Port Royal Golf Club

Planters Row is one of three courses at Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island, designed by Willard C. Byrd and opened in 1983. Byrd, a South Carolina native who worked extensively throughout the Southeast, created a layout that reflects the island's Lowcountry character with routing through maritime forest, marshland edges, and natural wetlands. The course occupies interior terrain away from the oceanfront, relying on the region's live oaks, palmettos, and native vegetation to define holes and frame playing corridors. The design emphasizes strategic shot placement over length, with water hazards and marsh areas coming into play on several holes. Byrd incorporated the natural drainage patterns and tidal influences characteristic of Hilton Head's landscape, requiring golfers to manage both carry distances and ground contours. The layout features relatively modest elevation changes typical of barrier island topography, with green complexes that reward accurate approach shots. Port Royal Golf Club operates as a semi-private facility, with Planters Row serving alongside the Barony Course and the better-known Robbers Row Course. The club provides access to residents of the Port Royal plantation community and outside guests, maintaining a relaxed atmosphere consistent with Hilton Head's resort character. The course offers a quieter alternative to the island's more prominent tournament venues, appealing to golfers seeking a traditional Lowcountry round without the intensity of championship conditions.