Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head is one of the foremost family vacation resorts on the East Coast, and it’s only a 30 minute drive from Spring Island. Known for world class golf and tennis, spectacular beaches and fine dining, Hilton Head also offers exceptional culture for a community of its size. A successful theatrical program, a celebrated symphony orchestra, a choral society, and the largest tented wine-tasting event on the East Coast are among its many attractions. The island is also host to the Heritage golf tournament, a stop on the PGA Tour, played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort.
Hilton Head’s growth began in the 1950s with Sea Pines, an entirely different type of land development based on environmental considerations; Sea Pines was an early prototype for Spring Island. A series of quality private residential communities (or “plantations” as they are known on the island) perpetuated Hilton Head’s development along the 12 miles of outstanding beaches and waterways.
Contemporary Hilton Head attracts visitors with its first rate golf and tennis facilities, great restaurants, shopping, cultural centers, beaches, 50 miles of paved biking paths, water sports, boating and cruises. But Hilton Head’s history makes it more than just another resort. The island has been a frontier of Spain, a colony of France, a pivotal base of operations early in the Civil War, and a strong force in the economic resurgence of the South. The ruins of old plantations, traces of Indian shell rings, centuries-old live oaks, ghost stories and Gullah songs keep the island’s past ever-present, begging for more exploration.
