruises. Some commercial Hilton Head tour companies also offer dolphin cruises and boat tours of the island’s waterways.

While many people only scratch the surface of what the island has to offer, those willing to dig deeper will find a number of Hilton Head tour companies ready and willing to show them just how much the island truly has to offer. Whether you choose a traditional tour or a tour in a limousine or amphibious vehicle, you will come away with a deeper understanding of the island’s history and nature.

When people think of Hilton Head Island, they tend to think of beautiful beaches, golf, tennis, and great restaurants. The truth is that these things only scratch the surface of what the island has to offer. One great example is the huge variety of water sports Hilton Head Island residents and visitors enjoy each and every year. Some of the many water sports Hilton Head has to offer include fishing, windsurfing, traditional surfing, waterskiing, jet skiing, parasailing, and so much more. There are water sports for adrenaline junkies as well as those who enjoy relaxing and enjoying the island’s natural beauty alongside friends and family. For anyone who enjoys water sports, Hilton Head is a great place to travel.

Naturally, one of the most popular water sports Hilton Head has to offer is boating, which can come in many different forms. Hilton Head Island’s many rental companies offer a full range of boating options, including kayaks, sailboats, and a variety of motorboats. Those interested in a more passive boating experience can take advantage of the many dolphin cruises available or charter a fishing boat in order to enjoy world-class deep sea fishing.

Getting behind the boat can be even more fun than riding it. Waterskiing is a perennial favorite for water sports enthusiasts everywhere, enjoying the high speed rush of the motorboat while riding directly on the water. Of all the water sports Hilton Head Island has to offer, however, there is none that allows you to see the island’s natural beauty like parasailing. It is a lot like water skiing, except that you use a parachute. The motorboat’s speed allows the parachute to lift you up into the air, giving you a unique aerial view of the island and its waters. Hilton Head Island is easily one of the best places around to enjoy this unique and fun water sport.

If you really want to get an adrenaline rush from your water sports, Hilton Head Island offers rentals of a variety of personal watercrafts, including jet skis and wave runners. Jet skis allow you to ride the waves at high speeds standing up, while wave runners give you the same experience sitting down. You can also go surfing if you prefer to experience the waves directly, and windsurfing offers some of the best adrenaline rushes available. While you are initially riding on a board using the sail to control your direction and speed, when the wind picks up, the adrenaline kicks in. Windsurfers literally hydroplane, riding across the water’s surface at unimaginable speeds.

Whatever your preference in water sports, Hilton Head has you covered. From boating and fishing to jet skiing, windsurfing, and parasailing, there is something for every water sports enthusiast on Hilton Head Island.

Anyone looking at a map of Hilton Head can immediately see that the greater Hilton Head Island community is divided into a great number of smaller communities. Some of these are gated and are only open to residents and those staying at a hotel, timeshare, or short-term rental property within the community. Despite appearances, there are a number of things which unite the Hilton Head Island community. Almost all residents and guests share a love of the island itself, including the beaches, waterways, marshes, and stately southern trees. There is a great love for the slower-paced, classically southern lifestyle complete with great amenities such as world-class tennis, golf, fishing, and more. On top of all this, the Hilton Head Island community is brought together every year by a number of events enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Some of them are longstanding traditions, while others have only begun in the past few years.

One of the island’s longstanding traditions is the Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament, which is currently in its 29th straight year. It is a charity event which benefits many different children’s charities, including the Children’s Relief fund and the Child Abuse Prevention Association. Anyone who sponsors the event gets the opportunity to play golf with a different celebrity each day for three days, with a different golf course hosting the event each day. Both local residents and visitors are able to sponsor the event, allowing them to partake in the food provided as well as the opportunity to attend evening events alongside the celebrities.

Not all Hilton Head Island community events have been around this long, however. Now in its 8th year, the Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival is one of the island’s most popular events, so large that its four events in one do not all take place on the island itself. There are two competitive showcases of classic cars. The first one is the Car Club Jamboree, an event in which all invited car clubs get the opportunity to showcase their very best cars. The second is the Concours d’Elegance itself, which is widely considered to be one of the best vintage car showcases to be found anywhere in the United States. There is also a noncompetitive showcase known as the Motoring Midway, which includes motorcycles and cars from many different eras as well as some exhibits dealing with the history of motoring in the United States. Finally, the Savannah/Hilton Head Speed Classic consists of vintage racing and “hot lap rides,” giving passengers the opportunity to feel what it’s like to be in a race car by sitting in the passenger seat next to a race car driver. This event is held on Hutchinson Island, located just across the river from Savannah’s historic downtown area.

The single largest Hilton Head Island community event is the Verizon Heritage Classic, the only PGA Tour event in the entire state of South Carolina. It is held at the Harbour Town Golf Links course located in the Sea Pines Plantation community. Students from nearby Hilton Head Island High School work at the event alongside many other residents. The event attracts huge crowds of both residents and visitors every year, truly uniting the Hilton Head Island community in one major event.

There are many other Hilton Head Island community events each year, including several charity marathons, the Seafood Jazz & Brew, and the Native Islander Gullah Celebration. Despite the island’s many gates and subdivisions, Hilton Head Island’s community events truly bring the greater community together as one.

The history of Hilton Head is full of contradictions. On the one hand, the island’s history can be dated back to seasonal occupation by Native Americans. On the other hand, the town of Hilton Head Island was incorporated fairly recently, in 1983. Part of the history of Hilton Head involves large slave plantations, but they were treated with respect here and in other parts of the region, leading to a unique culture which is still celebrated today.

The earliest chapter in the history of Hilton Head involved the Woodland Indians, who escaped the harsh fall and winter seasons further north by coming to the island. Evidence of this seasonal occupation remains preserved to this day in the Sea Pines community. Within the community’s forest preserve is a mount made up of oyster shells, clay, and animal bones which has been dated back to 1450 B.C. It is known as the Indian Shell Ring.

The next recorded chapter in the history of Hilton Head occurs in the era of colonization, when the island and the region in general came under dispute. In the 1520s, both France and Spain occupied the region, with Spain eventually winning control of the area. England later took control of the Port Royal Sound region, and Englishman William Hilton is credited with the discovery of the island—thus beginning the history of Hilton Head as it is known today. He was trying to find Port Royal’s entrance when he came across the island, and he and his men were impressed with the air, the water, the quality of the soil, and the tall pine trees. The headlands observed by his crew were responsible for the second part of Hilton Head’s name.

Although the island was colonized in 1698 by the English, by 1766 relatively few families lived on the island even after so much time had passed. The residents of Hilton Head Island supported the colonists during the Civil War, leading to frequent raids by the British. After the war, however, there was a time of relative peace and prosperity in the history of Hilton Head Island. A unique slave culture made a huge contribution to this prosperity, known as the Gullah culture. Gullah slaves were given a great deal more responsibility than many of their counterparts elsewhere, being given a specific task to complete each day, after which they were free to go home. It was up to them how to complete the task, leading to slaves who were more independent and who took pride in their work. Along with the distinctive Gullah language and traditions which took shape over the years, the Gullah people were and are an important part of the history of Hilton Head. They became free at the end of the Civil War, during almost the entirety of which the island was occupied by Union Troops.

The modern history of Hilton Head began in the second half of the twentieth century. Electricity was introduced in 1951 and Charles Fraser, in many ways the father of modern Hilton Head Island, led a group of investors to create Sea Pines Plantation, the island’s first modern resort community. He showed a great deal of respect for nature and built recreational amenities first, such as bike paths, tennis courts, and golf courses. Housing and hotels came later, built around both nature and the amenities he created. This development model has been followed by every community created since, taking the history of Hilton Head firmly into the modern era as the beautiful resort destination we know today.

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