A GOOD FRIEND — USED TO RUN A golf community in Manatee County, and a couple career moves later, he’s running a an exclusive luxury community off Hilton Head, South Carolina. Did I mention it’s only accessible by private ferry and there are no cars on the island?
Usually when I go someplace new, I study and research it to a fault. I feel like I’ve been there already before I even pack! I tried doing the same thing for Haig Point, but even after reading all the articles, I still wasn’t grasping what it was. That was both confusing and exciting.
After landing in Savannah, Erin and I drove an hour to a private entrance that revealed—a big parking lot. But something unusual was happening on the far end: People were loading their suitcases on a jeep’s trailer, and the bags were being loaded onto a ferry at the end of a dock.
We boarded a two-story ferry and tried to blend in with the regulars that come and go all the time. Twenty-five minutes later, we were received by our friends at the Haig Point dock. We loaded our bags on our designated golf cart and followed our hosts to lunch. Quiet paved roads with beautiful homes spread out on either side. No commerce, no noise, nothing. The only way to get around—golf carts. Peaceful. This was all surreal. A “gated” country club community in the middle of nowhere!
After lunch in the clubhouse grill next to the golf shop, our hosts took us to a restored mansion that had actually been shipped here from the 5-star resort a couple hours south called “Sea Island” where, coincidentally, my family used to vacation when I was growing up.
Beautiful hard-wood floors, a bar, sitting areas and four large rooms upstairs. Our suite faced the water and we were able to go out the porch door in our room and sit on a private deck.
We changed our clothes and went over to the tennis courts. Before playing mixed doubles, we watched the Haig Point ladies team compete against a club that’s team had taken the boat in with us from Hilton Head. Half a dozen soft courts, a fully-stocked pro shop and work-out area—next to a heated pool.
After a fun work-out, guys versus the girls, we cleaned up and met for dinner at another facility on the island– a restaurant with a great view of the water and Sea Pines, South Carolina. We had a wonderful dinner—Erin had sea bass and I had fillet. After dinner, we stopped by a wedding reception to have a little more fun. Yes, call us wedding crashers—but it was worth it.
I woke up early the next morning and watched the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean. We went downstairs for a continental breakfast on the mansion’s first floor. Convenient.
We played tennis with another couple we met the day before and then had lunch in the grill again. Later in the day we took a water taxi across the river to Sea Pines where we had a great dinner of crab legs, french fries, cold beer, and ice cream for dessert. Decadent.
We boarded the ferry the next morning and returned to civilization. It was a nice break. A very nice break. – Ray Collins
