The only par 70 on the island, built around long par 4s and Diamond Zoysia greens that separate the Palmetto Dunes trio by temperament.
George Fazio built the middle child of the Palmetto Dunes trio in 1974, and he gave it a personality that sets it apart from both the Jones and Hills courses on either side. The Fazio course is the only par-70 public course on Hilton Head Island. It contains just two par 5s. The remaining scoring opportunities come from a series of long par 4s that demand quality ball-striking to reach in regulation and Diamond Zoysia greens that roll true once you get there.
The rating of 74.0 and slope of 145 make this the most demanding of the three Palmetto Dunes courses by a comfortable margin. At 6,873 yards from the tips, it plays longer than the Jones course and significantly more demanding than the Arthur Hills layout. The difficulty concentrates on the par 4s, several of which stretch past 440 yards and play into prevailing breezes that add effective distance. Golfers who rely on two reliable long shots will find the course honest. Golfers who struggle with long irons or fairway woods will find it exhausting.
The course was named South Carolina Golf Course of the Year by the SC Golf Course Owners Association, recognition that reflects both the design quality and the conditioning standards. The Diamond Zoysia greens provide a putting surface that differs subtly from the Bermuda and bent grass greens elsewhere on the island. The grain is less aggressive, the speed more consistent, and the roll truer, which rewards confident putting and penalizes tentative strokes.
Green fees of $150 to $241 match the Arthur Hills course, which makes them a bargain relative to the difficulty and conditioning. The Fazio course is the layout that local golfers on Hilton Head tend to rate most highly among the three Palmetto Dunes offerings, and visitors who play all three often reach the same conclusion. It does not have the Jones name recognition or the Hills accessibility, but it has teeth.
For golfers building a multi-course trip at Palmetto Dunes, the Fazio course is the one to schedule when your game is sharpest. It asks the most and rewards quality execution more directly than its siblings. Booking is through Palmetto Dunes directly.
A complete reconstruction of Hilton Head's first golf course, with water on nearly every hole and Spanish moss overhead.
The only Arnold Palmer design in the area, with six sets of tees and green fees that start at $34.
The lighthouse, the tournament, and a Pete Dye design that has not stopped being relevant for more than fifty years.
Pete Dye returned to Sea Pines nearly four decades after Harbour Town and built a course that plays like a conversation between two eras.
Two distinct design voices on a single routing, with time-of-day pricing that rewards flexible scheduling.
Lowcountry marsh golf at mainland prices, with a slope of 141 that keeps the design honest.
The thinking player's course at Palmetto Dunes, where lagoons wind through ten holes and accuracy matters more than distance.
The first course at Palmetto Dunes, and the one that best represents the Jones Sr. philosophy of bold bunkering and strategic risk-reward.
A wooded corridor through towering pines and moss-draped oaks, away from the plantation resort atmosphere.
One of the first courses on the island, where small greens and thick rough reward accuracy over ambition.
Twenty-seven holes across three nines, with a green fee range wide enough to accommodate nearly any budget.