Michigan Golf Journal November 2021

order up one of Links’ signature filet, strip or porterhouse steaks. Day Four The Robert Trent Jones Course at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is widely considered the island’s No. 2 pitcher, drawing upon a baseball analogy. Having opened in 1967 just two years before Harbour Town, the two courses’ histories are inexorably linked. Jones’ former protégé Roger Rulewich updated the course in 2002, elevating the fairway on the signature par-5 10 th hole for even better views of the Atlantic Ocean. Credited with designing the majority of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, Rulewich spent considerable time reworking every tee box and green. Before heading out for an afternoon round on Palmetto Dunes’ George Fazio Course , make time for lunch at Big Jim’s BBQ, Burgers & Pizza at the Robert Trent Jones Course clubhouse. Big Jim’s is open seven days a week serving three meals a day, making it easy for golfers to grab a bite around their tee times. The George Fazio Course is Hilton Head Island’s only par-70, and with a slope of 144 from the 6,873-yard back tees, it’s considered by many to be the most difficult resort course on the island. With just two par 5s and a series of meaty par 4s, proper tee selection is paramount. Extended Stay and Play For a northern golfer extended stay, the Bluffton area just off the island is a veritable golf destination unto itself. Start with Old South Golf Links, one of the region’s best kept secrets when it comes to pure Lowcountry golf. Designed by local golf course architect Clyde Johnston, Old South is the only area public course playing along the Intracoastal Waterway. The front and back nine views, with MacKay Creek and the Calibogue Sound in the distance, are among the best in the region and are a great way to welcome your golf group to the Lowcountry. The variety of indigenous terrain is also worth noting – oak forest, pastures and tidal marshes are all on display, and in play. The finishing stretch, holes 16 through 18, is vintage Lowcountry with target fairways and greens requiring carries over marshland. Hilton Head National , a neighbor of Old South, has long been considered one of the region’s best public venues. The design is a Gary Player, Bobby Weed collaboration, with PGA Tour design consultant Continues on page 14 >> Hilton Head Island Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III