Sea Pines Resort – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
In 1956, just five short years after electricity was introduced to Hilton Head Island, Charles Fraser purchased land on the southwestern tip of the island to develop the community now known as Sea Pines Plantation. Sea Pines, the first of Hilton Head’s plantation communities, covers more than 5,000 acres of a thriving natural environment reminiscent of Eden and offers more than five miles of beautiful public access beaches.
Real Estate Information – Houses, Condos, Lots
In 1958, the first deed to a Sea Pines Plantation lot was signed, and within four years, beachfront prices grew nearly 50%. Examining the current real estate market for new land, homes, villas, and condominiums, it’s easy to see why prices have continued to grow so dramatically. From quaint little cabins to sprawling mansions, the Sea Pines Plantation community contains everything you could want when looking to invest in a home. Numerous one to five bedroom homes are available, from $450,000 to over $8,000,000.
Starting at just $300,000, a small fee considering the location, whether renting or buying is reasonable. Potential buyers can choose from one- to four-bedroom villas and condos for sale with as many view options as full-size homes, and options for potential renters include vacation rentals surrounding Harbor Town Village. Prices hover around $2 million, making Sea Pines Plantation villas and condos very affordable year-round or vacation homes.
Waterfront lots can cost upwards of $6 million, but a lot with a patio can be as little as $295k. Homesites with golf course or lagoon views often sell for more than $1 million. There are currently four beachfront lots with different price tags, but the number of lots for sale is always subject to change.
Sea Pines installed Hilton Head Island’s first security gates in 1967 and remains secure to this day with two 24-hour security entry facilities on site. Security personnel also patrol the streets of the plantation and can (and do) issue citations to fine offenders for breaking plantation rules. Deputies from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department provide additional protection.
Sea Pines Resort Features
Harbor Town Village and Marina was designed after small French and Italian ports and developed for privacy and ambience. This Mediterranean-influenced hub offers independently owned and operated clothing/jewelry boutiques, craft shops, restaurants, live music entertainment, and all the water sports available. Harbor Town has a park and tree house for children, as well as a nature center. The Gregg Russell Playground, named for Harbor Town’s entertainer for 25 years in a row, is located right next to Liberty Oak. The picturesque town center of Sea Pines also offers a free trolley that runs daily, with varying hours of operation throughout the year between Harbor Town, South Beach Village and Turtle Lane Beach Club.
Consider owning a ‘dockominium’ at the yacht club: it’s like a condo on the water, but your land is your boat. The many amenities available at Yacht Basin include unique shops, restaurants, and a grocery store, all in the same complex. Concerts and other entertainment are frequently held at the nearby golf course where Harbor Town Golf Links sponsors tournaments including the Verizon Heritage each year.
The second marina at Sea Pines Resort is modeled after New England fishing villages and is located on the southern tip of Hilton Head Island. Nature tours, dolphin tours, kayaking, and parasailing are just a few of the activities available near The Salty Dog Café headquarters. For lodging, the colorful South Beach Inn is located nearby on the southern tip of the island and organizes weekly and nightly rates.
Marine Pines Activities
Sea Pines contains the island’s first golf course, the George Cobb-designed Ocean Course, which was built in 1959. Restructured by Mike McCumber in September 1995, the highlight of the Ocean Course is its 15th hole with a panoramic view of the ocean. .
George Cobb also designed the 1967 Sea Marsh Course. Remodeled by Clyde Johnson in 1990, the Sea Marsh Course, like the Ocean Course, is known not only for its age and elegance, but also for becoming a Certified Cooperative Sanctuary of Audubon. Watch out for the 13th hole; it spans 163 yards.
Harbor Town Golf Links, developed in 1970 by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus, is and has been the home of the PGA’s Verizon Heritage Classic since 1969, when Arnold Palmer first won it. Among the many features of this famous course is its photogenic 18th hole, with the Harbor Town Lighthouse in the background. Known for its design excellence and playing potential, the par 71 Harbor Town Golf Links has been ranked among the best golf courses in the country by multiple magazines since 1971.
The Sea Pines Racquet Club, run by the world-renowned trainer and champion of the US Open World Invitational and Stan Smith Invitational, among others. The club has 23 clay courts and offers private and semi-private classes.
When Charles Fraser began developing Sea Pines in the early 1950s, he focused on keeping the island’s abundance of natural beauty as intact as possible. To this day, the Sea Pines Forest Reserve covers approximately 605 acres, home to diverse flora and fauna, including more than 200 species of creatures, as well as lagoons and marshes. Here you’ll find a wildflower meadow, a thousand-foot-long boardwalk, the low ropes team building course, and miles of bike and walking trails. Even fishing is allowed, albeit with the correct permit.
Are you a fan of history? Sea Pines Plantation Forest Preserve has its share of historic landmarks. The 4,000-year-old Indian Shell Ring, for example, is believed to have been built around 1450 BC. C. A circle of shells and bones stacked several feet high, it is one of only twenty rings of shells still in existence. It is also believed that those responsible for its assembly invented pottery here in North America.
The Stoney-Baynard Ruins, once an 18th-century plantation home, are now open for tours. The property is covered with oyster shells and its architecture includes porthole-shaped windows.
Lawton Stables is home to more than 50 American Saddlebred horses, a breed bred by crossing the Narragansett Pacer, Thoroughbred, and Morgan bloodlines to develop beautiful, good-tempered animals now often used for shows. Lawton Stables offers, at affordable prices, not only English riding lessons for residents and visitors, but also children’s pony rides and guided tours through the fantastic Sea Pines Nature Reserve.
Bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Calibogue Sound to the west, this picturesque and sprawling community is ideal for vacationers and residents alike. Villas, condos, homes and lots available in Sea Pines to build that dream home abound in this huge complex waiting for the perfect family to enjoy the many amenities on offer.