You might look at the array of improvements that have been announced over the past few years at Palmetto Dunes and rightfully think of it as a leap forward for the venerated resort community. After all, within the past four years we’ve seen numerous updates, including the addition of the Toptracer Range, the only covered driving range on Hilton Head Island offering casual seating and food and beverage service; massive renovations at the Arthur Hills Course, Robert Trent Jones Course, and the Fazio course; a complete remodel of the Hilton Head Outfitters dock; updates to The Dunes House, Palmetto Dunes General Store, and the pickleball courts; plus extensive upgrades to infrastructure around the resort.
The table is set for a corporate or special event.
And the piece de resistance of this resort renaissance is plain to see from the photos you see on these pages. The newly unveiled Veranda at Arthur Hills, designed by Tim Probst of Parker Design Group and built by Detailed Property Services, serves as a gorgeous standard bearer to the new look at Palmetto Dunes.
“It seems like it’s been a four-year process, but it has really been a 40-year process. There is no finish line,” said Bubba Self, president of Greenwood Communities & Resorts. “We’re a big, fixed-asset business. We can’t stop cutting the grass, and we can’t stop updating to make sure everything is up to our standards.”
A wide variety of menu options is available for any event, from plated dinner service to buffets.
We’re sitting amid the updated elegance of the Arthur Hills Grill as we discuss the new updates. Surrounding us, fresh shiplap wainscoting contrasts against jet black steel chairs set around concrete-topped dining tables. The polished granite bar, gleaming in the early morning sun, is already serving hungry golfers as they make the turn at on the Arthur Hills course. During the warm summer months, the wide accordion doors along one wall are shut. In days of milder weather, they open wide to coax in lush breezes off the course.
“It was a little dated in here before. It was built in 1986 and hadn’t really been renovated, so over the past year or so we have invested about $1 million in the interior of this building to get it to where we like it,” said Brad Marra, chief operating officer of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. “We’ve really elevated this space and we’re already seeing increased traffic all around.”
A bar and cocktail table set-up overlooks the golf course.
The Arthur Hills Grill sits at one end of the course’s clubhouse, across a central atrium that exults in the many upgrades that have redefined the space. The pro shop has been renovated to include an assortment of men’s and ladies’ golf apparel and accessories with a rejuvenated sense of class. But at the far end of the building, it’s the breathtaking new veranda that truly drives home what a transformation this has been.
“When we first built the course in the ’80s, this was all locker rooms,” Self explained. “They were never used, so it was really cool to totally repurpose this space.”
The Veranda now basks in 2,642 square feet of elegant space, providing a beautiful venue for weddings, celebrations and special events for up to 160 people. Extending outward from the original footprint, the room now fills the eye with views that stretch down the driving range, to a quiet grassy area where a simple arbor creates a blissful spot for a wedding ceremony.
A beautiful sunset awaits the bride and grooming their guests.
As with the Arthur Hills Grill, the accordian doors open seamlessly on a track to bring the outside in, creating a unified space between the grand banquet room and the expansive new patio.
Set beneath soaring eaves, the patio was crowned with a roof during renovations, essentially doubling the space in which a wedding party or celebration can spread out. With room for bar services out on the patio wreathed in golf course views, it’s a testament to the powerful impact these renovations have had on the entire experience.
The ceremony arbor features the bride’s chosen color scheme in ribbons and florals.
“Honestly, it feels great to have it done. It was a much-needed update, and having another wedding venue at the resort has been very positive,” Marra said. “Giving people a chance to have a wedding at the beach or the Dunes House, then bringing them over here for a beautiful reception, is something we’re looking forward to.”
“The building and golf course improvements represent a portion of the overall $15 million invested throughout the resort over the past few years.” Self said.
As a venue, it’s enchanting. As something akin to a “finish line” in Palmetto Dunes’ renaissance, it’s a gorgeous crescendo to a song that never really stops playing.
The newly unveiled Veranda at Arthur Hills, designed by Tim Probst of Parker Design Group and built by Detailed Property Services, serves as a gorgeous standard bearer to the new look at Palmetto Dunes.
