Seasonal Visitors Find Activities Aplenty During Winter Months at Hilton Head's Palmetto Dunes



While winter may slow down most of the country, visitors to Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head, S.C., can stay active no matter the time of year. With daytime temperatures averaging between 50-60 degrees during the winter, the resort offers everything from fishing and kayaking to tennis and golf for the snowbird or the family on holiday break -- all at seasonal rates. 

The following packages and activities are available at the resort throughout the winter season:

 

Five Ways to Better Golf 
Winter is an ideal time to improve your golf game and thePalmetto Dunes Golf Academy is offering a new “Five Ways to Better Golf” assessment and coaching package. Led by Doug Weaver, Palmetto Dunes’ director of golf instruction, and Canadian-born golf pro Michel Dion, guests receive a comprehensive assessment ($295) of the following five systems of their golf game: mental, full swing technical, short game technical, equipment and fitness.

After the assessment, players develop the five areas of golf that lower their score via a coaching package. Choose between Coaching Level I ($495 per student) and Coaching Level II ($990 per student). Each level offers a mental golf workshop, range passes, club fitting session, golf and exercise instruction manual, video copy of the lesson and free entry into a short game tournament. Also offered at varying levels, depending on the coaching package, are private coaching sessions and supervised group practice sessions. The package is available Nov. 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012. 

“After 19 years as a golf instructor and 28 years as a competitive professional golfer, this coaching package is a tested and proven method of developing golfers to reach their personal goals for golf,” Weaver says.

Golf for Canadians by Canadians
Canadians headed south for the winter months may enjoy the instruction of Canadian-born, French-speaking golf pro Michel Dion. Born in Granby, Quebec, Dion was a goalie in the NHL who later pursued his love of golf. He studied under David Leadbetter and caddied for Weaver in several professional events, including the 1993 U.S. Open. 

Unlimited Biking, Kayaking and Canoeing
Throughout the winter months, Hilton Head Outfitters offers unlimited use of a bicycle for one month for $49 per person and 25% off the purchase price of a bicycle. Guests can also purchase a membership for the Kayak and Canoe Club for $300 per couple or $199 per person, and enjoy one year of unlimited use of the watercraft. 

 

Plentiful Winter Fishing & Charters
Capt. Trent Malphrus with Palmetto Lagoon Charters says winter is the best time to fish, as red fish (up to 12 pounds), speckled sea trout (up to 3 pounds) and sheephead (up to 5 pounds) are plentiful. 

“Also, in the winter, when all the phytoplankton, zooplankton and algae die off, our water gets crystal clear like the Bahamas. This allows us to sight-fish in the creeks, rivers and lagoons,” Malphrus says. 

There are a variety of fishing and charter operations out of Shelter Cove Marina, including Malphrus’ spin and fly fishing charters. In addition to daytime half- and full-day trips, he also offers a nighttime charter to catch speckled trout. “Fishing’s on fire right now,” he says. “It’s as hot as it gets.” 

Monthly Tennis Membership
Tennis players can take advantage of a monthly tennis membership at the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, which is only offered November through February and provides a significant savings. For $200 per person per month, members receive two hours of court time per day and can reserve their court time 24 hours in advance. 

In addition, tennis lessons for adults run year-round, and junior lessons will be available during the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Monthly Stay & Sports Membership
Get 30-nights of resort accommodations plus unlimited golf on the resort’s three courses, along with complimentary bike rental, two two-hour kayak rentals, two hours of court time per day at the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, as well as preferred rates and priority access to all resort activities and amenities. Rates begin at $1,200 per person and customized packages are available.

For more information about any of Palmetto Dunes’ wintertime offerings, please visit www.palmettodunes.com or call 877-567-6513. 

About Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is a more than 2,000-acre resort destination located in the middle of Hilton Head Island, S.C., bounded by 3 miles of Atlantic Ocean beach on one side and a sheltered Intracoastal Waterway marina on the other. The resort features three world-class golf courses, an award-winning tennis center, an 11-mile inland salt-water lagoon system for kayaking and fishing, the Mediterranean-style Shelter Cove Harbour deep-water marina with shopping and dining, and an outdoor adventure center for bike rentals, canoes, kayaks, fishing and much more. The marina is also home to a wide variety of charters, including nature cruises, dolphin tours, sport crabbing and fishing. For information about activities or reservations, please call 877-567-6513 or visit www.palmettodunes.com.

About Greenwood Communities & Resorts
Based in Greenwood, S.C., Greenwood Communities & Resorts has been a leader in the creation and management of award-winning residential and resort communities in the southeastern United States since 1978. Beginning with the award-winning Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C., and now including communities like The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Big Canoe near Atlanta and The Ponds in Charleston, Greenwood’s mission has always been to create memorable places that foster meaningful and fulfilling lives. For more information, please call 843-785-1106 or visit www.greenwoodcr.com.

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