Remote Fripp Island offers spectacular seaside golf courses, Lowcountry wildlife

Though home to two world-class oceanfront golf courses on a spectacular barrier island in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Fripp Island remains a somewhat remote retreat, an ideal spot to relax, rewind and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

While there, the only concern for many golfers is not hitting one of many deer who gather in the landing areas of some of the fairways. Well, that, and not getting too close to Sherman “The Tank,” a 12-foot alligator that patrols the 16^th fairway on the Ocean Point course. A wide assortment of birds make their home on the island.

Golfers and vacationers rarely just stumble onto Fripp – the island is a destination. Accessed by a bridge at the eastern tip of two-lane U.S. 21, the resort island is 20 miles from bustling Beaufort and more than an hour’s drive from even busier Hilton Head Island.

The resort island’s special beauty has been featured in scenes in movies The Prince of Tides, Forrest Gump and The Jungle Book.

Once on the island, visitors are typically greeted first by packs of deer as they head for their housing in a small, palmetto-lined community, where many of the short jaunts to courses, restaurants and amenities are made by luxury golf cart.

Fripp has beautiful beaches, but golf is the foremost attraction. With 36 holes open only to property owners and resort guests, open tee times are not a problem. Winter is a good season with overseeded tees and fairways and temperatures typically rising into the 60s.

The classic George Cobb-designed Ocean Point features four holes along the Atlantic Ocean, including an exhilarating finish along the beach.

For visitors, golf fees are significantly lower than the going rate at top resort courses in Hilton Head.

The newer Ocean Creek course, designed by Davis Love III, also provides a challenging, but fun test, weaving through pristine wetlands with its own ocean views.

Though lagoons and saltwater marsh must be carried or avoided on many holes, most of the landing areas are generous.

Strong ocean breezes often have a significant effect on strategy and club selection. 

“That’s the major defense of the course,” Fripp Island pro Joe Wohlscheid said of the whipping winds. “If you can hit the fairways, you can definitely score.”

Ocean Point, originally opened in 1964, received a $7-million modernization from Dye Designs Group in 2024 following the resort’s purchase by Seascape Hospitality Group the previous year.

More than 50 bunkers were reshaped, 11 greenside bunkers, several fairway bunkers and 5.5 acres of waste area was added, increasing the course’s links feel. The new cart paths are made of crushed shells, limiting harsh kicks resulting from off-target shots.

Despite the breezes, sand, water and waste, Ocean Point isn’t overly intimidating on most of the tees. The approaches, though, often require navigating the conditions to hit moderate-size, Paspalum greens that roll moderately fast.

Most greens can be accessed in the front via putter from several yards off the surfaces. The collars are tightly cropped.

Stretching to a modest 6,500 yards from the back tees, the course’s teeth are evident in its 74.0 rating and 141 slope. With four other tees beginning at 4,065 yards, the course is playable beginners and high-handicappers. 

Short par-5s, the longest is only 502 yards from the tips, skew the Ocean Point yardage totals. Three par-4s measure at least 425 yards. The par-3s also must traverse hazards – none are less than 178 yards. In the winter, the 186-yard No. 2 requires a crisp shot hit typically hit into a stiff wind.

The Atlantic comes into play first on No. 9, running along the right side of dogleg left par-4 while a lagoon and waste area protect the dogleg.

The layout returns to the ocean on the left at the par-3 15^th. The fairway on the par-5 16^th is frequently dotted by deer seemingly oblivious to the risk of getting hit with a golf ball. A local rule allows players to drop out of deer tracks in the bunkers.

Second shots hit near the waste area and lagoon on the left at 16 are particularly dangerous when Sherman, estimated to be between 30 and 50 years old, suns himself near the water.

At No. 18, the ocean hugs the left side of the rock-lined fairway with new native plants and grasses splashed with pot bunkers providing other hazards.

Ocean Creek, which dates to 1997, is a little more generous off five tees and at 6,400 yards measures 100 yards shorter than Ocean Point. But it’s no pushover from the tips with a 72.1 rating and 139 slope.

Panoramic views of saltwater marsh are offered on several holes. Lagoons and waste areas provide scenic obstacles. Wind is still a major factor, though the Paspalum targets are slightly larger than at Ocean Point.

Ocean Creek’s par-3s are fabulous, led by the 158-yard third hole over a lagoon it shares with No. 2.

Nos. 6, a par-3, and the par-4 seventh along Old House Creek are perhaps the signature holes. Eleven holes run along marsh or interior wetlands.

Though Ocean Point is perhaps more popular than Ocean Creek with guests, Wohlscheid said many members prefer the Love design.

“Ocean Creek is wider and definitely more fan-friendly, you could say,” Wohlscheid said. “The par-3s are really stout.”

Though hard to resist an opportunity to play 36 holes during even the shortest days of the year, skipping a round to enjoy other amenities can be tempting, especially after feeding a few errant shots to the gators.

A community with housing ranging from large luxury homes to tennis and golf villas and oceanfront condos, Fripp offers a variety of vacation rentals that include access to the amenities, including both golf courses.

Activities with facilities include boating, kayaking, crabbing, swimming (ocean and pools), horseback riding, tennis and pickleball. The resort also has a well-equipped fitness center.

Marina Deli and Market and Springtide Market, have basic food staples. Otherwise, the nearest supermarkets are at least 15 minutes away.

The island also has three main restaurants: Ocean Point Grille at the Ocean Point clubhouse; Bonito Boathouse (the specialty is seafood) at the island marina; and Cabana Club overlooking Skull Inlet.

Other beachside, poolside and outdoor options, including food trucks, are available during the summer season.

Several casual restaurants, many of them offering seafood, are within 10 minutes of Fripp. Easy places to visit include neighboring Hunting Island, South Carolina’s most popular state park.