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Communities surrounding Hilton Head rental houses many families who work and play on the island. Just over the bridge are many neighborhoods with quiet pastoral settings removed from the resort happenings of island life. Historical Rose Hill is one such community, convenient to a number of towns and only six miles from Hilton Head Rental Homes, in neighboring Bluffton. Filled with 2,000 lush acres flanking the wide Colleton River, Rose Hill features a renowned Equestrian Center and polo field, home to annual polo matches and tournaments which are open to the public. Rose Hill residents enjoy various maritime pleasures such as crabbing and fishing in addition to its horseback riding. The sport of golf is also enjoyed at Rose Hill Country Club's 27-hole challenging course, rounding out the vast amenities of this off-island community. Rose Hill shelters some of the most stately southern homes within the lowcountry, some overlooking golden marshlands or nestled beside untouched pine forests. Its namesake residence, the Rose Hill mansion, is a splendidly restored Gothic Revival antebellum home with a history all its own. Ambling along the salt marshes and tidewaters of Port Royal Basin is one of the lowcountry's newest communities, Belfair. A private club lifestyle with a convenient mainland location only five miles from the bridge to Hilton Head Beach Rental Houses on Highway 278, Belfair's title dates back to the early 19th century. The land was purchased in 1811 by William Telfair of Savannah as his country estate. The first plantation home was built on what is now called Belfair Island (the 17th hole of the Fazio course within the plantation). His wife's maiden name, Bellenger and his name, Telfair, were combined to create Belfair. In addition to the two 18-hole championship golf courses, Belfair has a state-of-the-art Golf Learning Center, an expansive 30,000 square foot clubhouse, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a health and fitness center and tennis club. Throughout the ecologically rich 1,028-acre community are winding nature trails for hiking, bird watching and bicycling. A chain of natural lakes spanning 42-acres provides the perfect setting for boating and fishing. Yet another off-island haven for residential relaxation in the distinctive lowcountry landscape is Colleton River Plantation, a community of 700 acres etched beside the Colleton River and bordering the South Carolina Nature Preserve. Just two miles from the bridge beyond Hilton Head, Colleton River Plantation offers only 395 single family homesites with views of the salt water marshes, golf course and the Colleton River. Exclusive club amenities are conferred to its residents including excellent recreational facilities in a generous ratio to the number of members. There is a magnificent Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a nine hole, par-3 course reminiscent of Augusta National, and a tennis and swim club. The social focal point of the community is a grand Charlestonian Clubhouse overlooking the four finishing holes of the Nicklaus course and the sunsets that melt into the Colleton River. Shaded by towering oaks near the base of the bridge is the residential community of Moss Creek. Known as one of Hilton Head's premier golfing communities with two championship Tom Fazio courses, Moss Creek caters exclusively to owners and their guests. All property owners are provided with an equity position in the community's amenities. Golf enthusiasts at Moss Creek revel in the low ratio of members to available tee times, which average a sparse 120 members per course. Property owners of this 1,068 acre residential enclave enjoy the variety of leisure and recreational pursuits in the Plantation: power boating, sailing, tennis, biking, swimming, walking, fishing, bridge, and social events. All behind the private gates of Moss Creek where residents thrive in this secluded country atmosphere. In this growing area, five major Hilton Head shopping centers and an abundance of fine restaurants are within just a few minutes of the bridge to the mainland, with Savannah's proximity as another advantage. For those seeking an even more secluded and peaceful pace for everyday, there is the island of Daufuskie, seen across the Calibogue Sound from Harbour Town. Its shores are reached by boat or ferry, and once reached, there is the nostalgic sense of a time long ago, far from the trappings of the modern world. Though it has given a barely imperceptible nod to the world of progress, for generations the island's only inhabitants were its native people in which "Gullah" traditions and dialect flourished, a language blending the African cultures and spoken word with other influences to emerge unique. Since its earlier days, Daufuskie Island has developed at a very controlled pace, intent on maintaining the confluence of history and the native culture of its origins. Three private developments - which share the goal of incorporating Daufuskie's character and natural beauty - were built on the island. Only one nautical mile from the shores of Hilton Head is the peaceful community of Haig Point situated on the north end of Daufuskie. Its name is derived from a fortune hunting trader named George Haig I, a Scottish merchant in Charleston who also traded among the Catawba Indians and was sold the northern point of the island in the 1600s, then calling it Haig's Point. Now a private coastal community, Haig Point is complete with graceful homes, picturesque golf cottages, composition clay tennis courts, croquet, riding stables, a beach club, a beautiful antebellum-style clubhouse and a championship Rees Jones twenty-nine hole golf course. The Daufuskie Island Club & Resort is a luxurious club with overnight accommodations for its members at the elegant oceanfront Inn or one of the many Beach Cottages. Fine dining is standard fare here, either at the formal Inn dining room or the more relaxed Golf Club Grill and open-air Beach Club. A spectacular Nicklaus course challenges members, with the finishing holes parallel to the Atlantic. A Stan Smith-designed Tennis Center is also part of this resort as is the equestrian center and the Sportsman's Lodge for relaxing with billiards, darts or board games. Also a part of the Daufuskie Island Club & Resort is Bloody Point, situated on the southernmost tip of the island. Named for its long ago skirmish between Yemassee Indians, who would raid unguarded plantations along the Carolina coast, and English scouts, who set out to protect the plantations by policing the waters. The English fired upon the Indians, killing about 30, which stained the beach red with their blood. Hilton Head Rental Houses Though resurrected from tragic beginnings, the Bloody Point of today is rated among the finest golf clubs in the South. The resort's alluring seaside setting encompasses two miles of beach and an untouched shoreline. On Daufuskie, transportation remains limited to horseback and golf carts, both suited to the more relaxed pace of life there, continuing to reflect the simple beauty of nature. |
