Wild Dunes Golf Resort Review

Wild Dunes Golf Resort on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, is a laid-back beach resort with two Tom Fazio courses, about a half hour from the Charleston airport. The Links Course was Fazio’s first solo design, and the Harbor Course followed a few years later. Our group played both, stayed on property and came away convinced it’s worth the trip, whether you’re planning a buddies weekend, a family vacation or a celebration.

Fazio is known for photogenic courses, with bold bunkering, careful landscaping and creative routing, and you can see where that started here. The rest of the resort has the same easygoing Southern hospitality: the beach, the Intracoastal Waterway, tennis, pools and restaurants, all close to one central hub. It isn’t on most bucket lists, but as an all-around golf and resort experience it delivers.

The resort and getting there

The resort covers about 1,600 acres with two 18-hole courses, two hotels, several restaurants, pools, tennis, pickleball, biking and the beach, so almost anything you’d want to do is on property or close by. Getting there is easy from most of the country. Our team flew in from Arizona and Minnesota and arrived just after the remnants of a hurricane passed through, and the courses were already in top shape.

Everything here feels like the South Carolina coast: the architecture, the waterways and the pace. It’s slow enough that you never feel rushed, with enough going on that everyone in a group finds something to do. The two courses sit close together even though their pro shops are a couple of miles apart, and steady upkeep and additions keep a resort that has been around for decades feeling fresh.

The Links Course

The Links Course is the resort’s signature layout, and its last three holes play along the ocean. Fazio got a lot out of flat land and marshland here, and there’s more up-and-down movement than you’d expect. Despite the name, it isn’t a true links. Many holes are tight and tree-lined, and the turf was in great shape but soft rather than firm and fast, so it plays like a parkland course that finishes on the water.

Our group ranged from a 2 to a 22 handicap, and everyone found it tough, with hazards, tricky greens and bunkers everywhere. Even in our second round there were a few holes nobody scored well on. They’re still fun, good-looking holes, and all Fazio.

The back nine is the stronger half. It heads out from the clubhouse at the turn, comes back after 13, then loops out to the ocean before a long ride back to the pro shop. The rolling holes from 10 through 13 are some of my favorites on the property, and 15 through 18, through the marsh and along the coast, are breathtaking.

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The Harbor Course

The Harbor Course was renovated by Fazio’s design firm, and to our surprise it was our group’s favorite of the two. I never saw it before the renovation, but I was shocked how much we liked it with water on almost every hole. There isn’t much elevation change either, yet the routing through the homes, ponds and Intracoastal Waterway is impressive. It plays a little wider off the tee, and the holes feel more distinct from one another over the 18.

Like the Links, the back nine is where this course shines. It’s an out-and-back design that turns at the 9th, the farthest point from the clubhouse, and then runs along the Intracoastal Waterway most of the way home, with boats zooming by while you hit near or over the water. The last three holes make you carry water, play around it and keep the ball dry to finish strong.

The one thing the Harbor Course lacks is a range. It has a putting green by the first tee, but the only driving range on property is at the Links Course, so plan on a short drive to warm up.

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Buddies trips, families and celebrations

With 36 holes, plenty of restaurants and lots of lodging choices, it works well for a golf buddies trip. We also saw plenty of families enjoying the rest of the resort, weddings and anniversary parties on the weekends, and business conferences during the week.

It doesn’t carry the big name of some golf resorts, and that’s part of the appeal. Wild Dunes does everything well without being pretentious or over the top. It’s a solid buddies trip that flies a little under the radar.

Lodging and amenities

I love that almost everything you’d want to do is within walking distance. Sweetgrass Inn sits at one end of the property and serves as the main entrance and the hub of activity. Right behind it is a main-street-style strip of shops, restaurants and galleries built around pools and hot tubs, and tennis, the Harbor Course, the beach and the Boardwalk Inn are just steps away.

If you’d rather have a house or condo, there are hundreds of rentals along the beach, the courses and the neighborhoods on property. There’s plenty for adults, kids and just about any mix of group, whether you stay a few days or a week.

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Course conditions and practice facilities

Great conditions make any golf trip better, and we were impressed that both courses were in excellent shape so soon after the hurricane remnants passed. The turf was tight, the greens rolled true and everything was well kept. It was soft, as you’d expect, but carts could still drive out to the ball on most holes, and GPS on every cart makes it easy to find your way around courses you’ve never played.

If there’s one knock on the place, it’s the practice facilities. The range at the Links Course is really an iron range, since homes at the far end limit long shots. The short game area is excellent, though, with bunkers to practice from and big putting greens, and the pro shops were well stocked with helpful staff.

Food, the stay and things to do

Dining runs from casual to upscale, with coastal and international menus. We loved the wood-fired pizza at Coastal Crust and the small plates at Oystercatcher. Each course has its own restaurant or snack bar, and there are more options around the hub between the hotels.

Rental bikes make for a relaxing afternoon ride, though most of the miles run through the neighborhoods rather than along the ocean. Kids will have plenty to do, especially on the beach.

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Should you plan a trip?

Yes, if you want an easygoing golf trip with plenty to do off the course. We loved our buddies trip to Wild Dunes Golf Resort. The two Fazio courses are challenging and beautiful, and Sweetgrass Inn puts restaurants, a spa, pools and the beach a short walk away.

Skip it if you’re chasing bucket-list courses. If you want laid-back, good-looking, challenging golf that fits a buddies trip, a family vacation or a celebration, this hidden gem belongs near the top of your list.

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