PORT ROYAL PLANTATION

Historic Port Royal Plantation is Hilton Head Island’s only private oceanfront residential community. Located where Port Royal Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean, it was here that Captain William Hilton landed in 1663 and where Union troops came ashore in 1861. Landmarks can be found throughout the plantation dating back to the Civil War.

While residents of Port Royal share their plantation with numerous resort guests, there is a distinct separation between resort and residential areas. Many amenities are available for residents-only use. Beach access to over four miles of beautiful beach is available through private beach walks and via the Residents Club, which also features a full range of amenities as described below. For nature lovers, there is an arboretum, consisting of nature paths and identified native plants. Port Royal has 54 holes of championship golf, 16 tennis courts and two championship croquet courses. While club memberships in the Golf Club and Racquet Club are available, they are also open to the public.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Port Royal maintains a dual personality - and two distinct communities. A security gate at the entrance to the residential section separates owners from resort guests. Amenities are designed to protect the privacy of the property owners, while providing visitors with selective use. The plantation encompasses over 1250 acres and more than 800 single-family homes with views of the golf course, deep woods or Port Royal Sound. On the visitor side of the gate, there are approximately 2,000 villas available for rent as well as the plantation’s resident resort, The Westin.

THE RESIDENTS CLUB

The Residents Club also features tennis facilities, an Olympic- size outdoor pool, a children’s pool, and locker rooms - for use by residents only. An indoor facility is also available for residents use for private parties and other social gatherings.

THE WESTIN RESORT

Located just outside the security gate into the residential section of Port Royal, the high-quality Westin Resort offers swimming pools, a fitness facility, two restaurants and conference facilities.

PORT ROYAL CLUBHOUSE

The Port Royal Clubhouse is open to the public and is home to community social events. Conference facilities, gourmet dining and Bayley’s, a smaller pub-style restaurant are available.

TENNIS

The Port Royal Racquet Club features 16 courts and offers all three Grand Slam surfaces (grass, clay, and hard court). Four courts are private and eight are lighted. Tennis clinics are available.

GOLF

The Port Royal Golf Club features three, 18-hole Golf Courses: Barony, Planter’s Row and Robber’s Row. On a rotating basis, one of the three remains private.

Barony Course

This benign course offers an enjoyable challenge to all golfers. It has been a popular spot for almost 40 years and draws members and guests alike. Barony is relatively short at 6,500 yards from the back tees but course management is a necessity. While several holes offer birdie possibilities, the exacting placement of tee shots will determine a sub-par likelihood. Long and accurate players will feast on this course but unique design on several holes can cause havoc. This is not a course to be taken lightly and will afford a thought-provoking game for all skill levels.

Planter`s Row

The newest of the three courses at Port Royal Plantation is laid out in a park-like setting with several holes paralleling each other. While not extremely long, this course has plentiful trees, lagoons and bunkers to snare errant shots. This facility is tournament tested as the Senior PGA Tour has played here. One hole, the fifth, has two forced carries to reach this par 5 green. Careful placement of tee shots is essential and #18 is a classical example. It is a b par 5 that will end an enjoyable round.

Robber`s Row

Named for the villains that resided here during the Civil War era, this course was designed in 1962 by George Cobb and reconfigured by Pete Dye in the 1990`s. It is the longest of the Port Royal Plantation courses and offers a wide variety of golf hole designs. There is a regular sensation of "Go for it!" but wily players will manage their shots rather than seize the moment. The ninth hole, a par 4, is a masterpiece that demands judgment, precision and accuracy - plus a good putter. The closing holes are deceptive. While relatively short, the golfer must choose his shots carefully to ensure a b finish.