During my last visit to Palmetto Dunes, I opted for a bicycle to get around the resort using its extensive web of dedicated bike paths, an option popular with many of its guests (though there's also a free on-call Dunes Buggy shuttle). 
My own route to the tennis courts took me through quiet tree-filled neigh-
borhood of houses, villas, golf fairways, and lagoons. Not until I'd ridden beyond a guard gate did I come upon anything resembling commercial enterprises, though even those consisted of little more than an unobtrusive General Store; a bike, canoe, and kayak rental shop; the odd restaurant; the tennis center; a golf clubhouse; and the entrance road to the Marriott, one of two hotels (the other a Hilton) tucked into this 2,000-acre resort. Only by then following the bike path north though a canopy of trees and then under William Hilton Parkway (Rte. 278) would I eventually leave behind the resort's leafy neighborhoods for the collection of shops, indoor and outdoor restaurants, and art galleries (and some marina-view villas) in the Mediterranean-inspired buildings that line Shelter Cove Harbour.
There are really two faces to Palmetto Dunes. The largest section, which extends from the beach to the parkway, contains most of the lodging as well as the tennis, three designer golf courses, and most of the other recreational amenities other than those associated with the marina. And if you don't opt to stay in a beachfront villa—which I did not on this latest trip—a bike is also a useful vehicle not only to reach the beach but to ride along it, since at low tide the extremely broad, hard-packed beach is an ideal natural bike path. You can, if you choose, ride on the beach for virtually the entire length of the island (rental bikes have fat tires suited to the hard sand). Beyond that, once you leave the resort there are some 50 miles of paved public bike paths that lace the island itself.
Over the last few years a subtle change has taken place at Palmetto Dunes to the benefit of its vacationers, tennis and otherwise. Greenwood Communities and Resorts, which owns the resort's recreational amenities, has also taken on a larger and larger share of the villa rentals. That has given them far more flexibility to offer a range of attractive packages that bundle lodging with whatever recreational activities you want as part of your holiday, whether that's tennis, golf, group outings, weddings, family reunions, or other celebrations. With a phone call or online request to a trip planner, you can arrange every detail of your vacation, including lodging in a villa or home at preferred rates.
Pro Shop: 843-785-1152 or 800-972-0257
The Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center caters to a mixture of groups
and vacationers. It consists of a main complex of 17 hard
and clay courts set in a landscape of pine trees and a satellite
facility, with 8 clay courts and broad decks, a five-minute
walk away. A spacious, 3,000-square-foot clapboard clubhouse
with a dark-green shingled roof anchors the main tennis complex.
Inside is a brightly-lit pro shop, showers for men and women, 
and
offices for the professional staff. The reception is extremely
friendly—these aren't kids behind the desk but adults.
All of them play tennis—many in fact are on teams—and
so they really do understand tennis players and their needs.
Extending out from one side of the clubhouse is a long, raised
wooden deck with a roof and views of courts to the right and
left. The courts have been laid out in pairs, with California
(angled) corners and a perimeter of trees and low shrubs.
Some have small, shingle-roofed courtside pavilions and chilled
water fountains.
Tennis Staff. Tennis director John Kerr played Division III tennis for Hiram College in Ohio and then taught at indoor clubs before coming to Hilton Head Island in 1986. Originally, he taught at Shipyard Plantation but moved over to Palmetto Dunes as head pro in 1990, taking over as director in 1996. He now heads a staff of 9 full-time pros, among them head pro Brian Kiggans, who had previously spent 15 years at South Beach Racquet Club in Sea Pines and Jackie Reynecke, who directs all the tournaments and works with Mary Jackson to coordinate group and package programs and the social activities. Kerr also has a stable of former pros he can call on to fill in when the resort gets very busy. "Those retired pros can really connect with the people," he says. "They are teachers, lawyers, dentists. We get older players telling us how nice it is for the pro not to say run, run, run."
Tennis Programs. One of Kerr's first acts was to re-craft the program. "When I first came to Palmetto Dunes the structure of the teaching programs was very confusing," he remembers. "So we tried to simplify the choices but still give a variety of options to players." Rather than offer tennis camps, Palmetto Dunes runs back-to-back group clinics and drills so that as a guest you can carpenter together a program day by day that could be as short as one hour or as long as 4½. And the junior programs coincide with the adult programs, so families can more easily come and go together.
Among the options are a 90-minute Grand Slam clinic (a series of fast-paced drills and ball machine workouts), a 90-minute Competitive Edge Doubles clinic, and a 90-minute Competitive Edge drill session—all scheduled to run one after the other and geared to intermediate-advanced players. Beginners and intermediates, meanwhile, can choose from less demanding 60-minute stroke-of-the-day, daily drill, and cardio tennis sessions, also scheduled back to back. Because of this thoughtful, modular schedule, those who want activity after activity can easily spend a whole morning and part of the afternoon on court. What's more, as a boon to parents, the junior clinics run at the same time as the adult clinics, so the whole family can come and go as a group. Beyond that the tennis center runs a daily round robin, supervised by a member of the staff, and former Finland No. 1 Tapi Hayrinen runs a set of Cardio tennis sessions, which I wrote about in the July 2010 newsletter. And from March to October there is a weekly exhibition and happy hour and a demo day and there are big tournament scheduled for various times throughout the year.
Stop by the pro shop, as I did, and you'll find an experienced staff who are at once friendly and very service conscious. Game matching remains a priority: if you give them 24 hours notice and book a court, they promise to have someone for you at that time. All in all, the center offers an excellent series of programs.
Courts & Fees. The Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center has 25 courts altogether: 17 courts at the Tennis Center proper (15 clay and 2 ProBounce, a cushioned hard surface), and another 8 clay courts a short walk away. Those at the Center fan out from a contemporary, 3,000-square-foot clubhouse. Palms, maples, pines and live oaks border the courts as do oleander and other low shrubbery. All of the courts have chilled water fountains though not all have shade. Eight courts have lights on a token system so people can play when they want just by showing up. Court fees: $25/hour.
Beach. Palmetto Dunes fronts three miles of beach. It tends to be most crowded near the center, where the two hotels are located, but you don't have to walk far to the east or west to have large expanses of sand all to yourself. And the farther you get from those hotels, the less obtrusive the architecture
Golf Courses. Palmetto Dunes itself has three designer golf courses, each named for its designer: Arthur Hills, George Fazio, and Robert Trent Jones. There are also a golf school.
Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course: Designed by Robert Trent Jones and renovated by his protege Roger Rulewich, this Par 72 course begins near the tennis center and flows east meandering around the system of lagoons before jogging down to the ocean at the Par 5 10th hole and then working its way back westward. 6,122-7,005 years.
George Fazio Golf Course: The most challenging of the three layouts, if not the most challenging course on Hilton Head Island, this Fazio course demands both accuracy and length. Bunkers and water hazards riddle several of its long par 4s. Par 70, 6,239-6,873 yards.
Arthur Hills: This Par-72 course can be played as short as 4,999 yards or as long as 6,651, but whichever tees are chosen, the Lowcountry course stands out for its topographic beauty, ocean breezes, and off-balance lies.
Spa & Fitness Center. The resort itself does not have a spa or fitness center; however, both of the hotels do.
And ... Palmetto Dunes 12 miles of lagoons afford opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, while the Shelter Cove Marina adds additional kayaking options as well as sailing cruises, fishing and boating charters, and dolphin tours.
There is much to appeal to kids at Palmetto Dunes—not only the beach, tennis, golf, and lagoons but also Harbour Fest, held every Tuesday festival from April into August at shelter Cove Harbour and consisting of live entertainment in the form of popular troubadour Shannon Taylor, street vendors, and fireworks (especially impressive over the harbor). During summer, Palmetto Dunes also organizes supervised children's programs for those ages 6 and up.
Lodging choices within the resort consist of two beachfront hotels and a large number of condominiums and homes in various locations, from beachfront to golf course to marsh.
Dining can be as simple as sandwiches, salads, and drinks at the casual beachfront Dunes House to Continental cuisine at the lagoonside Alexander's Restaurant or any of more than half a dozen places to eat at Shelter Cove Harbour, ranging from Frosty's Italian ices to Mexican fare at San Miguel's, seafood at Scott's Fish Market, or French bistro menu at Bistro 17.
Mar. 2-4, 2012: 29th Annual "Luck of the Irish" Doubles Tournament
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
A men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles tournament. The divisions: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and Open.
Apr. 27-29, 2012: 6th Annual Banana Open Junior Challenge
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Boys' and Girls' singles and doubles, novice and tournament level. Benefits the Charles P. Darby Children's Research Center at MUSC. Presented by Coligny Plaza and The Friends of The Children.
June 1-3, 2012: 33rd Annual Banana Open
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Men's and Women's Singles and Doubles. Presented by The Center for Health, Fitness & Sports Performance and Bodies in Balance.
Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2012: 4th Annual Tennis Fall Classic
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Men's and Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Presented by Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort.
Oct. 5-7, 2012: 27th Annual Banana Open Challenge (closed)
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Men's and Women's singles, doubles, and mixed open only to those who have played in another local Banana tournament.
Nov. 2-4, 2012: 18th Annual Wild Wing Cafe Nutty Buddy Classic
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Sponsored by Wild Wing Cafe, this is a fun men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles.
Nov. 16-18, 2012: David M. Carmines Memorial Tennis Championship
www.palmettodunes.com/hilton-head-tennis-tournaments.php Phone: 843-785-1152
Men's and women's singles, doubles, and Combo Mixed and Junior sanctioned age divisions.
If you're looking for something similar to Palmetto Dunes, check out:
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
Palmetto Dunes has 1-to-4-bedroom villas, all with kitchens, and homes as large as eight bedrooms. These occupy various locations throughout the resort, including oceanfront, golf course, and the harbor. As a guest of Palmetto Dunes, you receive one hour of free daily court time per bedroom, per night up to 4 hours/day. There is a three-night minimum at selected times of the year.
Hilton Head Marriott Beach & Golf Resort
A 10-story hotel with 512 rooms and suites.
Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort
All 323 units have kitchenettes
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. By Air: Palmetto Dunes is 45 miles from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) in Georgia and 95 miles from Charleston International Airport (CHS). Major airlines serve both of those gateways. It is also possible to fly directly to Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH), on commuter service from US Airways Express, via Charlotte, NC. Rental cars and shuttles are available at all three airports.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau website or contact them at 1 Chamber Dr., P.O. Box 5647, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938; 843-785-3673 or toll-free 800-523-3373.
