Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Three hundred years elapsed between the time English sea captain William Hilton first sighted the island that bears his name and the beginning of resort developments in the late 1950s.

While golf did not figure prominently into those initial development plans, Hilton Head Island today provides an eclectic collection of courses that range from typical resort fare to PGA Tour quality.

The golf course building boom of the 1980s and '90s attracted noted architects such as Pete Dye, Arthur Hills, George Fazio, Robert Trent Jones and Jack Nicklaus to the island. Combined with a solid string of clubs just off island and on neighboring Daufuskie Island, visitors have ample choices for an enjoyable golf vacation experience to South Carolina's Lowcountry.

A thriving plantation community prior to the Civil War, Hilton Head Island today retains some of that feel through the names of its residential neighborhoods and resort districts. The island's residents preserve their laid-back vibe by hiding major shopping centers behind thick stands of trees, and driving at night can be tricky for the uninitiated due to the absence of any streetlights.

My many visits to the island have come during the slow period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tee times and restaurant reservations are much easier to come by during this period than other times of the year - particularly spring and summer - with the tradeoff being some of the courses are a little shaggy from winter overseeding.

Before you head for the back tees, keep in mind the ball does not fly as far in the heavy air of sea level, and the often-soft fairways make courses play that much longer. Temperatures on Hilton Head are exceedingly hot and humid in the summer, and can range anywhere from the 30s to the 70s in the winter. The combination of these factors can make a 6,200-yard course play closer to 7,000, depending on the season.

Another tip: If you plan to play at least a few rounds in the area, it would be worthwhile to buy a discount book from Clubkey.com. The book features deep discounts on many of the island's courses, including Pete Dye's Harbour Town Golf Links, home to The Heritage Tournament the week after The Masters.

Located in the exclusive Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town (6,973 yards, 75.0 rating, 146 Slope) is one of three courses that make the fee just to drive through the neighborhood's entrance gate worth the five bucks. Dye's Heron Point (7,058, 75.4, 143) is joy to play and target golf at its finest, while The Ocean Course (6,906, 72.8, 133), was the first course built on the island. A 1995 renovation directed by former Tour pro Mark McCumber brought the course up to the modern standards of its neighbors.

Three of the most popular courses for visitors exist in the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. The Robert Trent Jones Course, which is visible from the island's lone highway (William Hilton Parkway - Highway 278), and the George Fazio Course have clubhouses near the Marriott that anchors the resort, while the Arthur Hills Course is a public layout inside a gated community.

The Jones Course (7,005, 74.7, 137) features large, undulating greens, beautiful white sand traps, and a multitude of holes with water in play, particularly on the inward nine. This is an 18-hole only course, with the 10th tee a mile from the clubhouse.

The Fazio Course (6,873, 73.9, 135) packs a wallop at the end, with the last four holes measuring 445, 425, 230 and 462. The par-3 17th is a brute even from the white tees at 187 yards over water.

My favorite - and one of my top choices on the entire island - is the Arthur Hills Course (6,651, 72.9, 136). Situated in a private neighborhood in which home gazing can be as captivating as the golf course, the Hills Course offers a pleasant variety of challenges ranging from short par-3s over water to dynamic par-4s around alligator-populated ponds such as the 399-yard 12th.

Perhaps the most memorable hole is the 380-yard 17th, which calls for a tee shot with less than a driver over the corner of a defining river to a bowl-shaped fairway. The hole then heads back over the river for an approach to a wide, but shallow green that sits hard against the far bank. It's a twin test of nerves that has ruined more than a few promising rounds.

Palmetto Hall also features an enjoyable Arthur Hills design (6,918, 74.2, 145), highlighted by the picturesque 434-yard 18th. The approach over a lake to a green angled to match the opposite bank is a great no guts, no glory way to end the round. The Robert Cupp Course (7,056, 75.2, 147) offers some interesting geometric shapes to the greens and traps.

The Shipyard and Port Royal plantations offer multiple courses paired with resort accommodations, and tracks such as Rees Jones' Oyster Reef (7,005, 74.7, 137) and Country Club of Hilton Head are standalone clubs open to the public. The signature par-5 12th at CCHH features a fairway marker that notes the gentle rise on which it sits is the highest point on the island. Some may find humor in the fact the rise barely qualifies as a hill, but it illustrates why residents evacuate the island when hurricanes approach.

Golden Bear Golf Club (7,014, 73.7, 132), located inside the Indigo Run plantation, is relatively benign by Nicklaus standards, but still a joy to play. The green contours are sedate and there are few forced carries. It takes a little more effort to grab a piece of exquisite Nicklaus golf. The phenomenal Melrose Course (7,081, 74.2, 138) on nearby Daufuskie Island requires a ferry ride to the island and a bus ride to the course. The 560-yard finishing hole lies directly across Calibogue Sound from the famous Harbour Town lighthouse and resembles the 18th at Pebble Beach in reverse. The hole bends gently to the right around the beach, with the green sitting on a peninsula surrounded by ocean at high tide.

As of this writing (2012), the recession had taken its toll on Daufuskie tourism, and the Melrose Course and accompanying resort had been closed. However, the course was being kept alive on a shoestring budget by a dedicated band of island residents and former golf course employees. Call the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce (843-785-3673) for updates.