Dolphin Head is the Gary Player course inside Hilton Head Plantation, the large residential community at the island’s northern tip. It is a member club that also sells public tee times every day, so a visitor can book it as easily as any resort course. The appeal is scale and calm. At 6,606 yards from the Black tees it suits golfers who would rather hit a good iron than chase a long drive, and the north end is well away from the summer traffic around Coligny and Sea Pines.
Dolphin Head Golf Club green fees and tee times.
Public times are sold on the club’s GolfBack booking engine, linked from dolphinheadgc.com, or by phone on 843-757-8960. The club says its own site always carries the lowest rate, and green fees move with demand, so prices only show when you pick a date and time. Members hold the tee sheet on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7:30am to noon, so plan visitor rounds outside those blocks. Changes and cancellations need eight hours’ notice; after that, each missing player can be charged up to half of the green and cart fee. Promotional codes only work when you are signed in to the online account, not in the shop.
The round, in perspective.
The club sums up Player’s approach here as precision over power. Fairways run through tree-lined Lowcountry corridors, with bunkers set to reward the right angle rather than to punish a short hitter. Par is 72, split 36 and 36, with a par five to open and another to close the front nine. The club singles out two holes: the 173-yard fourth, a par three, and the 515-yard ninth, a par five that gives a fair birdie chance. Doglegs through the middle of the round ask you to commit off the tee, and the club’s own advice is that taking less than driver often leaves a full, predictable approach. Greens are cut tight around their edges, so a low running chip is often the safer play into wind.
Know before you go.
Visitor booking
Online via GolfBack or 843-757-8960
Member-only times
Tue, Thu, Sat 7:30am–noon
Cancellation
8 hours; up to 50% charge per absent player
Check-in
Within 20 minutes of your tee time
Coolers and alcohol
No outside coolers or alcohol
Pace target
4 hours 28 minutes for a four-ball
Make the trip work.
Six sets of tees run from 4,760 to 6,606 yards, and most visiting fourballs will be comfortable off the Blue at 6,421 or the White at 6,169. Arrive in good time: the club asks you to check in within 20 minutes of your time and may pair smaller groups. The practice ground has a range with target greens, a short-game area and a putting green. Dolphin Cafe opens daily from 7am to 5pm and welcomes non-golfers, and the S2 indoor simulators are a fallback on a washed-out afternoon.
Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) is a short drive south along the island’s north end, with limited routes. Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV) has far more flights and is roughly an hour away by road over the bridges and up US 278. The club is at 56 High Bluff Road inside Hilton Head Plantation.
Holiday homes for rent inside Hilton Head Plantation are the closest base. For a hotel, The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa sits on the beach in neighbouring Port Royal Plantation, a few minutes away. The Courtyard Hilton Head Island and other mid-priced hotels are along US 278 in the centre of the island, a straightforward drive to every course in this guide.
Make a trip of it.
Oyster Reef, the Rees Jones public course, is on the same road inside Hilton Head Plantation, so the two make an easy one-day double. Palmetto Hall’s Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp courses are just outside the plantation gates, and Port Royal’s two courses are a short hop east. Off the course, the Fish Haul Creek boardwalk and beach on Port Royal Sound are good for a sunset walk, and Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park beside it tells the story of one of the first self-governed towns of freed people.
Find your season.
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from late September to November, are the busy and pricier months. Summer brings heat, humidity and thunderstorms, so the earliest public times sell first. Winter is mild enough for golf most days and is the cheapest time to play.
Yes. The club says public tee times are available every day, booked online or on 843-757-8960. The only blocked periods are the member-only mornings on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 7:30am and noon.
How much does it cost to play Dolphin Head?
The club uses dynamic pricing, so there is no fixed rate card. Prices change with demand and appear when you search a date on the booking engine. The club says the lowest rate is always on its own website rather than through third parties.
Who designed Dolphin Head?
Gary Player. The 18-hole, par-72 course measures 6,606 yards from the back tees and 4,760 from the forward Green tees. The club describes it as rewarding smart angles and accurate iron play more than length.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
