You haven't fully enjoyed Hilton Head if you haven't visited its backwaters! My top places to visit by boat

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 5:18 PM

Besides boasting some of this country's most beautiful beaches, Hilton Head Island has a vast array of creeks, tidal marshes, sand bars, as well as the inter-coastal waterway.  These waterways, sounds, rivers and creeks provide for perfect boating conditions; calm water with beautiful views!  Dolphins, egrets, bald eagles, osprey, sea otters, sea turtles and even manatees are seen enjoying this vibrant ecosystem.  Boating through these waters is one of the most rewarding activities so I've decided to come up with a list of my favorite spots to visit by boat.

Brunch at the Sunset Grill
The Sunset Grill provides panoramic views of Skull Creek.  Tie the boat up at Hilton Head Harbor, fuel up if needed and enjoy a wonderful brunch at this locally owned eatery.  Definitely a southern twist to the menu and the french toast is out of this world.

Swimming and a picnic at the Bluffton Sand Bar
The Bluffton sandbar is a large stretch of sand that is exposed at low tide for a few hours on the May River. Boats from Hilton Head, Bluffton and even Beaufort gather here for cold beers, sub sandwiches, boccie ball, and sunbathing.  You can drive your boat directly onto the sandbar and await for the tide to come in.  If you're lucky, low tide will tie in with a beautiful sunset.

Tuesday Fireworks at Shelter Cove
This longtime island tradition brings tons of tourists and locals to the Marina but not everyone gets the pleasure of viewing these from a boat.  Pull up in Broad Creek to get away from the crowds and view the reflections off the water.

Marshside Mamas on Daufuskie Island
Want to really get away?  Daufuskie Island is the place! Only accessible by boat, this Island is just a ten minute ride across Calibogue Sound from Harbor Town.  Marshside Mamas restaurant on Daufuskie is about as quaint as a restaurant can get: small with concrete floors & no air conditioning.  What it may lack in amenities it well makes up for in food, entertainment and experience!  Catch live music and enjoy Beth's famous shrimp dip while having a cold beer...truly a memorable experience.

Up The Creek Restaurant - Broad Creek Marina
On the way to and from Shelter Cove sits Broad Creek Marina.  Up The Creek is a casual waterfront restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the marina.  They often have live music and their chicken wings are top notch!

Hilton Head Island 4000 Years Ago? We are rich in history here!

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 7:22 PM

I've lived on Hilton Head for years and still wonder sometimes as I drive from property to property what it was like before humans inhabited Hilton Head.  I guessed at most a thousand years ago that this island was vacant of human life but after some research I realized that estimation wasn't even close.

About 30 years ago, a piece of prehistoric history was unearthed on Hilton Head Island.  A worker digging a water main stumbled upon a fragment of a clay bow.  The discoverer of this piece of pottery, Jerry Weckhorst, immediately knew it was very old and most likely Indian.

Weckhorst immediately handed the fragment of pottery and others subsequently found to the Museum of Hilton Head Island.  Mike Taylor, then executive director of the museum, recognized the piece as millennia-old, fiber-tempered pottery which was the FIRST kind made in North America.

Taylor then alerted Michael Trinkley, an archeologist from the nonprofit Chicora Foundation. Trinkley suspected he’d come upon one of the few nearly intact archaeological sites of prehistoric coastal island Indian life. The find dated from the period known as Stallings, between 3500 and 1000 B.C.

It is estimated there are still thousands more buried in Fish Haul Creek Park.  Fish Haul Creek Park is now owned by the town and recreational archaeologists are not allowed to scavenge.

Plantation Golf Club, Golf Learning Center and Live Oak Restaurant open in Sea Pines!

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 8:11 AM

Plantation Golf Club
The 23,000-square-foot clubhouse, serving the Heron Point and Ocean golf courses, if finally complete and opens April 1st. The Plantation Golf Club features the Magnolia Room, a 2,000-square-foot meeting and event and 4,500 square-feet of elevated outdoor porch space.  Located within the clubhouse is the new Golf Learning Center and the Live Oak LowCountry Cuisine restaurant.

Live Oak LowCountry Cuisine

Live Oak is a fresh culinary experience featuring Lowcountry-inspired cuisine and locally sourced produce. Live Oak is a fresh culinary experience showcasing Lowcountry-inspired cuisine and locally sourced produce and products.  Boasting a 35-foot rotunda ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide an incredible 270-degree golf view, the restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating options. Guests can sit alongside the copper-top bar and choose from an expansive selection of craft beers, a Wine Spectator Award-winning wine list, or a signature Bourbon collection.  Live Oak is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7am-9pm.

The Golf Learning Center at The Sea Pines Resort

The Golf Learning Center at The Sea Pines Resort, overlooking Heron Point by Pete Dye and Ocean Course. The 2,400 square-foot building features two hitting bays, a club repair work room, a viewing studio, indoor putting areas and a separate teeing ground for instruction only. The top-of-the-line facility features the latest in technology and a learning environment geared entirely towards the student.  One of these new technologies is TrackMan golf.  This measures the full trajectory of any shot, from 6-foot pitches to 400-yard drives, pinpointing the landing position with an accuracy of 1 foot at 100 yards. Delivering state-of-the-art data without using any modeling, TrackMan Pro displays the shot’s actual 3D trajectory together with 26 impact and ball flight data in real time.

The facility also includes four putting greens, a separate chipping/bunker green, and a wedge practice zone for golfers to work with instructors and enhance their short game.

Joan E. Diamond's favorite pools on Hilton Head Island

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 10:10 AM

I think I’ve been in and out of every community, villa complex, country club and marina on Hilton Head Island and Bluffton - all part of the job of a busy Realtor in the Lowcountry.  Almost all communities and villas have access to a pool, and some of my clients actually prefer a great pool to almost all other amenities. Perhaps they love pools because they like the convenience and privacy, or simply because they like to keep a better eye on their kids in the water.  Not all pools are the same; however, so I've compiled a list of my favorite pools on Hilton Head Island.

The Seacrest – North Forest Beach
This pool sits oceanfront at the Seacrest just steps from Coligny Plaza and the area’s plethora of shops, restaurants and entertainment.  It is surrounded by lush landscaping, large koi ponds, and amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. This pool is also HEATED March through May which is really nice when the temps are warm but the ocean is cold.  There is also a small daiquiri bar where you can have a hamburger or hot dog and a beer if you like.




Newport Villas – Shelter Cove

This pool sits directly on Broad Creek.  The views are fabulous.  Because of the new Kroger Shopping Center and the soon to be surrounding new restaurants,  as well as the existing restaurants and shops in nearby Shelter Cove Marina, the location is perfect.  Walk to Kroger and grab some refreshments and snacks and  head to the pool for a few hours then walk to Shelter Cove Marina for dinner and live music.






North Shore Place – North Forest Beach

This is the only rooftop pool that I know of in the area.  This pool overlooks the treetops of North Forest Beach and like the Seacrest sits steps to all the action in Coligny Beach.  This pool feels like the most private of all the pools I've been around.








Port Royal Plantation

The community pool for Port Royal Plantation is located directly on the ocean and is open to all residents of this beautiful oceanfront community. This pool is an Olympic sized pool and is nearby a fenced baby pool. An attendant staffs the pool from Memorial Day until Labor Day.







The Country Club of Hilton Head (indoor pool)
Hilton Head Plantation

This is the largest INDOOR pool that I’ve seen on the island.  Membership at this club is very reasonable for all that it offers and a lot of residents of Hilton Head Plantation make this their home for golf, activities and Sunday brunch.  This is ideal for year round exercise.  This club also has a very large outdoor pool.

Even more improvements in Sea Pines…Dredging is great news for marinas!

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 8:32 PM

Dredging view from South Beach Marina

What a year for Sea Pines Plantation.  In addition to this spring’s construction of the new Clubhouse /Golf Learning Center, The Sea Pines Beach Club and the eventual construction of the new Harbour Town Clubhouse, both Harbour Town and South Beach Marinas are being dredged.  This will bring much relief to boat owners and water related businesses (namely fishing charters and nature cruises) as 240,000 cubic yards of sediment are to be pumped out to a 100-acre site at the mouth of Calibogue Sound.

State and federal regulators halted a dredging in 2003 after a contractor was accused of improperly dumping dredge spoil into Calibogue Sound instead of the approved offshore site.

The sediment was getting to such a level that many boats had difficulty going in and out of Calibogue sound. In fact, in Harbour Town you could often see boats floating on the sediment within a few hours of low tide.

This dredging project will certainly increase property values in and around the marinas, help local businesses and make for a more beautiful Heritage this year.

As the saying goes “a rising tide floats all boats”

Spring is around the corner…and so are some of my favorite Hilton Head Events

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 10:36 AM

The wonderful spring weather on Hilton Head Island makes my job of selling real estate a lot easier.  This great weather (temps in the 70’s) is always accompanied by some of Hilton Head’s best events and I always keep my clients out of state informed of them should they be planning a visit.

So here are a few that I will be attending coming up in the next few months:

29th Annual Hilton Head Island Wind & Food Festival – March 10th-15th
One of the unique characteristics of the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival is the festival’s cornerstone:  the International Wine Competition.  In late January, Certified Wine Educators and Advance Sommeliers spend 3 days judging over 850 different wines.  Gold and silver medals are awarded and those wines are featured throughout the festival events along with other vintner’s choices.  Wines are judged in various categories and at all price levels.

The Festival is an event produced by the non-profit corporation Hilton Head Wine & Food, Inc.  The proceeds from the festival’s wine auction at the Grand and Public Tastings support the John & Valerie Curry Educational Scholarship Fund for college students pursuing degrees in the hospitality & tourism field.  Scholarships are currently offered at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and the Technical College of the Lowcountry.

WingFest Friday, Mar 21, 2014 - Saturday, Mar 22, 2014 (Shelter Cove Park)
This event has grown over the years.  15-20 restaurants compete in this festival for best wings.  Over 6,000 wings will be consumed over the weekend.  Great live music, awesome food and of course beautiful weather.  This is a great event for kids as well and there will be many activities such as a kid's zone, rock climbing wall and bungee jump.   All event proceeds go to the Hilton Head Island Recreation Association's Children's Scholarship Fund, "where no child is denied recreation opportunities.

The 46th RBC Heritage – PGA Event at Harbour town Golf Links - Monday, Apr 14, 2014 - Sunday, Apr 20, 2014
This is one of the biggest events of the year for our Island and a true sign of spring.  Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines hosts this PGA event.  Because of its’ proximity in date and distance to the Masters in Augusta, The RBC Heritage pulls in some of Europe’s best players and often their families who enjoy the beaches here.  This will be the last year of the current clubhouse.  Once the tournament is over the clubhouse will be torn down and new construction will begin on a 18,000-square-foot, three-story facility with locker facilities for tournament players and regular guests, according to drawings.  I’ve been writing about this in past blogs as well as some of the other new amenities in my home community of Sea Pines.

Restaurant Week on Hilton Head is here...Bon Appetit!

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 8:25 PM

One of my favorite things about Hilton Head Island is its wide array of excellent dining spots!  From fine to casual, this Island has it all. As a realtor one of the easiest things to do is recommend a great restaurant to a client.  With a busy schedule it can be difficult to find enough time to visit all the good spots here.  I often tend to get into a routine of going to the same 5 or 6 favorites every month or two (depending upon my work load and desire to cook at home). So, the solution? How about the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce Annual Restaurant Week?

Restaurant Week features participating restaurants’ specially price-fixed “prix fixe” menus.  These menus are always a good deal and offer wide sampling of each restaurant’s strong culinary offerings.

This year the official week is January 25^th through Febraury 1^st with some restaurants extending their specials for an extra week.

To see participating restaurants and links to their menus visit http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/restaurantweek/

FYI… I have just published my 2014 Dining Guide for Hilton Head Island in concert with the Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce’s 6^th Annual Restaurant Week, and I’ve attached it here.  It’s a simple list of some of my favorites…

New Clubhouse and Beach Club in Sea Pines set to open!

Posted by Joan E. Diamond at 3:14 PM

The near complete 23,000-square-foot clubhouse and golf learning center at the Ocean Course and the Pete Dye-designed Heron Point course is one of two new projects improving the lifestyle in the beautiful Sea Pines Resort; the other is the new Beach Club just steps away.

Sea Pines is host to the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing at its famed Harbour Town Golf Links.

Beginning in January, all academy instruction will move to the resort's new golf learning center.  The elite junior golf academy will also undergo a name change and will now be known as Elite Junior Golf Academy at The Sea Pines Resort, according to a news release.  The famed Golf Academy at the Sea Pines Resort, which features multi-day instruction by PGA Pro Skip Malek, will remain at the new complex.

The learning center will feature two indoor hitting bays, equipped with digital cameras and software to help players analyze their swings, as well as a putting lab. The center will also offer custom club fitting, in addition to individual golf lessons, schools and clinics.

Berkeley Hall and Belfair Plantation offer similar golf learning facilities, as well as other PGA Tour sites.

The Sea Pines Beach Club is also set to open this year. Work began this fall on the more than 25,000-square-foot building next to Marriott's Monarch at Sea Pines.

The $12 million club will feature an indoor restaurant and bar; an open-air beach bar; second-floor space for private receptions and parties; retail and office space; and expanded restrooms, showers and changing rooms. The club will replace the current oceanside club built more than 40 years ago.

In all, The RiverStone Group has spent nearly $50 million upgrading the resort's amenities since purchasing it in 2005..

Sea Pines officials say the improvements are part of an islandwide resurgence designed to ensure the RBC Heritage stays and the island remains a hot spot for tourists.

Next up is a new $20 million-plus clubhouse at Harbour Town Golf Links. Demolition is set to begin after the 2014 Heritage in April on the current clubhouse, with a new one completed by the 2015 tournament.