The Best Golf Courses in the Carolina Lowcountry (Ranked)

1. 1

   The Ocean Course (Kiawah Island)

   Kiawah · Bucket-list

   Pete Dye’s windswept oceanfront monster — host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, with more seaside holes than any course in the Northern Hemisphere. Brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable. Take a caddie and the right tees.

2. 2

   Harbour Town Golf Links (Hilton Head)

   Hilton Head · Iconic

   Pete Dye’s strategic, intimate masterpiece with Jack Nicklaus, home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage and its lighthouse-framed 18th. Tight, tree-lined, and demanding precision over power — a complete contrast to the Ocean Course.

3. 3

   Turtle Point (Kiawah Island)

   Kiawah · Nicklaus oceanfront

   A Jack Nicklaus design with three holes running along the beach — the best of Kiawah’s excellent supporting cast, and a friendlier complement to the Ocean Course.

4. 4

   Atlantic Dunes (Hilton Head, Sea Pines)

   Hilton Head · Modern Lowcountry

   A Davis Love III redesign at Sea Pines, low-country and links-influenced, with marsh and maritime forest. A strong second round when you’re basing for Harbour Town.

5. 5

   Osprey Point (Kiawah Island)

   Kiawah · Tom Fazio

   A Tom Fazio design winding through lagoons, live oaks, and marsh — beautifully playable and a group-pleaser. Among the best of Kiawah’s resort courses.

6. 6

   Wild Dunes — Links Course (Charleston / Isle of Palms)

   Charleston · Oceanfront Fazio

   Tom Fazio’s first solo design, with a famous oceanfront closing stretch on the Isle of Palms near Charleston. A scenic, fun round if you’re basing in the Charleston area.

7. 7

   The Plantation Course at Sea Pines (Hilton Head)

   Hilton Head · Classic resort

   Heron Point and the broader Sea Pines courses round out Hilton Head with classic, walkable Lowcountry golf — easy to fold into a Harbour Town–based trip.

The Lowcountry’s two headline courses — the Ocean Course and Harbour Town — are about two hours apart, so this ranking spans the whole region. Weigh it by your base: a Kiawah/Charleston trip or a Hilton Head trip, each with an excellent supporting cast around the marquee round.

How to sequence them

Kiawah / Charleston base: open on Osprey Point or Turtle Point to warm up, make the Ocean Course (with a caddie) your centerpiece, add Wild Dunes near Charleston, and keep evenings for the city’s restaurants.

Hilton Head base: play Atlantic Dunes and the Sea Pines courses, make Harbour Town your marquee round, and enjoy the island’s beaches and dining between rounds.

A word on cost

The Ocean Course and Harbour Town are premium, bucket-list green fees (and the Ocean Course is best as a resort guest); the supporting courses are more moderate. That range is why we build each trip backwards from your budget — spending on the marquee round and finding value around it.

Want the Ocean Course or Harbour Town locked, with the rest dialed in? Tell us about your group.

Frequently asked

What is the best golf course in the Carolina Lowcountry?

Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course (Pete Dye) is the marquee — a Ryder Cup and two-time PGA Championship host and one of the most dramatic oceanfront courses in the world. Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the RBC Heritage, is the other bucket-list round.

Can you play the Ocean Course at Kiawah without staying at the resort?

Tee times are easiest and most reliable for Kiawah Island Golf Resort guests, and the green fee is premium. We handle securing the Ocean Course and pairing it with a resort stay.

Should we golf at Kiawah or Hilton Head?

Kiawah (with Charleston nearby) is best for the Ocean Course and a world-class food city; Hilton Head is best for Harbour Town and a self-contained resort-island feel. They’re about two hours apart, so most groups pick one for a long weekend.