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Palmetto Hall Plantation

4.3   Golfshake Golf Course Rating 2 reviews | Post Review | Website
| HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Course Information

Palmetto Hall Plantation, South Carolina is a 36 hole club with the 18 hole Arthur Hills Course established in 1991 and the 18 hole Robert Cupp Course established in 1993.

36 holes |


View more golf courses in South Carolina

Address: 108 Fort Howell Drive, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, 29926-2771 United States

Tel: (843) 689 4100

Golf Pro: Bobby Downs

Website: http://www.palmettohallgolf.com/


Golf Club Facilities

Golf club hire  Club Hire
Buggy Hire  Buggy Hire
Golf shop  Golf Shop
Clubhouse  Clubhouse
Bar  Bar
Food  Dining
Function Room Hire  Function Room

Semi-Private

* Any prices shown are guide prices, please confirm with the course prior to booking.

Tee Time Information

* Any prices shown are guide prices, please confirm with the course prior to booking.


Review Information


GOLFSHAKE RATING

4.32

Golfshake Golf Course Rating

 

AVERAGE RATING 5
(based on 2 reviews)

5 star
2
4 star
0
3 star
0
2 star
0
1 star
0
 

HIGHLY RATED

100%

would play again or recommend


5

The Course

4.8

Course Conditions

4.5

Value For Money

5

Pace of Play

5

Facilities & Service

5

Hospitality

4.5

Practice Facilities

5

Food & Drink

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Reviews for Palmetto Hall Plantation

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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com

50x50
The Golfin Guy rated 5 out of 5

Reviewed Jan 17 2024

(December 2022) Earlier this year, Heritage Golf Group – the fastest-growing golf course ownership company in the country – acquired Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club on Hilton Head Island. For Heritage Golf Group’s President and CEO Mark Burnett, the decision to purchase Palmetto Hall was easy. “With the resurgence in golf travel and the number of choices golfers have for golf getaways, it’s crucial that we promote our region’s amazing golf, lodging, and culinary assets,” Burnett said. He added, “We are thrilled with the recent addition of Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club to our portfolio and excited for its inclusion in Hilton Head Golf Island alongside Oyster Reef, Port Royal, and Shipyard.”

Immediately after the acquisition, Heritage Golf Group committed to a multi-million-dollar golf course improvement project. A complete renovation of the Arthur Hills course was completed in the fall. The renovation included new Tiff Eagle Bermuda greens, renovation of all the bunkers and installation of the Better Billy Bunker system, the best drainage system in golf, and extensive tree work.

Palmetto Hall features two golf courses designed by two iconic golf course architects: Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp. Together, these courses have long been considered among the best layouts in the Lowcountry; Heritage Golf Group’s goal is to return them to their former glory. The courses present a compelling contrast – the computer-designed Robert Cupp Course with its ultra-modern shaping and geometric bunkers and the Arthur Hills Course with its traditional look and feel.

The Cupp Course is unique because it was one of the first courses to be designed using a computer and a CAD program. As a result, you’ll find a lot of geometric shapes throughout the course. Some of these geometric figures have dissipated over time, but many are still noticeable. Straight lines and defined angles are the norms for many of the hazards; perfectly round greens, rectangular greens, square bunkers, and mounds that look like pyramids can be seen as you make your way around the layout. As a result, the Robert Cupp Course has shown up on its fair share of “Unusual Golf Course” lists, yet it will test low handicappers and is extremely playable for novices.

When the course opened in 1993 it had a 152 slope rating - the highest slope rating of any course in the state at the time. The course has mellowed slightly and now carries a slope rating of 149. Move up to the White Tees which play 6,042 yards and the slope drops to 124, a little on the high side but still manageable. The Forward (Green) Tees play 5,230 yards and offer only a slight reprieve in difficulty with a course rating of 70.6 and a slope of 123. Pick the tees that best suit your game and you’re sure to have an enjoyable round.

Even with this difficult rating from the tips, the course still draws high praise for its impeccable year-round conditioning, sound shot values, and flexibility. The course will challenge you as you wind your way through and around vast sawgrass marshes and dense forests of oak and pine.

The 11th hole may be your best shot at birdie. It’s a short par 4 and plays 290 yards from the White Tees. Hit’s advisable to hit something less than a driver off the tee, short of the triangular bunker. That will leave a short pitch shot into a green where the pin is probably blocked out by a large mound. The green’s not very deep so distance control is at a premium. A good pitch shot can result in a good score!

The Arthur Hills Course at Palmetto Hall opened in 1991 to rave reviews and that same year was named to Golf Digest’s list as one of America’s Top 10 New Courses. Over the years the magazine has awarded the course 4-stars as one of its “Best Places to Play.” The Arthur Hills course plays 6,918 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 73.8 and a slope of 139. At 6,257 yards (70.6/128), the White Tees will prove to be a formidable foe for most golfers, while ladies will find the course enjoyable from the Red Tees (5,006/70.3/119).

Hills’ signature style is on full display with undulating fairways and a lot of mounding as the course winds its way through heavily wooded forests of moss-draped oaks and towering pines that frame the fairways of many holes. Palmetto Hall’s lush fairways and crystalline lakes give way to large greens that are protected by strategically placed bunkers.

The completely remodeled Arthur Hills course at Palmetto Hall starts you off with the most challenging hole on the course and ends with the Number 2 handicap. The first hole is a 405-yard par 4 (White Tees) that is relatively flat with marshlands on the left side and trees tight on the right. The green has a large false front and sits at an odd angle to the fairway. It’s protected all down the right side by a sand bunker. Did I mention the greens are very quick?

The 8th hole is a challenging par 4 that plays 354 yards from the White Tees. The water on the left side can be carried with a good tee shot, leaving a much shorter approach shot into the green. However, if you push your tee shot right, you could easily find the woods that line the fairway. There are two fairway bunkers in the landing area on the right side that also see a lot of play. Par is a good score here!

Number 18 is the #2 handicapped hole on the golf course and plays 389 yards from the White Tees. It’s a dogleg left par 4 with water all down the left side that most players are going to have to cross twice. Push your drive right and the trees will get you. A good drive will leave a mid-iron into a green with water on the left that comes right up against the green and two traps on the right. It’s one of Hilton Head’s best finishing holes!

Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club offers a variety of membership categories. It is a bundled community, so if you live in the Palmetto Hall community you must purchase at least a social membership.

Palmetto Hall Golf and Country Club has joined three other classic golf courses on Hilton Head Island - Port Royal, Oyster Reef, and Shipyard Golf Club -and is now part of Heritage Golf Group’s Hilton Head Collection. Visit them online to book your next round or golf vacation package.

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50x50
David Theoret/Lakeland, FL rated 5 out of 5

Reviewed Aug 14 2017

The Robert Cupp Course at The Palmetto Hall Plantation Club – A Lesson

The Palmetto Hall Plantation Club features two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by two very recognizable names: Robert Cupp and Arthur Hills.

When it opened in 1993, the Robert Cupp Course at Palmetto Hall on Hilton Head Island had the highest slope rating from the back tees (152) of any course in the state. Although that honor has since bestowed upon Pete Dye and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort – which comes in at the USGA max of 155 – the Cupp Course will still challenge all comers. It is a must play for all golfers who visit the Hilton Head area.

From the tips, the Cupp Course plays 7,079 yards with a course rating of 75.0 and a slope of 143. If you were skiing, the tips would be rated Double-Black Diamonds; in other words, they are for the pros. So, if your golf game has never been written about in Golf Digest, you probably shouldn’t play from back here. Several holes require carries of 225+ just to find mother earth. If you’re still debating this feat, stroll on over to the 9th tee and take a look at what you need to do with your tee shot on the 472-yard par 4. That’s right, 472-yard, par 4!

Before your round, warm up on Palmetto Plantation’s driving range where you can hit every club in the bag. Be sure to hit some putts to get an idea of what you’ll be dealing with once you get out there.

Mere mortal golfers will have all they can handle from the White Tees, which play 6,025 and carry a course rating of 70 and a slope of 128. Ladies may choose to play from either 5,605 or 5,182 yards.

Cupp created the course on a computer, something that is commonplace nowadays but not so much in the early 1990s. That’s why you will find a lot of straight lines and recognizable geometric figures, especially when it comes to the bunkers. There’s a lot of mounding too, in and around fairways and greens alike. The greens come in all sizes and shapes, several with false fronts, unfriendly slopes and a lot of subtle undulations.

Memorable Holes
One of the holes that brings back memories – not necessarily good – is the 2nd, a par 5 that plays a mere 468 yards from the White Tees. From the distance alone, it sounds like a no-brainer to go for the green in two, however the creek that makes its way across the fairway may have you thinking twice. It sits about 240 yards from the green and if you’re not on the left side of the fairway, you’ll have to lay up anyway. Up near the green, trees really crowd the right side and with all the mounding, the left is no bargain either. Even at 468 yards, par is still a good score.

Number 10 is a three-shot par 5, that plays 474 yards from the White Tees. I say three-shot because of the large pond that sits directly in front of the green. Play left of the large fairway bunker on the left and then hit a layup shot short of the water and then a short approach shot to an elevated two-tiered green.

Another favorite hole – and one that gives you about the best chance at birdie on the course – is the short par 4, Number 11, which plays 290 yards from the white tees. Hit something less than driver off the tee, short of the triangular bunker, and you’ll be left with a short pitch shot to a green where the pin is probably blocked out by a large mound. The green’s not real deep so distance control is at a premium.

A good course needs a great finishing hole and Number 18 is ready to take on anyone who dares. It’s a par 4, dogleg right around two lakes that plays 357 yards from the White Tees. Playing your tee shot down the left side of the fairway will give you the best approach angle and take the water out of play as much as possible. Any pin placements on the right side and the water is in play, no matter where you come at it from. Make your par and head to the 19th hole.

After your round, head into the clubhouse to Baird’s Pub for your favorite après-golf libation. Baird’s also has an outstanding menu with a Lowcountry theme that showcases many of Hilton Head Island’s fresh local ingredients. In fact, all of their seafood and meet dishes are prepared fresh daily.

The pro shop at Palmetto Hall is one of the best stocked in the area for men’s and women’s golf apparel and they carry several unique designers. They are more than willing to accommodate whatever you’re looking for, so if you don’t see what you want, just ask and they’ll help you find it.

Last Word: The Cupp Course is one of the most exciting layouts on the Island as it winds its way through dense oak and pine forests and large Lowcountry marshes. From an aerial view, the layout is spectacular with its geometry all over the course. From a playing perspective, it can be as tough or as gentle as you want it, just pick the right set of tees. With narrow fairways and natural impediments at both ends of the fairway, each hole offers a new start, regardless of how you did on the previous hole.

The previous course management companies didn’t do the property justice and let it slip into conditions far worse than what you see today. Brown Golf Management stepped up to the plate and took over Palmetto Hall, unfortunately a little over a week before Hurricane Matthew struck the area. You can still see remnants of the devastation as you make your way around the course. Brown Golf has been making great strides in returning the courses to their former glory including bringing over Superintendent Grant Backus from their Dolphin Head property. Backus was instrumental in turning Dolphin Head around and looks forward to doing the same thing with Palmetto Hall.

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The golf courses reviews are the personal opinions of members of Golfshake who completed a review after playing the course. These opinions do not necessarily represent the views of Golfshake.com





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