Need help picking Hilton Head courses to play

[shawnhill20]

Hey guys, going to be heading down to HH at the end of september for 5 days and playing 7 rounds. I've read a bunch of the threads regarding many of the courses and opinions, but it seems hard to really identify which courses are favored among others on a consistent basis. The courses we're looking at are:

 

Hilton Head National

Hampton Hall

Oyster Reef

Old South

Palmetto Dunes Jones Course

Palmetto Dunes Hills Course

Sea Pines Ocean

Sea Pines Heron Point

Palmetto Hall Hills

Palmetto Hall Cupp

 

If anyone is willing, I'd love to see these ranked in order of preference, even if you've only played a couple. Thanks for the input, almost too many choices out there!

[HackerD]

My personal ordering starting from favorites at the top
Palmetto Dunes R T Jones
Palmetto Dunes Arthur Hills
Oyster Reef
Sea Pines Ocean
Palmetto Hall Hills
Palmetto Hall Cupp
Sea Pines Heron Point

Hilton Head National
Old South

[HackerDave]

[quote name='shawnhill20' timestamp='1346659721' post='5577537']
Hey guys, going to be heading down to HH at the end of september for 5 days and playing 7 rounds. I've read a bunch of the threads regarding many of the courses and opinions, but it seems hard to really identify which courses are favored among others on a consistent basis. The courses we're looking at are:

Hilton Head National
Hampton Hall
Oyster Reef
Old South
Palmetto Dunes Jones Course
Palmetto Dunes Hills Course
Sea Pines Ocean
Sea Pines Heron Point
Palmetto Hall Hills
Palmetto Hall Cupp

If anyone is willing, I'd love to see these ranked in order of preference, even if you've only played a couple. Thanks for the input, almost too many choices out there!
[/quote]

We have had a vacation home down there for 17 years so I have played all but two Ocean Course and Heron Point). I would rank them as follows:

Palmetto Hall Jones
Palmetto Hall Cupp
Palmetto Hall Hills
Hilton Head National
Palmetto Dunes Hills
Old South
Oyster Reef

The two Sea Pines courses fit in there somewhere.

[brownm]

I think old south is still closed for a greens re-do.

I like both the sea pines courses, tough but fun.

I have also put a review on the SC section about the chechessee creek club. Fun course and you can probably get on easily still in this economic environment. Also, play secession in Beaufort if it is in your price range (375 with caddy) and if you can get on- you will NOT regret it.

Mike

[Chilidog]

Hampton Hall and Hilton Head National are my favorites from those. Never cared for the Palmetto courses.

[MendonGolfer]

[quote name='HackerD ' timestamp='1346665197' post='5577599']
My personal ordering starting from favorites at the top
Palmetto Dunes R T Jones
Palmetto Dunes Arthur Hills
Oyster Reef
Sea Pines Ocean
Palmetto Hall Hills
Palmetto Hall Cupp
Sea Pines Heron Point

Hilton Head National
Old South
[/quote]
+1, loved RTJ at PalDunes

[TNTlefty]

I just got back from HH - palmetto just aerated greens...
I played the fazio course at palmetto dunes and was unimpressed.

Shell out the cash for harbor town (take a caddie) - awesome track!
Great spot to watch a sunset if you play later in the day at the restaurant on the water.
HH National (off island) and oyster reef get good reviews along with the other sea pines courses.


Hush puppies & fried shrimp at the boathouse are also a HH must in my opinion...

[deep18]

Big fan of Hampton Hall

[Augie]

[quote name='shawnhill20' timestamp='1346659721' post='5577537']
Hey guys, going to be heading down to HH at the end of september for 5 days and playing 7 rounds. I've read a bunch of the threads regarding many of the courses and opinions, but it seems hard to really identify which courses are favored among others on a consistent basis. The courses we're looking at are:

Hilton Head National
Hampton Hall
Oyster Reef
Old South
Palmetto Dunes Jones Course
Palmetto Dunes Hills Course
Sea Pines Ocean
Sea Pines Heron Point
Palmetto Hall Hills
Palmetto Hall Cupp

If anyone is willing, I'd love to see these ranked in order of preference, even if you've only played a couple. Thanks for the input, almost too many choices out there!
[/quote]

Hilton Head National
Palmetto Dunes Hills Course
Sea Pines Ocean
Old South
Sea Pines Heron Point
Hampton Hall
Oyster Reef

Have not played the other Palmetto courses.




I would also advise a short drive to Savannah to play....
[b] [color=#000000][size=4]"The Club At Savannah Harbor" home to the Champions Tour Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament.[/size][/color][/b]

[golfheaven69]

Heron Point is a nice track. Hampton Hall if you need room to spray the driver.

[CallawayLefty]

If you haven't been before, you can't go to Hilton Head and not play Harbour Town. It kind of gets kicked around a bit by the real "afficionados," but in my humble opinion, it's the best Hilton Head has to offer. I haven't played too many big name courses, but I would group Harbour Town right up there with Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Pasatiempo (sorry, those are my only frame of reference for the big time courses!). It's a fantastic layout and a thinking man's golf course. You get cool views at the end, but if you ask me, it is a great course from start to finish. If it's a cost thing, I would play 4 rounds instead of 5 and make one at Harbour Town. The other courses on the island all start to look the same after a while. You'll get bored with 5 rounds on the ones you named, but Harbour Town is pretty memorable. Honestly, the only other hole I even remember on the island is #10 on the Jones course and that's only because it's on the ocean.

[Prof3ssor]

Make sure you play Hilton Head National

[mrfullwm]

[quote name='shawnhill20' timestamp='1346659721' post='5577537']
Hey guys, going to be heading down to HH at the end of september for 5 days and playing 7 rounds. I've read a bunch of the threads regarding many of the courses and opinions, but it seems hard to really identify which courses are favored among others on a consistent basis. The courses we're looking at are:

Hilton Head National
Hampton Hall
Oyster Reef
Old South
Palmetto Dunes Jones Course
Palmetto Dunes Hills Course
Sea Pines Ocean
Sea Pines Heron Point
Palmetto Hall Hills
Palmetto Hall Cupp

If anyone is willing, I'd love to see these ranked in order of preference, even if you've only played a couple. Thanks for the input, almost too many choices out there!
[/quote]

I've played most of these, but I'll agree with others that you should play Harbour Town while you're down there. After that I'd go in this order:

Palmetto Hall - Hills
Palmetto Dunes - Jones
Hilton Head National
Sea Pines Ocean
Old South (if it's open)
Sea Pines Heron

Enjoy your trip! The weather should be good down here in a few weeks.

[HackerDave]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1346722843' post='5581449']
If you haven't been before, you can't go to Hilton Head and not play Harbour Town. It kind of gets kicked around a bit by the real "afficionados," but in my humble opinion, it's the best Hilton Head has to offer. I haven't played too many big name courses, but I would group Harbour Town right up there with Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Pasatiempo (sorry, those are my only frame of reference for the big time courses!). It's a fantastic layout and a thinking man's golf course. You get cool views at the end, but if you ask me, it is a great course from start to finish. If it's a cost thing, I would play 4 rounds instead of 5 and make one at Harbour Town. The other courses on the island all start to look the same after a while. You'll get bored with 5 rounds on the ones you named, but Harbour Town is pretty memorable. Honestly, the only other hole I even remember on the island is #10 on the Jones course and that's only because it's on the ocean.
[/quote]

Wow! I've played HT a few times and it's quite the stretch to lump it in with Pebble and WS. You could actually pull a hammy with that stretch. HT has about 8 great holes but it also has about 8 beige holes that you will never remember. It's a shot makers course, thats for sure. If you are spraying your driver (the times you can actually hit driver) you will have a miserable day. Heck, if you are striping your driver down the middle you can have a miserable day because if you aren't on the right or the left, you have no shot at the green. The par 3's are perhaps the best collection of par 3's anywhere. They are all fantastic.

It's a fun course. It's a shotmakers course but conditioning is sometimes questionable, I hate having to take a cart but the only thing I hate more than that is having to take a cart and stay on the cart path. Arrgghh Certainly worth playing once or twice but nowhere near Pebble or WS in my opinion.

[CallawayLefty]

[quote name='HackerDave' timestamp='1346760246' post='5583139']
[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1346722843' post='5581449']
If you haven't been before, you can't go to Hilton Head and not play Harbour Town. It kind of gets kicked around a bit by the real "afficionados," but in my humble opinion, it's the best Hilton Head has to offer. I haven't played too many big name courses, but I would group Harbour Town right up there with Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Pasatiempo (sorry, those are my only frame of reference for the big time courses!). It's a fantastic layout and a thinking man's golf course. You get cool views at the end, but if you ask me, it is a great course from start to finish. If it's a cost thing, I would play 4 rounds instead of 5 and make one at Harbour Town. The other courses on the island all start to look the same after a while. You'll get bored with 5 rounds on the ones you named, but Harbour Town is pretty memorable. Honestly, the only other hole I even remember on the island is #10 on the Jones course and that's only because it's on the ocean.
[/quote]

Wow! I've played HT a few times and it's quite the stretch to lump it in with Pebble and WS. You could actually pull a hammy with that stretch. HT has about 8 great holes but it also has about 8 beige holes that you will never remember. It's a shot makers course, thats for sure. If you are spraying your driver (the times you can actually hit driver) you will have a miserable day. Heck, if you are striping your driver down the middle you can have a miserable day because if you aren't on the right or the left, you have no shot at the green. The par 3's are perhaps the best collection of par 3's anywhere. They are all fantastic.

It's a fun course. It's a shotmakers course but conditioning is sometimes questionable, I hate having to take a cart but the only thing I hate more than that is having to take a cart and stay on the cart path. Arrgghh Certainly worth playing once or twice but nowhere near Pebble or WS in my opinion.
[/quote]

I figured I'd hear that response, and I guess it's a bit of a stretch. You are correct that it does not have stunning water views, 10,000 bunkers, a herd of black-faced Scottish sheep running wild, the history of major championships, etc., but it's still a great course and is "up there" with other greats, albeit not "ahead of" them! I think it requires better shot making than Pebble Beach and is about equal with Whistling. And if you think 8 of the holes on HT are beige, wait until you play everything else on the island. I guess I just always take up for HT because it gets ragged so hard by the "Top 100" crowd. I have played there twice and will likely play there every time I go back to HH. It's definitely worth the cash, especially given you can play there for the cost of 2 rounds at some no name resort courses that won't look all that different than your munis back in your hometown. Again, if it's about being cost effective, play HT and take the next day off to sit at the very nice beach on the island.

And one aside to the carts on path policy is that they require every group to take a fore caddie, so you always know where your ball is and what your distance is before you leave your cart.

[Chilidog]

Harbor Town is great....but to discount the other courses like that in the area is crazy. Hampton Hall is a fantastic golf course.

[HackerDave]

[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1346762414' post='5583249']
[quote name='HackerDave' timestamp='1346760246' post='5583139']
[quote name='CallawayLefty' timestamp='1346722843' post='5581449']
If you haven't been before, you can't go to Hilton Head and not play Harbour Town. It kind of gets kicked around a bit by the real "afficionados," but in my humble opinion, it's the best Hilton Head has to offer. I haven't played too many big name courses, but I would group Harbour Town right up there with Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and Pasatiempo (sorry, those are my only frame of reference for the big time courses!). It's a fantastic layout and a thinking man's golf course. You get cool views at the end, but if you ask me, it is a great course from start to finish. If it's a cost thing, I would play 4 rounds instead of 5 and make one at Harbour Town. The other courses on the island all start to look the same after a while. You'll get bored with 5 rounds on the ones you named, but Harbour Town is pretty memorable. Honestly, the only other hole I even remember on the island is #10 on the Jones course and that's only because it's on the ocean.
[/quote]

Wow! I've played HT a few times and it's quite the stretch to lump it in with Pebble and WS. You could actually pull a hammy with that stretch. HT has about 8 great holes but it also has about 8 beige holes that you will never remember. It's a shot makers course, thats for sure. If you are spraying your driver (the times you can actually hit driver) you will have a miserable day. Heck, if you are striping your driver down the middle you can have a miserable day because if you aren't on the right or the left, you have no shot at the green. The par 3's are perhaps the best collection of par 3's anywhere. They are all fantastic.

It's a fun course. It's a shotmakers course but conditioning is sometimes questionable, I hate having to take a cart but the only thing I hate more than that is having to take a cart and stay on the cart path. Arrgghh Certainly worth playing once or twice but nowhere near Pebble or WS in my opinion.
[/quote]

I figured I'd hear that response, and I guess it's a bit of a stretch. You are correct that it does not have stunning water views, 10,000 bunkers, a herd of black-faced Scottish sheep running wild, the history of major championships, etc., but it's still a great course and is "up there" with other greats, albeit not "ahead of" them! I think it requires better shot making than Pebble Beach and is about equal with Whistling. [b]And if you think 8 of the holes on HT are beige, wait until you play everything else on the island. [/b] I guess I just always take up for HT because it gets ragged so hard by the "Top 100" crowd. I have played there twice and will likely play there every time I go back to HH. It's definitely worth the cash, especially given you can play there for the cost of 2 rounds at some no name resort courses that won't look all that different than your munis back in your hometown. Again, if it's about being cost effective, play HT and take the next day off to sit at the very nice beach on the island.

And one aside to the carts on path policy is that they require every group to take a fore caddie, so you always know where your ball is and what your distance is before you leave your cart.
[/quote]



I guess this is my point. Those 8+ holes are like any on the island. It's a nice course but I guess I don't have a passion for it. I probably go back every 5 years or so and every time I leave, I think "Good enough for me. No rush to get back".

[ajgoodal.704]

Take a water taxi over to the Daufuskie and play the Melrose. From what I saw last month, it is in great condition and does not get a ton of play. Great finishing holes on the water.

[HLore]

[quote name='ajgoodal.704' timestamp='1346779538' post='5585049']
Take a water taxi over to the Daufuskie and play the Melrose. From what I saw last month, it is in great condition and does not get a ton of play. Great finishing holes on the water.
[/quote]
Hey, did you actually play Melrose? I am getting mixed reviews. I am going to be hilton head in late Sept and would love to play there again but don't want to take the trip if it is not in great shape

[golfheaven69]

I'm a HUGE fan of Harbour Town but played it last week and it's in average shape. Not worth the coin at the moment.

[ajgoodal.704]

I took the ferry over to the island and drove around on golf carts for a few hours exploring. Drove around Melrose and Bloody Point. Melrose looked amazing. Conditions looked way better than Golden Bear which I played on HHI. Those closing holes on the beach were some of the prettiest holes I've seen in person. It was $75 to play there plus your transportation over. Not too bad. I ran out of time on my vacation, but next time I'm def. playing there. Bloody Point is growing back and I think is supposed to be opening this fall. That'll be a great course when it reopens.