Best golf courses: Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in and around this city. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key below for the rating definitions.
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Hilton Head Island
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Rees Jones

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

An Arnold Palmer Signature Course.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
(Closed in 2018?)
Hilton Head Island
Weiskopf & Morrish

Visitors?

(Closed in 2018?)

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original design by Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1991); renovated in 2011 by Davis Love III (of Love Golf Design).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Check with Club
Hilton Head Island
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Check with Club

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Jack Nicklaus

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Love III, Davis

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Davis Love III (signature course)

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Love III, Davis

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Davis Love III

Unrated: Well regarded course not yet visited by the Where2Golf team.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Cobb, George

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

George W. Cobb

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Jack Nicklaus

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Hilton Head Island
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Rees Jones designed the original layout (1986) and subsequent restoration (2007).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Dye & Nicklaus

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Husband/wife team of Pete & Alice Dye in collaboration with Jack Nicklaus.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Player, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Gary Player designed the National-nine (now the layout's back-nine) and the Player-nine (now closed). Bobby Weed designed the Weed-nine (now the front-nine).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Hilton Head Island
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original design by husband/wife team Pete & Alice Dye (1982); modifications by Bobby Weed (2018).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
(Closed in 2016)
Hilton Head Island
Johnston, Clyde

Visitors?

(Closed in 2016)

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Clyde Johnston

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Johnston, Clyde

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Clyde Johnston

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Jones, Rees

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Rees Jones

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Rsrt guests only
Hilton Head Island
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

May River course: designed by Jack Nicklaus (2004).
Crossroads course: by Tad King & Rob Collins (2024).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Arthur Hills

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Fazio, George

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

George Fazio

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr.; later revisions by Roger Rulewich.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Arthur Hills

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Cupp, Bob

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Bob Cupp.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Cobb, George

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

George C. Cobb

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original course design by George C. Cobb and Willard C. Byrd (1967); redesigned by Pete Dye (1994).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Love III, Davis

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original layout by George Cobb (1962) with a later redesign by Mark McCumber (1995). Completely redesigned by Davis Love III (2015).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

Original layout by George Cobb (1964) with later re-modelling by Clyde Johnston (1990). Completely redesigned by Pete Dye (2007).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hilton Head Island
Cobb & Byrd

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hilton Head Island

Designer

George C. Cobb designed the Clipper and Galleon nines (1970). Willard C. Byrd designed the Brigantine-nine (1982).

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Tournaments

Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.

Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.

Recently visited

Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.

The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.

The Dutch GC, The Netherlands

The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.

Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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