By JD Latorre

Few resort destinations have it all – natural beauty complete with mesmerizing seascapes; championship golf for any and all handicaps; a wide array of amenities and fun for the entire family; plus an ambience of ease and charm that allows one to escape the hustle and bustle of life and simply “get away.” The Sea Pines Resort on picturesque Hilton Head Island possesses all of the above and more. It is truly a “one stop” vacation wonderland. 
 
Heralded as one of the “World’s Best Places to Stay” by Condé Nast Traveler, The Sea Pines Resort www.seapines.com is steeped in southern tradition and blessed with lovely Lowcountry landscapes. The legendary destination and its flagship course, Harbour Town Golf Links, are two of the most iconic names in golf travel having welcomed the world’s best players and thousands of fans for over 40 years at The Heritage, one of the most distinguished events on the PGA TOUR schedule.
 
With the eminent red- and white-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse standing sentinel, its famous finishing hole along the Calibogue Sound anchors Harbour Town as one of Pete Dye’s seminal designs. Called “nothing short of a work of art” by famed golf writer Dan Jenkins, Harbour Town Golf Links has continually ranked in the highest echelons of championship courses and is a perennial “must play” when visiting the Palmetto State.
 
Few courses offer the tapestry of history, design ingenuity, beauty and acclaim as this masterpiece. Throughout the eighteen, large waste bunkers, railroad ties, expansive lagoons and live oaks draped with Spanish moss, palmetto palms and stately magnolias influence the line of play and demand the golfer give undivided attention to each swing.
 
Not long by today’s standards at just under 7,000 yards against a par of 71, Harbour Town is the epitome of strategic golf – almost like chess in the great outdoors with a little white ball. To find success on this beguiling golf course, a player must not only find the fairway, but often must land on the proper side in order to safely reach the green. It’s as fun and challenging as golf can be.
 
Two acclaimed courses complete Sea Pines’ trifecta of championship and resort golf. The new Heron Point by Pete Dye opened in September 2007 and is not to be missed. This is a splendid, shot-makers’ layout with penal bunkers and dramatic swales and mounding and again shows the handiwork of Mr. Dye’s considerable genius. Proving its versatility, Heron Point was just named one of America’s “Top 50 Courses for Women” by Golf Digest.  It’s ideal for a couples’ golf vacation. 
 
The Ocean Course is an attractive and not-overly-intimidating combination of lagoons, bunkers and fairway contours creating a contemporary 6,906-yard layout that has been awarded “Beginner Friendly” certification from the National Golf Course Owners Association. It also offers a true rarity on Hilton Head Island — an actual oceanfront hole set against a dune ridge with an idyllic seascape as a backdrop on the 210-yard, par-3 15th. It’s perfect for beginners to experts.
 
No matter which course you play, all are resplendent with knotted hardwoods and lagoons and salt marshes teeming with wildlife. It’s the perfect harmony of the ancient game and Mother Nature. Match the tee-box to your skill level on any of the Sea Pines layouts and enjoy golf in its pure, enjoyable form.
 
To complement golf, Harbor Town, with tranquil vistas of the ocean and Calibogue Sound, is the activity hub for the entire 5,000-acre Sea Pines Resort. It offers boutique shopping, an array of restaurants for all tastes and luxurious villas bordering the Yacht Basin, easily one of the most recognizable harbors in the boating world.
 
While golf is the focal point and calling card, Sea Pines features an array of world-class amenities. The Racquet Club boasts 23 clay courts and is ranked as one of the best in the U.S. Five miles of sweeping Atlantic beaches offer everything from sea-kayaking to fishing to surfing. The enchanted 605-acre Forest Reserve is ideal for horseback riding or wandering the many trails chockablock with wildflowers, wetlands and more than 130 species of birds. Le Spa and Sanctuary offers total serenity and relaxation with its roster of signature treatments. The Sea Pines Resort is also one of the premier business meeting and conference centers in the U.S. 
 
Accommodations range from ocean-side villa retreats and the Four-Diamond Inn at Harbour Town to beachfront cottages and homes. Plus, Sea Pines offers a wide array of package deals for whatever fun in the sun floats your boat. Simply put, The Sea Pines Resort is as good as it gets for your next vacation. 
 
For more information about Sea Pines Resort and its wide-variety of golf and non-golf packages: www.seapines.com 866.561.8802.