Second-floor view from the Sea Pines Beach Club overlooking the deck, beach, and Atlantic Ocean.

Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Resort is a master-planned community located on the southernmost tip (otherwise known as the “toe” of the “shoe”) of the island. It is not only the first planned unit development, or PUD, on the island, but is actually the first of its kind anywhere. Best known around the world for its annual role as the backdrop of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sea Pines is home to much more than world-class golf.

Much, much more.

Beaches

Also known as Sea Pines Beach (this is what you will find on most mapping apps), South Beach offers residents and guests everything one could want for a day at the beach. Stretching the length of Sea Pines itself, this section of Hilton Head Island’s world-famous beachfront is just gorgeous, and invites visitors to enjoy spectacular sunsets as you make your way around the southern tip of the island.

The Sea Pines beach collection also includes Tower Beach. This private, residents-only beach offers residents a respite from the higher energy of more public beaches. While there are several more “local” beaches along our coastline, Tower Beach is among the only options with truly private access.

Dining and Shopping

While you could easily spend your entire trip soaking up the sun, the beach isn’t the only thing to explore behind the Sea Pines gates. The community offers residents and guests plenty of choices for great dining (both fine and casual), shopping, and most any convenience one could want without ever leaving the neighborhood.

The Shops at Sea Pines Center is a draw not only for visitors, but residents from all over the island. There are several eateries in this one center alone: Enjoy a coffee or gelato at C’est Bon, brunch at Lowcountry Produce (and be sure to browse the shop!), lunch or dinner at Truffles Café, or fuel up with some Italian comfort food from Giuseppi’s before taking a stroll around the shops. You’ll find great selections of clothing, shoes, jewelry, art… even a full-service spa. And if you’re here for the week or longer, don’t miss the community’s very own Sea Pines Farmers Market, held on Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm.

Harbour Town — don’t forget the “u” — is a destination unto itself. Home to the iconic red and white striped lighthouse (often the first thing people mention when Hilton Head comes up in conversation), Harbour Town offers a fun, vibrant collection of shops, restaurants and experiences. It’s the home of boating community darling Harbour Town Marina, and also houses The Inn & Club at Harbour Town. The Inn is ranked the #1 luxury resort on Hilton Head, and is among the top 10 hotels in the United States (2021) by US News & World Report. Even if you’re not staying at the Inn, you can still enjoy a wonderful meal there — we highly recommend it!

And of course, you can’t miss the stunning all-new Quarterdeck. This iconic eatery at the base of the lighthouse has always been an island staple, but with its total renovation in 2022, it’s a whole new experience. We were so excited, in fact, we even snagged the very first reservation on opening day! If you can, we recommend sitting on the rooftop overlooking the yacht basin — you won’t regret it.

The Beach Club is an exceptionally beautiful place, offering beach access, conveniences, and excellent food and drinks with a stunning beachfront backdrop. In fact, it’s one of the few places on Hilton Head Island where you can eat with a view of the ocean. We particularly enjoy sitting at the rooftop deck with a cocktail or glass of wine as strings of pelicans pass by, and the ocean waves fill the air with their salty mist and soothing sounds.

Lands End is an area that is home to the world-famous Salty Dog Cafe and t-shirt factory store, great tennis, as well as South Beach Marina Village. Grab a cold drink and some fresh popcorn, stroll down the pier and turn around for “quaint fishing town” vibes. It’s one of our favorite scenes on the island. Leaving from the marina takes you to the Calibogue Sound; the calm waters at this inlet offer the perfect HQ for Island Water Sports. We love Lands End for its beautiful scenery and laid-back vibe, and often make a stop here when in the neighborhood (in other words: we’re here a lot).

If you’re a foodie, you will delight in the many choices you’ll have without ever having to leave the community (but if you want recommendations, we’re always glad to offer them!). Here is a full list of Sea Pines Resort restaurants and dining options:

Harbour Town: Quarterdeck, Links, Harbourside, CQ’s, Harbour Town Bakery & Café, Harbour Town Yacht Club (private), Crazy Crab, Quarterdeck Market, Cinnamon Bear Country Store

Sea Pines Beach Club: Coast, Surfside Market, Ocean Lounge

Sea Pines Center: C’est Bon, Truffles Café, Giuseppi’s, Lowcountry Produce, Hazel Dean’s Gourmet Market

Lands End: Salty Dog Café, Salty Dog Ice Cream, Lands End Tavern, Jake’s Pizza, Kiwi Outdoor Grill (note that, other than Salty Dog, the others are seasonal)

Plantation Golf Club: Fraser’s Tavern

Outside the gates: This opens you to literally hundreds of additional options, but to cut it down a bit, we’ll stick to what’s immediately outside of the Main Gate of Sea Pines. The Ocean Gate (also known as the back gate) takes you straight to Coligny Plaza, which is another post entirely. To get you started…

Main Gate: Marley’s Shrimp & Burger Shack, Nectar Farm Kitchen, Mellow Mushroom, Johnny D’s, Holy Tequila Mexican Kitchen, Relish, Charbar, Roy’s Place, Harris Teeter, Sweet Frog FroYo, Brother Shucker’s, The Lodge, Reilly’s, One Hot Mama’s

And while we’re taking a peek outside the gates, don’t miss the best movie theater on the island, Park Plaza Cinema, owned by our friends and longtime locals Larry and Lucie Mann. With comfy oversized reclining seats and a full selection of food and drinks, including a bar menu, it’s a great option for a rainy day or to simply do something a bit different. Even if you don’t see a movie, the lounge is a cozy place to relax, chat, and enjoy a beer or glass of wine. It’s a local favorite.

Lawton Stables

Perhaps a lesser-known element of the Sea Pines lifestyle is the fact that it is home to a terrific equestrian program. Lawton Stables is home to some of our area’s noble equine residents, and offers fun activities like trail rides, a small animal farm, and a gift shop. For those looking to board, Lawton offers this service, as well, as long as there’s space available.

Golf

Likely the best-known element of Sea Pines — other than the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse — is its world-class golf. With three publicly-playable championship courses from which to choose, you’ll never run out of tough shots or stunning views.

As we mentioned, the RBC Heritage tournament is held in Sea Pines every April along the Harbour Town Golf Links, and truly is the island’s biggest party. Attracting PGA players, and attended by golfers and non-golfers from around the world, the week of Heritage is a blast. Food, drinks, sunshine, and a true walk in the park with a thousand of your closest friends… what could be better? This beautiful course is also available to play year-round, and while it’ll be one of the pricier tee times you’ll schedule, we think it’s worth every penny.

Among Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play,” Pete Dye’s Heron Point course is not to be missed. With renovations personally overseen by Dye himself in 2014, playing this course is a must-do experience.

The world-class golf lineup also includes Davis Love III’s Atlantic Dunes course, a complete reconstruction of the historic Ocean Course (the island’s very first golf course). Teeing off here is an opportunity to play through history with one of the most beautiful backdrops around. Both Atlantic Dunes and Heron Point are served by the exceptional Plantation Golf Club.

For those desiring a more private experience, the Sea Pines Country Club offers its own 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed course. Membership in this exclusive club offers an array of experiences, including tennis, dining, fitness, several pools, and much more. Due to high demand, while the Club was once open to non-property owners, membership now requires proof of Sea Pines property ownership.

Harbour Town Yacht Club & Yacht Basin

In fact, Sea Pines boasts not one, but two distinct private clubs: The aforementioned Sea Pines Country Club, and the Harbour Town Yacht Club. Dubbed “the place where Hilton Head Island was invented,” this traditional yet comfortable Club is brimming with island history and offers an array of benefits for its members. Perhaps the most notable of these are the 28 days per year that each member may enjoy in the Club’s private accommodations, as well as the reciprocity program with several of the area’s finest private golf courses. It is, in every sense, a classic — a sense that one gets the moment one enters. Club membership is designed for boaters and non-boaters alike.

While both live in Harbour Town, the Club and the Harbour Town Yacht Basin are separate entities. Ownership of a slip in the Marina confers property ownership in Sea Pines, and these can be leased for extended periods or rented to short-term visitors. Inspired by a marina in Portofino, Italy, the 100-slip Yacht Basin’s distinctive circular shape is marked by our iconic red-and-white lighthouse.

Explore

For the history buffs and those with an adventurous spirit: Don’t miss the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. This site houses the tabby remnants of the Baynard estate, a once-grand antebellum home built by Captain Jack Stoney in the 1790s. Any peek into the history of our island will include the Captain somewhere… he was quite a character.

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is another beautiful place to explore and enjoy the quintessential natural surroundings that characterize the Lowcountry. Explore the trails and boardwalks, and bask in the flora and fauna all around you. This is a particularly beautiful place to get lost… so bring a picnic, and immerse yourself for as long as you wish. You may be surprised to see a sprawling lake in the middle of an oceanfront resort, but there it is. You can even charter fishing and ecotours of this unique amenity, as well as attend the several fun events held there throughout the year. Lakeside soirée, or a beloved Lowcountry oyster roast? We’re in!

Living Here

Thinking of making Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island home? You might be surprised to know that there is a significant number of people who call Sea Pines home year-round. If you’ve only ever been here to visit, you may find that surprising, but it’s true. But whether you wish to be here all year, or only sometimes, this world-famous island community has an array of wonderful choices for you.

As of the time of this article, single-family homes (that is, detached) in Sea Pines range from $699,000 to $5.5M USD. As you might imagine, these values contain many variables, but the most impactful are proximity to the water (whether beach or deep water — Sea Pines offers both), rental desirability, architectural style and quality, and size. Proximity to the beach and the presence of a private pool also carry a premium from an investment perspective, as these are among the most important elements for short-term rental performance.

Investing Here

Speaking of investment: If making a sound financial decision is among your top priorities, this community quickly goes from “great option” to “can’t miss.” Due to its abundance of amenities, desirability for both beach and golf-centric renters, as well as being on the world stage every year for the RBC Heritage tournament, if any community on the island is a slam dunk from an investment perspective, it’s this one (followed by Palmetto Dunes). Properties have appreciated here since its inception, and as our area continues to grow and evolve as it has for years, Sea Pines’ value proposition will continue to strengthen.

Along with an array of single-family homes — 31 available at the time of this writing — Sea Pines also offers myriad villa (that’s what we locals call condos) choices, from oceanfront penthouses to 1-bedroom lofts.

Sea Pines is one of the best-known resort communities in the world for good reason. With its vast array of choices, its hosting of a major annual golf tournament (as well as additional events throughout the year), and its elevated yet laid-back lifestyle, it is the perfect choice for those seeking that intersection between energy and natural beauty.

Residents also have access to a community garden through the Heritage Farm Association, as well as several community pools.

And, of course, there is the beach.

For as long as this article is, there is so much more to know about this iconic slice of our Lowcountry paradise. There is so much to explore, and we would love to share it with you.

R+D

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