Hilton Head Winter Bargains

Hilton Head Golf Island, a collection of 31 of the Lowcountry’s premier golf courses, announces an assortment of warm weather winter escape stay-and-play packages at the area’s marquee resort and golf destinations.  With average temperatures in the 60s and 70s during its coldest months, Hilton Head offers a welcome respite from the freezing weather found in most of the country. The perfect destination for golf enthusiasts seeking year-round play, the winter months welcome incredible value and plentiful tee times.

Ranked top 10 in seven categories by Golf Digest including “Best Courses” and “Best Weather,” Hilton Head Golf Island has a variety of seasonal vacation packages available:

• The Heritage Golf Collection – “Couples Winter Golf Escape” includes five nights in an ocean-view room at the newly-renovated Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa and five rounds of golf at any of seven Heritage Collection courses including Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club, Shipyard Golf Club, Palmetto Hall Plantation Club and Oyster Reef Golf Club. Package also includes daily breakfast at The Westin, 10 percent off spa services at The Heavenly Spa by The Westin, complimentary range balls and a $100 card for use at the golf shop and clubhouses. Based on double occupancy, packages start at $155 per person, per night. Valid through February 2015. For package and reservation information: 843.681.1706, vcastaneda@heritagegolfgroup.com.

• Palmetto Dunes – “Unlimited Golf Vacation Package.”  Stay four days and three nights in a resort view villa and play two days of unlimited golf at each of the resort’s championship courses, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills and George Fazio. Guests also enjoy two hours of complimentary tennis court time (daily), preferred rates on all other resort activities as well as dining and merchandise discounts. Rates start at $140 per golfer, per night and include all taxes and resort fees. Valid through Feb. 28, 2015. For package and reservation information: 877.567.6512, www.PalmettoDunes.com.

• Old South Golf Links – “Par 5 Package.” Just over the bridge in the charming mainland town of Bluffton is the acclaimed Old South Golf Links. Package includes four nights at the Hilton Garden Inn with complimentary breakfast, and five rounds per person including one round each at Old South Golf Links; Hampton Hall Golf Club, The Country Club of Hilton Head or Bear Creek Golf Club (choice of two); Palmetto Dunes Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills or George Fazio (choice of one); and Sea Pines Resort Heron Point or Ocean Course (choice of one). Starting at $675 per person in a double occupancy standard room, price includes sales and accommodations tax. Valid through Feb. 2015. For package and reservation information: 843.837.2610, www.OldSouthGolf.com.

• The Sea Pines Resort – “Stay-and-Play Villa Golf Package.” Experience three nights in private villa accommodations and one round each at Harbour Town Golf Links, Ocean Course and Heron Point by Pete Dye. Offer is full of extras including complimentary green fees on afternoon replays on the Ocean Course and Heron Point (cart fee not included), range balls and 10 percent discount on retail merchandise and food and beverage at the resort's pro shops and restaurants. Packages start at $177 per golfer, per night, inclusive of all taxes and fees, based on quad-occupancy. Rate valid through Feb. 28. 2015. For package and reservation information: 1.800.SEAPINES, www.SeaPinesGolf.com.

“The comfortable temperatures and lower humidity in the traditionally off-season months of December, January and February make the island a popular destination year-round,” says Cary Corbitt, President of the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association and Vice President of Sports and Operations at Sea Pines Resort. “These stay-and-play packages from the area’s finest resorts and courses are offered at an incredible value this time of year, and we encourage everyone to come enjoy the Lowcountry sunshine.”

As one of the nation’s foremost golf capitals, Hilton Head Island is the preferred vacation destination of golfers seeking a high-concentration of world-class quality courses, an unspoiled natural environment, beautiful resorts and inns, and old-fashioned Southern hospitality The legendary coastal Carolina destination has invested more than $200 million in upgrades in the past two years that are already finished, or under construction, transforming Hilton Head Island into the freshest resort town in America.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Three Shots - Three Holes in One

Eighth hole at Palmetto Hall's Robert Cupp Course

Impossible? No, just implausible! Hilton Head Island Golf recently announced that three golfers from different foursomes made a hole-in-one from the same tees on the same hole on the same day at Palmetto Hall Plantation’s Robert Cupp Course on October 19, 2014.  In case you were wondering, it was on the eighth hole, a short but delightful par three.

What are the odds? About the same as winning the Powerball. The probability of making a hole-in-one for an average player is roughly 12,500 to 1. The chances of two people acing the same hole on the same day from the same foursome are in the 17 million to 1 range.   Add in a third person, all from different groups, hitting from the same tees and the number is beyond my comprehension.

During the Amateur Golf Tour Championship sponsored by Golfweek, Daren Green of the Raleigh-Pinehurst Tour holed out first. In the foursome immediately following Green, Jose Talamantes from the Downeast Tour stepped up to swing from the same par-three hole and also hit an ace from 130 yards. Later in the afternoon, JPGA player André Scopone also made a hole-in-one from the eighth hole.

“We generally have a hand full of hole-in-ones annually, but three in one day is unbelievable,” says Dan Moscar, General Manager of Palmetto Hall Plantation Club. “In all my years in the industry, I have never had two aces in one day, let alone three!”

A Heritage Golf Group property, Palmetto Hall Plantation Club features 36 holes of golf immersed in Southern elegance and natural beauty. The Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp-designed courses challenge and reward players of all skill levels. The Club features a 14,000 square foot antebellum-style Clubhouse, as well as amenities for the entire family. Palmetto Hall Plantation Club is recognized as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for its commitment to environmental quality by meeting required standards for protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and preserving wildlife habitats.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Old South Tops Hilton Head Off-Island Golf

One of the most popular courses in the Hilton Head market is Old South, located just a short drive off the island in Bluffton. The gently rolling terrain, moss-draped live oaks, and intra-coastal marshes that wind through the course yield a delightful low country golf experience.

The opening five holes are a good warm up for the tougher tests to come on the par-72 layout. The sixth hole, a 397-yard far four, demands an accurate shot as does the 370-yard seventh. The eighth hole calls for a 160-yard shot to an island green. All the par threes, in fact, have water very much in play, as do most of the other holes on the course. Old South offers five sets of tees ranging from 5,135 to 6,772 yards. The rating/slope from the tips is 72.4/129.

The finishing holes are delightfully challenging. Sixteen requires the precision of a surgeon for both shots over water to reach the green 417 yards away. Seventeen has water all along the right side for its complete 185 yard distance. The final hole is an excellent 550-yard risk-and-reward par five. A wide fairway sets up your choice on the second shot. Do you go for the green over the creek and one of the largest waste bunkers in the Western hemisphere or play it safe for an easy par?

Right now, Old South is offering a "Spring Fling" package with excellent value. The package includes two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn and three rounds of golf including one round each at Old South Golf Links, Hampton Hall Golf Club and the Country Club of Hilton Head. Golfers also enjoy daily breakfast. Starting at $375 per person, price includes sales and accommodations tax. Valid through May 18, 2014. For package and reservation information: (843) 837-2610, bonnie@oldsouthgolf.com.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Palmetto Dunes a Prime Hilton Head Attraction

The Arthur Hills course at Palmetto Dunes was built on a series of rolling dunes not far from the ocean, so its characterized by bumps and hollows that seldom yield level lies (or flat putts) and ocean breezes that must be taken into account. You won’t find many obstacles in front of the greens, although there are plenty to either side on most approaches, so straight-hitters are rewarded. As for the rest of us….

Length off the tee isn’t a requirement to score on this course, although accuracy and course management certainly are. You’ll learn that lesson early in our round. It comes on the second hole, a 373-yard par four that calls for a layup to the water fronting the green and placement of your tee shot on the right half of the fairway. The ninth hole, a 518-yard par five, might seem like a bomber’s sure birdie, but the tree-lined fairway makes for a tight driving hole and the pond in front of the green isn’t something to be toyed with.

There’s plenty of fun to be had on the twelfth hole, a 399 yard par four. Water guards the entire right side from tee to green and the fairway just gets more and more narrow the closer you get to the green. Seventeen is another example of how course management counts more than distance. You have to hit over water twice on this 380-yard par four, and there’s OB and woods to contend with as well.

Palmetto Dunes also has one of the finest practice facilities on the island, not to mention two other fine courses, one designed by Robert Trent Jones and the other by George Fazio. for a limited time only, stay three nights and play two rounds at any of the resort’s championship courses and enjoy additional resort activities including tennis, bikes, dining and merchandise discounts. Starting from $139 per person, per night, rate includes all taxes and resort fees. Valid through May 31, 2014. For package and reservation information: (877) 567-6507, www.PalmettoDunes.com. Customized stay-and-play packages for groups of 12 or more are also available: Michael Royer at 866-306-4330 or mroyer@palmettodunes.com.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Oyster Reef a Tough, Short Challenge

If Hilton Head is on your agenda this year, be sure to visit Oyster Reef, a classic Rees Jones design that winds through lagoons and lush low country landscape to deliver stunning views of the inlet to Port Royal Sound as well as some fun but challenging golf. It’s part of the Heritage Collection of courses, which includes three  others (Shipyard, Palmetto Hall, and Port Royal Golf Club) that you can play with very attractive package pricing (see below).

Oyster Reef shouldn’t be played from the tips unless you’re a scratch player or better since it’s 7,108 yards with a 74.5 rating. The blue tees, 6,440 yards 71.9/124 rating/slope presents plenty of difficulty as well as the chance to score. From the blues, all of the par fives are birdie opportunities although there is plenty of trouble to watch for along the way. Eight of the par fours measure 400 yards or less, but all require accuracy off the tee to set up good approach shots.

The par threes are standouts, with two of them, eleven and sixteen, playing over water. The real start of the show, though, is the sixth hole, a 160-yard beauty that is one of the most-photographed holes on Hilton Head. The strongly contoured green is framed by magnificent live oaks with Port Royal Sound in the background and sculptured bunkers in the front. Before you take your tee shot, be sure to pause for some visual nourishment for your soul.

The Heritage Collection courses is offering a “Spring Stay-and-Play” package featuring two nights at The Sonesta Resort with daily breakfast included, two rounds of golf at any of the seven Heritage Collection courses and a 20 percent discount card to be used at Heritage pro shops. Based on double occupancy, packages start at $185 per golfer, per night. Valid through May 22, 2014. For package and reservation information: 843.681.1706 or email vcastaneda@heritagegolfgroup.com.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Harbour Town Rewards the Shot Maker

Tiny greens, narrow fairways, and breathtaking vistas of Calibogue Sound with the most-recognized lighthouse in America are hallmarks of world-famous Harbour Town Golf Links. It was one of Pete Dye’s earliest designs (with able assistance from Jack Nicklaus) and accordingly puts a premium on shot-making and course management rather than brute strength. From the tips, its 7,101 yards with a 75.6 rating/147 slope. There are four shorter sets of tees, though, and you’ll enjoy the course more if you choose the right ones for your game. I played the blues (6,640 yards) with a former European Tour player and they were plenty for both of us.

Harbour Town builds a crescendo as your round unfolds. It’s demanding, solid golf through the first two-thirds of the course, but starts its climb to the climatic 18th hole once you reach number 13, a 354-yard par four where Dye’s trademark railroad ties elevate a tiny, tricky green above a bunker that surrounds it on three sides. That’s followed by the often-televised par-three 14th hole, 165-yards where the water in front and along the right are the only things you can think about. The last par five on the course is hole 15, 541-yards that demands a long drive and perfect second shot to avoid the water on the left.

The 16th hole, 395 yards, can humiliate the best players. It’s a hard dogleg left where the landing area is dominated by trees in the middle of the fairway and the green is guarded by massive bunkers.  The wind-blown 17th hole, a 174-yard par three, demands not just directional control but perfect distance, since long is as bad as short.

Then there is the finisher, a 444-yard par four that plays along Calibogue Sound.  Your aiming point off the tee is the candy-striped lighthouse in the distance. Your second shot will be a long iron or something similar that has to carry over the sound. You can bail right, but then you’ll have some tricky grass mounding to contend with as you chip to the green. It’s a hole you’ll remember.

While you’re in Sea Pines, check out the other two courses, Heron Point by Pete Dye, which opened in 2007, and the Ocean Course, rebuilt by Mark McCumber in 1995.

Right now, you can experience three nights in private villa accommodations and three rounds at Sea Pines’ championship golf courses (including Harbour Town) for a bargain rate of $213 per golfer. There are even complimentary repeat rounds at Heron Point and Ocean Course based on availability. Sea Pines recently unveiled the new 23,000 square foot Plantation Golf Club and golf learning center at its Heron Point by Pete Dye and Ocean courses This value-packed offer also includes complimentary range balls, 10 percent pro shop discount on retail merchandise and 10 percent food and beverage discount at the resort's restaurants. Price is per golfer, per night based on quad occupancy in a two bedroom villa. Valid through May 31, 2014 at www.SeaPinesGolf.com

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Memorable Shots at Harbour Town

Watching Boo Weekly win the Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town on Hilton Head brought back images of a memorable shot I hit there. That's one of the great things about the game--your best shots stay in your memory the way a good 18-year-old single malt lingers on the back of your throat.

I was playing with Beau and Dick, boon companions with whom I've teed it up since balata was the peak of golf technology, which is a long, long time. This trip wasn't quite that long ago, but it wasn't yesterday, either. I think Bush The First may have been in office, but I'm not exactly sure. It's funny, I can remember the shot I hit that day, but not who was President of the United States.

A storm threatened before the round began, but it wasn't raining, so we were going to play and hope for the best. It was very foggy on the practice range. I remember because Beau was warming up with brand new irons when the head of his five iron snapped off the graphite shaft and disappeared into the fog. Amid many jibes about his prodigious strength and how he should try to hit the ball instead of the ground two inches below it, he trotted out onto the range, found the club head, and took it to the pro shop for repair. That wasn't going to happen before our tee time, so Beau played with a loaner--complaining about it the entire round, of course.

The wind off Calibogue Sound was vicious, which played havoc with my erratic game that day. The teeny-tiny Harbour Town greens--the smallest on the PGA tour--were particularly unhittable for me and my score showed it. I don't recall the exact number on any given hole, but when I reached the 18th tee, I needed no worse than a bogey to break 100. I was not having a positive golf score experience.

Having given up all hope, I stepped up to the final tee shot totally relaxed. In other words, I didn't give a damn anymore. The wind roared directly into my face from somewhere behind the candy-striped lighthouse behind the green 478 yards away. Not caring, I swung loose--very loose--and hit the ball on the dime-size sweet spot on my Spaulding Executive driver. (That kind of dates the story, doesn't it?)

The ball took off low and boring into the wind, ending up in the center of the fairway next to a sprinkler head that said I had bombed it 279 yards into the wind. I find it mystifying that I can remember the exact yardage of my drive, but not who was the leader of the free world that day.

Yes, I broke 100, even though I sailed my second shot over the green in a paroxysm of adrenaline compounded by severe over-clubbing. A 99 is nothing to brag about, but I'll never forget that drive.

The other thing I remember is the Christmas present I sent to Dick and Beau that year: a ceramic beer stein picturing the 18th hole at Harbour Town. On it, I used a read Sharpie to draw a star where my drive landed.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo