Conditions, challenge have improved at Island West Golf Club thanks to new management

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

BLUFFTON, S.C. - If you played Island West Golf Club a few years back, you may not be a big fan. It was considered by some to be too easy and there were occasional complaints the conditioning wasn't always the greatest.

But, the course is now under both new ownership and new management. The conditions and the challenge have improved. The South Carolina Golf Association has given it a new slope rating of 140, up from its previous 129.

Designers Clyde Johnston and Fuzzy Zoeller wanted to build a course that was as fun as possible (imagine that: Fuzzy Zoeller wanting to have fun) and it was just that when it opened in 1990.

The trick for a public, daily fee course is to make it fun without forcing the public, daily-fee player to gag on his 3-wood. Of course, fun is subjective, but for a 6,803-yard course with a relatively high slope rating of 140, Island West has done well.

There's that walloping 613-yard 16th hole, for instance. The par 5 has a wide landing area and mounded fairways, but there are also trees right and water left when you approach the green. It's nothing too tricky, just length and a lot of it. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but now we're talking fun.

Another par 5, the 527-yard fourth, has water both sides and it sidles over into the fairway toward the green, engulfing quite a few approach shots for those trying to reach in two.

"The par 5s out here are tough enough for me, especially that long one," said Thomas MacKenzie, a mid-handicapper from Ohio. "Yeah, I'd have to say this course has gotten better from the last time I played it."

The maintenance has improved as well. For example, the greens are in excellent shape at a time when other Hilton Head-area courses are struggling because of a hard winter and heavy spring rains.

"In this area, with the rain within a 24-to 48-hour period, if you're not on top of it, you can lose a green," said new Director of Golf Kevin Lavertu.

The Verdict

The first couple of holes at Island West parallel highway 278, making you think you're not exactly in for a pastoral experience, but soon the course curves away from the road and enters typical low country terrain-stands of old live oaks and deep marsh.

There are some homes around the course, but there are many holes with just you and your thoughts. It's a pleasant surprise. The developers plan about 100 more homes, but that will complete the building, since the rest of the land that can't be developed.

Some of the roads aren't yet finished, so you're driving through some minor construction. Also, the developers are adding some water - the better to sell "lakefront" lots-and some of that will come into play on the course.

Island West also throws a variety of looks at you, from close, tree-lined fairways to other sections that open up nicely. Many of the trees are planted far apart in the rough, making it easy to retrieve your ball, while other sections-that undevelopable land-make it impossible. Choose your risks accordingly.

"It's pretty quiet," Lavertu said. "It's not just wide open, it's got a little bit of everything. As with most golf courses, there is a premium on driving accuracy because a lot of that undevelopable land, your ball is gone."

Places to Stay

There are a number of lodging options in and around Hilton Head, including the Crown Plaza Beach Resort, which is on the south side of the island, with easy access to the area's golf courses. The resort is located on 11 acres inside Shipyard Plantation.

The Shipyard Golf Club, a 27-hole facility, has hosted PGA Senior Tour events in the past, and there are more than 30 courses in the surrounding area.

Hilton Head is also a tennis hotspot and the Van der Meer Tennis Center/Shipyard Racquet Club is a couple of minutes away from the resort, with 23 courts on three surfaces. The 11-mile beach itself is a good one-it was voted in the top 10 of beaches in the country by the Travel Channel.

The resort offers boogie boards, sailboats, floats, catamarans, water bikes and beach tricycles. It has a fitness center with saunas, whirlpool and an indoor swimming pool as well as an outdoor pool and wading pool.

Crown Plaza has 340 rooms, including nine suites, all with high-speed Internet access available for a charge, as well as private balconies. The resort is housed in a five-story single building with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Places to eat

The island has a wide array of restaurants, more than 250, in just about every conceivable style, from French, German and Italian, to Caribbean, Thai and Mexican.

Crown Plaza has Brella's Café, with inside dining or its outside terrace, and serves salads, sandwiches and fresh seafood. It has a Sunday brunch.

Portz specializes in Mediterranean food. The resort also has Docker's, a poolside bar and Signal's Lounge, with a large dance floor.

Fast Fact

The course hosts between 32,000-36,000 rounds annually, and is now offering $39 and $29 morning and afternoon specials. Green fees are normally $35-$65 depending on the season and time of day.

June 27, 2005

Veteran golf writer Tim McDonald keeps one eye on the PGA Tour and another watching golf vacation hotspots and letting travelers in on the best place to vacation.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.