Many are drawn to the Lowcountry each year because of its beautiful beaches, world-class resorts and wide selection of restaurants, shopping and activities. For those who decide to stay year-round, there is another big draw: the luxurious communities residents call home.
Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Daufuskie Island and the greater Lowcountry as a whole are shining examples of well-planned residential development. The communities here are designed to be environmentally friendly, preserving much of the beautiful natural surroundings and designed to grow strategically over time. Each community in the area offers its own unique draws, and no matter what you’re looking for there is sure to be a neighborhood that fits your needs.
Spring Island is one such community. Located in Okatie, it offers convenient access to Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort and Savannah — but with all the amenities available within the community itself, it’s hard to imagine wanting to leave. Spring Island offers an award-winning golf course, 300 nature trails, a 31-acre equestrian center, and a 13,000-square-foot sports complex that includes tennis courts, swimming pools, and croquet, among other facilities. There are two onsite restaurants as well. With almost half of its 3,000 acres protected in a nature park and preserve, there is no shortage of natural beauty and water views of the Chechessee and Colleton rivers.
Long Cove Club, a gated residential community, features one of South Carolina’s favorite golf courses. It is located in a masterfully planned setting that seems to have naturally fallen into place. Residents cherish its nationally ranked Pete Dye golf course, perfect island location and tidal creeks and marshes. The community offers a first-class tennis facility and a breathtaking marina that includes private boat slips, storage for private kayaks and club kayaks available for use by members and guests. In this amazing setting, members enjoy all the activity they could hope for and all the solitude they could want.
The Melrose Golf & Ocean Club is a private, property owners-only club community perched on 700 acres of Daufuskie Island, located just 1 mile off of Hilton Head Island. Nestled between Calibogue Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the community features picturesque home sites, luxurious island cottages and colorful beach bungalows that blend in perfectly with the rich Southern cultural heritage of the Lowcountry. Melrose creates an unforgettable Southern experience for you and your family: oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, architecture straight out of “Gone with the Wind,” soulful bluegrass and food that doesn’t skimp on butter. Amenities include a Jack Nicklaus-designed oceanfront golf course, club-owned watercraft, a private family beach club, awellness facility and a world-class equestrian facility.
Wexford Plantation on Hilton Head Island is known for its inland harbor and lock system — one of only three on the East Coast. Aside from its beauty and offering only the best in amenities, Wexford’s claim to fame is the lifestyle it offers residents. There is an endless variety of active social groups and member clubs for residents to join, as well as fitness and leisure activities for families, professionals and retirees — a little bit of something for everyone.
Situated on a private peninsula touched by the Colleton and Chechessee rivers with views out to Port Royal Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, Colleton River in Bluffton forms a perfect union of “the good life” and the long-held Lowcountry credo “respect the natural environment.” Colleton River's 1,500 acres engulf you in pure Lowcountry charm, with iconic live oaks that wind through a blend of luxurious homes and 7 miles of breathtaking water and salt marsh views. In addition to two unique signature golf courses by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, numerous other amenities complete this vibrant community.
Shipyard Plantation offers the best of residential and resort living in the scenic heart of the south end of Hilton Head. One of the island's original developments, Shipyard offers outstanding amenities and recreational opportunities. Take part in a diverse beach community and enjoy world-class tennis, the 27-hole Shipyard Golf Club, a health and wellness center, a newly renovated hotel and the owners' oceanfront Beach Club. Whether you seek a home site or vacation villa, you will be surrounded by 800 acres of natural beauty and the ocean — perfect for a vacation or permanent home.
Haig Point is a private, 1,050-acre community on Daufuskie Island. It was ranked as one of the top 100 private golf course communities in the country by Links magazine in 2005. Haig Point's Rees Jones Signature Course, designed by Rees Jones in 1986 and renovated by the "Open Doctor" in 2007, has been ranked in Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" and in Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in the World." Thanks to its distance from the mainland, Haig Point has remained unspoiled in many ways.
You can read more about each of these special communities in the profiles in the following pages.
