Heritage Golf Group Adds Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club to its Hilton Head Island Properties
Hilton Head Golf Island (HHGI), a solid assortment of 26 courses across Beaufort, Bluffton and Jasper counties, welcomes the addition of Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club to its varied collection of resort, public and semi-private facilities – thanks to Heritage Golf Group’s recent acquisition.
The Heritage Golf Group, which owns and operates Hilton Head Island-based Oyster Reef, Port Royal and Shipyard Golf Clubs, recently acquired Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club, expanding the Heritage’s island folio to 117 total holes of golf.
Opened in the early 90s, the 36-hole venue features layouts designed by Michigan’s late Arthur Hills, and Robert Cupp. The Arthur Hills Course was the first to welcome golfers in 1991 and was named one of Golf Digest’s “Best New Courses.” The Robert Cupp Course followed in 1993 with a slope rating of 152 – the highest in the state at the time – and a series of geometrically shaped bunkers Cupp designed via CAD (computer-aided design).
“With the resurgence in golf travel and the number of choices golfers have for golf getaways, it’s crucial we promote our region’s amazing golf, lodging and culinary assets,” said Mark Burnett, President and CEO of Heritage Golf Group. “We are thrilled with the recent addition of Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club to our portfolio and excited for its inclusion in Hilton Head Golf Island alongside Oyster Reef, Port Royal and Shipyard.”
As part of the acquisition, Heritage Golf Group – which this summer added Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center’s 63 holes in Plymouth to its family of golf courses – has committed to a multi-million-dollar golf course improvement project of Palmetto Hall scheduled for this fall.
The Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp courses were long considered among the Lowcountry’s best layouts, and Heritage Golf Group’s clear-cut objective is to return them to their ‘90s glory. As a pairing, the courses present a compelling contrast – the traditional look and feel of the Arthur Hills Course juxtaposed against the ultra-modern shaping and geometric bunkers of the Robert Cupp Course. Both have been continually praised for their ingenuity, shot values, playability and conditioning.
“It’s an exciting day when we can welcome one of the area’s iconic golf brands back to Hilton Head Golf Island,” said Lowcountry Golf Course Owner’s Association President Brad Mara. “The addition of Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club increases our marketing collective to 28 courses…with our wide-array of accommodation types and world-class restaurants, there’s never been a better time to visit Golf Island.”
Oyster Reef Golf Club:
Editor’s note: I had the chance to play Oyster Reef in late 2018 and these are my observations:
Located near the tip of the northeast region of the island, overlooking parts of Port Royal Sound – a key Civil War battle zone – Oyster Reef offers an excellent, lower-cost public option for vacationing golfers.
Hurricane Matthew in 2016 all but ruined the bunkers at the course so the cleanup process gave staff an opportunity to redo them all. The construction process ended in 2018 and they are spectacular – well-shaped and filled with soft, white sand.
An excellent stretch of holes are numbers 4-7. Hole 4 is a par 4 dogleg left that opens up a little between all the stately southern pines found across the entire property. The 6th is the signature hole – a par 3 to an elevated green with Royal Port Sound in the background. Hole 7 is a right turning dog leg up hill off the tee requiring a strong poke to have a clear approach shot to the green, which has a wrap-around bunker and tall pines as its backdrop.
Holes 15 and 16 are also fun. The 15th is a par 5 left turn dogleg by almost 90 degrees to an open green complex still two shots away. The 16th has no trees in play, but rather a pond to clear to the par 3 green. While the entire course is tree-lined, good shots are required to place your ball in spots to get around many dog leg corners.
More info can be found at: http://www.hiltonheadgolf.net/
