Hilton Head Sports

Patrick Ford’s admirable and absurd quest to save Bloody Point Golf Course was documented by ESPN’s Outside the Lines two years ago.
The financial meltdowns, the voodoo curses, the never-ending fight against nature — all the gritty details of his struggle were laid out in a stunning 8,000-word account titled “Staying the Course.”

Author Wright Thompson introduced Ford as a lovable, hard-working golf professional holding on against all odds at doomed Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa.

The resort went bankrupt. The loan to continue operations until a new buyer stepped in ran out. Salaries were cut. The power was turned off. The phone stopped working. Leased equipment started breaking down. There was no money to buy pesticide or fertilizer for the fading course.

Ivan Lendl, world-famous tennis pro and eight-time Grand Slam winner, is now giving back with his International Junior Tennis Academy through a program “offering a select number of scholarships to exceptional juniors with passion, a strong work ethic and the attitude to make them successful in competition and in life,” according to the IJTA.

Lendl recently invited semi-finalists for the scholarships to an open house at Port Royal Racquet Club for a personal evaluation.

Above, IJTA staff including Director of Instruction David Lewis (far left with clipboard), Lendl (center) and Junior Sports Corporation CEO Peter Orrell (right) , evaluate a student’s overhead shot. The prospective students each undertook evaluations of their physical condition, tennis ability and even their mental approach to the game.

Learn more about the academy at www.lendltennis.com.

Whether you’re bicycling for family time, exercise or simply to take in the local ?scenery, Hilton Head Island offers no shortage of routes, paths and options.

The island boasts more than 50 miles of public bicycle paths, and the private communities contain many more (Sea Pines alone has 15 for your pedaling needs). The beach is rarely more than a few miles away, and at low tide offers so much space that you can feel like the place is yours alone. For these reasons and countless more (amenable weather, abundant sunshine) you can see why Hilton Head Island has carved out a reputation as an unofficial bikers’ mecca.

But these days, it’s a little more official.

Discover the peaceful, accessible destinations on Hilton Head that incorporate its rich history and natural beauty — but aren’t quite as crowded as those beaches.

More Monthly: Keep on riding in the free world — Hilton Head's path to becoming an official bicyclist's paradise

1. Fish Haul Creek Park (Beach City Road)

This Women’s Golf Month, five Lowcountry pros tell us how they fell in love with the game, how they teach it to others and how the occasional celebrity encounter can make for a great story.

Major tennis stars have been scarce around here since the Family Circle Cup women’s tournament moved to Charleston 10 years ago. But that’ll all change this summer, when the Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy opens its doors.

There are a great many reasons no one wants me on a golf course. One of them is that I look ridiculous in purple.

I should start by saying that with apologies to both my mom and Jim Furyk, I’ve never really been into golf. This is for one extremely simple, profound reason: I am terrible at golf. I am terrible at it in grave, hideous fashion. I am terrible at it in ways that make it so you can actually watch my 7-year-old lose respect for me in real time, in ways that should be sung about by Tom Waits, in ways that if our culture somehow celebrated the appearance of playing golf as though you’re being repeatedly jabbed in the brain with an electric toothbrush, I would be totally winning.

Immediately after relocating to Hilton Head Island, Frank Babel began looking for a cause.

“(Professionally), I traveled all the time, so it was hard to do community service,” said Babel. “When I retired here, I wanted to make a difference.” It didn’t take long to find that calling. An avid bicyclist, Babel has become one of the island’s foremost advocates for bicycling safety and awareness. He founded an advocacy group with local bike shop owners, has been elected to a statewide cycling coalition and works with numerous local government agencies on bikerelated projects. But his vision continues to grow.

If you who grew up watching John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movies, some of your fondest memories are probably the final scene as the hero rides off into the sunset atop his horse. For those interested in trying horseback riding, don’t expect the same kind of grandeur, but instead, plenty of hard work, exercise and direction. The rewards, though, are even more satisfying than clearing a town full of bandits.

Many natives and visitors to Hilton Head Island, with its beautiful beaches and sea life, wouldn’t think of the Lowcountry as popular area for horseback riding. But numerous stables are available for both one-time visits and continuous lessons.

Lawton Stables, located within Sea Pines Plantation, offers hour-long Western style riding to the individual without previous riding experience. With some basic instructions, riders than take a tour through the trails in Sea Pines, cruising on a leisurely stroll atop their horses and taking in the scenery.