The hardest decision at Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort might come after the final putt. Head for a seafood dinner overlooking the marsh? Trade golf shoes for sandals and claim an oceanfront lounge chair? Or get everyone aboard a sunset cruise and let the Lowcountry provide the evening’s entertainment?
For golfers who want their vacation to keep delivering after the scorecard is signed, Fripp makes a compelling case. Tucked along South Carolina’s coast between Charleston and Hilton Head Island, near historic Beaufort, this private, gated barrier island combines two 18-hole courses with beaches, wildlife, and the pleasures of slowing down.
Its appeal lies in a particular kind of luxury: space to reconnect. Vacation homes and villas set the tone, golf carts become part of the daily routine, and the beach stretches for more than three miles. This is the spirit of “hushpitality”—privacy, immersion in nature, and time that feels like your own.
Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort Delivers Two Distinctive Rounds
A great golf getaway needs variety, and Fripp supplies it through two contrasting interpretations of coastal golf.
Ocean Point Golf Links brings the Atlantic into the conversation. Originally designed by George Cobb, the par-72 course sits at the island’s northern end, where ocean and inlet scenery meet the challenge of coastal wind. Five sets of tees, including Wee-Links tees, help accommodate different abilities. Its major Dye Designs Group renovation, unveiled in October 2024, gives returning golfers a fresh reason to visit.
The changes go well beyond a cosmetic refresh. The resort reports 53 reshaped and rebuilt bunkers, 5.5 acres of added waste areas, and more than 13,000 native plants. Limestone cart paths and native dunes reinforce the seaside setting. For the golfer standing over an approach, the result is an especially appealing combination: strategic decisions framed by a landscape that looks unmistakably coastal.
Ocean Point’s transformation is part of a broader investment in Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort. After acquiring the resort in early 2023, Seascape Hospitality Group earmarked $2 million of an initial $7 million renovation investment for the course. The work opened ocean views and restored sightlines, with the island’s wind-shaped dunes and native grasses inspiring the design. For visiting golfers, those changes make the coastal setting an even more memorable part of the round.
Ocean Creek changes the mood. Designed by Davis Love III and Paul Cowley and opened in 1995, this par-71 layout moves through salt marshes, freshwater lagoons, and rolling dune ridges. Broad fairways and large greens look inviting, but wetlands make accuracy matter. The sixth and seventh holes showcase Old House Creek and the surrounding marsh; across the course, five holes border marshland and six incorporate interior wetlands.
Play both, and the trip gains a satisfying rhythm: ocean exposure one day, marshland strategy the next. Leave room to practice, too. Ocean Creek offers a driving range, putting green, and practice bunker, while Ocean Point has an irons-only range and putting green. Families can also share an afternoon round through the resort’s Kids Play Free program, which currently allows children 12 and younger to play free after 3 p.m. with a paying adult.
Dining With a Lowcountry View
The best post-round table is one where nobody feels rushed to leave.
At the marina, Bonito Boathouse pairs casual dining with marsh views and sunsets. Fried shrimp, loaded island nachos, and a double smash burger reward appetites sharpened by golf or a day on the water. Settle in with the family or make it an easygoing dinner for two, with the Lowcountry scenery providing plenty of reason to linger.
OP Bar & Grille keeps golfers fueled with daytime service and dinner on selected evenings. For an afternoon by the pool, Cabana Club Grille and Willie’s Wet Bar put lunch and a refreshing drink within easy reach of your lounge chair. Island Bites, the Marina Deli, and Springtide Market, Liquor & Deli round out the options for quick bites and provisions between island adventures.
Even supper can be a casual outdoor gathering. The High Tide Pizza Truck, Surfside Sizzle Burger Truck, and Fripp Dipper Ice Cream Truck serve up vacation favorites that make feeding several generations delightfully simple. Share pizza, debate the day’s best golf shot over burgers, and finish with ice cream.
Beyond the Fairways: Beaches, Marshes, and a Sunset Cruise
Fripp’s natural setting deserves a place on the itinerary equal to its golf.
Save some energy after the eighteenth hole. At Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort, 3½ miles of Atlantic coastline invite long beach walks, barefoot afternoons, and refreshing dips. For those whose competitive streak follows them off the course, 12 pickleball courts and six tennis courts offer another chance to settle a friendly rivalry.
The surrounding waterways reveal another side of island life. Kayaking and paddleboarding through tidal creeks and salt marshes bring the Lowcountry into intimate focus, from the movement of marsh grass to coastal birds along the water’s edge. Guided paddling excursions offer opportunities to explore these habitats, while boat rentals and inshore and deep-sea fishing charters extend the adventure beyond the shoreline.
To fully appreciate Fripp Island’s beauty, make the Big Fripper Sunset Cruise an essential part of your escape. From the water, the island takes on a different dimension: broad coastal views, marsh-lined shores, and an evening sky that rewards your undivided attention. As the sun drops and the light warms, the scenery that framed your day on the fairways becomes the main attraction. Dolphins sometimes make an appearance, adding a moment of spontaneous excitement to the evening.
Golden skies, coastal breezes, and a front-row seat to Fripp Island’s beauty aboard the Sunset Cruise.
This is an outing worth gathering everyone for. After a day of golf, swimming, and exploring, the cruise brings generations together for one shared experience of the island at its most atmospheric. Let the conversation pause, feel the breeze, and watch the changing light across the water. Long after individual golf shots have faded from memory, this may be the scene that brings you back to Fripp.
The exploration continues on horseback at nearby Camelot Farms Equestrian Center on Saint Helena Island. Its Coastline Ride follows the shores of Saint Helena Sound, offering a memorable perspective on the Lowcountry. Pony rides and riding lessons give younger travelers and aspiring equestrians their own introduction to the adventure. Between the beach, the marsh, and the saddle, a day away from golf can become a highlight of the trip
Come for the Golf. Find Your Fripp.
Two distinctive courses make Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort worth the trip. What happens between rounds makes it worth staying longer: a paddle through the marsh, an afternoon on the beach, and a sunset cruise that brings everyone together.
For a golf getaway with friends or a vacation spanning generations, Fripp leaves room for everyone’s idea of a great day. Chase a birdie in the morning, follow the island’s slower rhythm in the afternoon, and share the stories over dinner. Just leave room in your plans for one more round—and one more sunset.
Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort
Photos courtsey of Fripp Island Golf & Beach Resort
