Arthur Hills Golf Course at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
About
Opened for play in the spring of 1988, the Arthur Hills Course at Palmetto Dunes Resort is one of the most distinctive layouts in the area.
The Hills site was blessed with continuous lines of dunes and thick stands of palmettos. The renown architect took full advantage of the natural dunes and created an continously rolling layout with dramatic elevation changes.
This course has a unique seaside character, with rough and fairway bunkers notably absent. The dune lines continue into the greens, thus creating undulating surfaces. Off-balance lies and ocean breezes are a constant challenge, and lagoons come into play on many holes.
The course offers superior, tournament-quality putting surfaces year-round.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blue | 72 | 6651 yards | 73.2 | 134 |
Blue/White | 72 | 6377 yards | 72.1 | 128 |
White | 72 | 6122 yards | 71.4 | 124 |
White (W) | 72 | 6122 yards | 76.1 | 137 |
Gold | 72 | 5227 yards | 67.3 | 112 |
Gold (W) | 72 | 5227 yards | 71.4 | 124 |
Green (W) | 72 | 4999 yards | 70.1 | 123 |
Green | 72 | 4999 yards | 66.2 | 110 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue M: 73.5/139 | 384 | 373 | 146 | 430 | 376 | 505 | 434 | 156 | 518 | 3322 | 415 | 182 | 399 | 507 | 412 | 153 | 365 | 380 | 516 | 3329 | 6651 |
Blue/White M: 72.4/135 | 358 | 373 | 146 | 403 | 376 | 480 | 417 | 156 | 494 | 3203 | 392 | 182 | 377 | 486 | 412 | 153 | 336 | 320 | 516 | 3174 | 6377 |
White M: 71.5/127 W: 77.0/139 | 358 | 334 | 115 | 403 | 343 | 480 | 417 | 135 | 494 | 3079 | 392 | 132 | 377 | 486 | 361 | 142 | 336 | 320 | 497 | 3043 | 6122 |
White/Gold M: 68.7/125 W: 73.9/132 | 358 | 320 | 115 | 300 | 343 | 480 | 332 | 135 | 434 | 2817 | 322 | 132 | 301 | 360 | 361 | 142 | 336 | 284 | 497 | 2735 | 5552 |
Gold M: 67.6/116 W: 72.1/128 | 290 | 320 | 115 | 300 | 311 | 410 | 332 | 135 | 434 | 2647 | 322 | 132 | 301 | 360 | 315 | 142 | 310 | 284 | 414 | 2580 | 5227 |
Green M: 66.5/114 W: 71.0/123 | 284 | 289 | 88 | 294 | 301 | 410 | 322 | 113 | 434 | 2535 | 312 | 114 | 296 | 338 | 301 | 120 | 295 | 274 | 414 | 2464 | 4999 |
Handicap | 11 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 10 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 15 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 6 |
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Reviewer Photos
Enjoyable round with few players on the course
We played as a twosome and found the golf course in good shape from tee to green. Pleasant greeting at the bag drop and the golf shop.
We would definitely come back to play.
Too much for high handicapper
This is a beautiful course but shot making is critical and if you are challenged in controlling your shot +/- 10 yards from center, then this course is not for you. Unless you like donating golf balls to the waterways. I hit one shot about 10 yds to right of center of fairway which promptly rolled into the water. With more focus on shot making I would play this course again. Hope to have a better result next year. the staff is awesome and welcoming.
Pleasantly surprised...
I've been to Hilton Head at least a dozen times and have played all over the island. Was looking for a round of golf sort of at the last minute and was lucky enough to score a tee time here with my son and uncle.
It was spectacular. I mean, there was not a blade of grass out of place anywhere on the property. Just beautiful. There are memorable holes everywhere, especially the par 3s and any of the holes that face toward the historic Leamington lighthouse.
A memorable morning with family. You can bet I'll be back as soon as I get the chance.
I really loved this track!!!
I've been coming to HHI for 31 years. I've played -- I think -- every public and/or semi-private course on the island and just off the island. I've played Fazio (once) and Jones (half a dozen, at least!). I'm not sure how/why the AH track fell out of my rotation, but I do know that was a mistake, because it is one of the best courses on the island. It's really good challenge for the 6-12 handicapper. The greens are smallish (narrow, mostly) so you'll need your mid- to short-iron A-game to score here. On the putting surface, you'll need to maneuver through some very tricky undulations. Finally, this place will put your course management skills -- especially on the teebox -- to the test; it is definitely NOT a grip-it-and-rip course.
If you are looking for a great challenge from the white tees, look no further, peeps.
Beautiful and challenging
Beautiful course. True rolling greens in 4 Star shape. A true 4 Star. Not a member 5 Star that should be a 2 Star. Wonderful round. Fair warning. Should have had Troy the alligator hunter with me. Don’t see them in Virginia. And finally a course with real sand. Fluffy white sand. I’ve found a place to retire!
Be ready to use all your clubs
Really enjoyed the layout of this course. Tight in some spots and mentally challenging. Shot selection is important. Greens had been aerated weeks ago and were still not all the way back, but we were given a maintenance discount off the regular rate. Most fairways were in good condition as were tee boxes. Beautiful scenery all the way around. Very surprised that we were the only ones on the course in the late afternoon.
Nice, but a little tricked up
My son and I played this course yesterday. We had played Dolphin Head the day before, and since Arthur Hills was higher priced, I expected a higher caliber course. The first thing to note is that it doesn't do GolfNow, so you won't find any hot deals. The staff was not overly friendly, but acceptable. The course was in good shape, tee to green. My biggest complaint was that the back nine seemed tricked up. Just not traditional golf. And houses are abundant. Bottom line, I wish I would have played Dolphin Head a second time. Much more scenic and way less expensive.
Water water everywhere but nothing to drink
We start with arriving and no one is there to take our bags. I go in, and they tell me someone will be out to take our bags. Eventually I went and found my own cart and picked up our bags. After warming up we head to the first tee, no starter. So much for some tips on the course. The course was challenging, conditions were decent due to the heat. Once again, like the Trent Jones course, 3 metal water fountains producing warm water were all they provide you, except on did find a beverage cart once there. At this course they NEVER had a beverage cart. After playing 18 holes I told the clubhouse attendant who apologized, said that it is out of his control. When I asked if we were the only ones playing (10am tee time), he said no 80 players.
So you have 80 players playing and that isn't enough to send a beverage cart out or a starter? How many need to play to get those type of services??
Old South kept their cart girl out on the course just for us on the back 9. Ridiculous
Better then the Fazio course but not as good as the Robert Trent jones one
Played here today and the course was in great conditions. The Authur Hills course is not as no as good as the Robert Trent Jones course but is better then the George Fazio course. The Trent Jones golf course is the one that has the 'oceanfront' views. The whole Palmetto Dunes course is a great setting in Hilton Head but not the best on the island. Personally I feel the course is a little overrated for what you get but the course is always in great shape, with lots of water. The good part about the course it is near the ocean just not on it. I felt the layout was absoulutley perfect and the setting is great. The palm trees are always out and the staff has been accommodating the two times I've played it. Overall I felt the course was great.
Great Course in Great Condition
Played Arthur Hills Course at PD for the first time and was very impressed. I played like hot garbage but would go back in a heartbeat. Greens were fast and true. Fairways and tees boxes were in excellent condition. Staff from the door through the cart barn were very courteous and helpful. Only thing I could say that is unsightly is the damage clean up from hurricane Matthew a few months back. Hard as HHI got hit, I'd actually consider it a plus how much the course and island have recovered.
Get ready for a fun challenge. Course conditions not great
Another great layout at the Palmetto Dunes plantation. Fun course to play with friends. Back nine is a little target golf though but the holes are kind of fun. Fairways, bunkers and tee boxes were great. Greens were again very slow and sandy due to aeration or month of the year. They should not charge full price to customers when playing in these conditions. Played for $59 which is great but again I live in Pittsburgh and at this price, you can except the best conditions. I would play again there but you just have to know that the greens are not in great shape at this time of the year , so lower your expectations concerning the course conditions and you will have a great time.
Actually $59 is a really good price for HHI and especially for the PD courses so that's already very discounted. Makes me, however, want to schedule a golf trip to Pittsburgh!
Golf Lesson from Doug Weaver Helped Greatly
Took a 45 minute lesson from Doug Weaver before playing my round and was amazed at the results. Doug helped with some subtle changes that helped me to get off the tee with great consistency. Thank you Doug and will be back soon for some help on my short game. I have had a handful of lessons during my 30 plus years of playing the sport but never before was I able to convert the instruction to immediate results as I did with Doug's instruction.
Course in awful shape
We were warned that the greens had not recovered from aeration 1 month earlier. We were expecting to deal with the typical aeration holes. Instead the greens seem to have some kind of fungus and are covered in sand. You can see sand fly up after an approach hits the green. By the end we just stopped playing the greens, took 2 putts and moved on the the next hole. The fairways and tee boxes also were not in great shape. Played this course years ago, it needs a lot of TLC to get back to where it should be.
Palmetto Dunes - Arthur Hills
Of the 3 Palmetto Dunes courses this one is the toughest. The course makes you think about next shot with many of the holes having risk/reward options. The tee boxes seemed to need some repair work, but the course is in good shape.
Great Track, Bad Conditions and Service
Looking at the PD Arthur Hills course online it looked spectacular. It was less so when we arrived. *Disclaimer* They had just aerated so take what I say with a grain of salt.
First off, the staff was not happy when we arrived, I understand you don't expect a lot of people to play a course after being aerated, but hey, we're on vacation and in a vacation destination so you should treat everyone like its a five star resort.
Second, the course was in between average and poor shape; some holes were better than others but overall it was disappointing. Again I know they had aerated, but it wasn't just the greens (which were 90% sand 10% grass). The tees boxes hardly had any grass on them, and the fairways had dead spot after dead spot. Luckily, we paid a discounted green fee ($60) because of the aeration, but the course would have to be a thousand times better for me to want to pay the standard $90 fee.
Overall, I loved the track, lots of pretty water holes, and interesting, quirky holes. But for me to want to play the PD Arthur Hills course again I would need proof the conditions had greatly improved.
No surprise: Hills is hardest at Palmetto Dunes
I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Arthur Hills' risk-reward design philosophy, so right away I was looking for things that were unfair on this course. I thought the first hole was a little too difficult for an opening hole with a green that you couldn't see, calling for a right-to-left approach into a well-protected green. But as I made my way around this course I could see how well thought-out these holes were, making the Hills Course a true championship test. It's also very scenic with its tree-lined fairways, numerous water features, excellent conditioning and outstanding practice facilities.
Well worth it!
The Arthur Hills course at PD is an interesting layout and very well maintained. Clubhouse and on course staffers are very friendly. All 3 PD courses are high quality and should be experienced by visitors to the island, as well as locals.
Hills course is a fun layout
We always enjoy playing Arthur Hills. Been playing this course for years. Always in top-notch condition and the staff is friendly as could be.
Best of the Palmetto Dunes Trio
This is a great course, very challenging yet manageable if you keep your shots in the fairway. Course will punish you if you go into the rough. Greens are quick but generally true, no gimmicky greens.
Pace of play can slow if there are hackers or poor golfers on the course. Humidity and heat can be a problem as the course is surrounded by trees
Palmetto Dunes Gem
Play this course every year when I go to Hilton Head. Challenging yet fair course. Has holes that look easy but can be damaging to your score if you don't keep the ball in the fairway. Greens are well kept and roll true. If you go to HHI make sure you play this course
Amen! Not as expensive as Jones, but a shot maker course.
They can keep Fazio so boring