Palmetto Dunes Resort in Hilton Head, SC
A gated oceanfront community mid-island with three golf courses, a tennis and pickleball center, three miles of beach and an 11-mile lagoon.
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Book Bikes, Beach Gear and Kayaks in Palmetto Dunes
Hilton Head Outfitters rents bikes, beach chairs and umbrellas, kayaks and canoes for the lagoon, paddleboards and fishing rods, with live availability.
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Chair or Umbrella Rental
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Where to Stay in Palmetto Dunes
Palmetto Dunes rentals on Hilton Head: oceanfront, golf and lagoon villas, condos and homes, with pet rules, minimum stays, gate passes and how to book.
Homes with prices
Palmetto Dunes house rentals on Hilton Head: oceanfront, golf-course, lagoon and marina-view homes, mostly three bedrooms and up, plus pet and pass rules.
Two hotels sit inside Palmetto Dunes: the Omni and the Hilton Beachfront Resort & Spa, once the Hilton Head Marriott. Addresses, gate passes, alternatives.
Villas with prices
Villamare villas in Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head: two- and three-bedroom oceanfront villas with a boardwalk and pools. Compare villas and all-in weekly prices.
Villas with prices
Hampton Place at Palmetto Dunes: oceanfront villas in two five-story buildings with a boardwalk, pools and a hot tub. Compare villas and all-in weekly prices.
The Village at Palmetto Dunes: studios to three-bedroom villas and townhomes with a pool, near the lagoon, golf and tennis, about 200 yards from the beach.
Most visitors stay inside the gate. The villas run from oceanfront buildings such as Villamare and Hampton Place to villas along the fairways and the lagoon, there are whole houses to rent, and two oceanfront hotels, the Omni and the Hilton, sit on the beach.
If you are buying rather than renting, the Palmetto Dunes real estate page covers the resort, and our Hilton Head real estate guide covers the rest of the island.
Palmetto Dunes Real Estate and Owners
Search Palmetto Dunes homes for sale: villas, condos and houses, plus what owners need to know about gate decals, the PDPOA and renting the place out.
Leamington is a gated neighborhood at the south end of Palmetto Dunes: homes and villas for sale, golf-cart beach access, a lighthouse and rental rules.
Who manages rentals in Palmetto Dunes? The resort's own program, other managers, the rules every owner follows and what to ask before you sign.
Golf, Tennis and Pickleball in Palmetto Dunes
Palmetto Dunes golf: the Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront, George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses compared, with tee times, 9-hole rounds and gate access.
Palmetto Dunes golf packages and deals: the Birdies, Golf Academy and group stay-and-play villa packages compared, with what each includes.
The Palmetto Dunes Tennis & Pickleball Center: 17 clay courts, 24 pickleball courts, court prices, how to book, cancellation rules and gate access.
Palmetto Dunes pickleball: 24 courts, 8 lit until 10 p.m., court and clinic prices, how to book, paddle rental. Open to the public, no gate pass.
Golf is the biggest draw. The resort has the Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, the George Fazio Course and the Arthur Hills Course, and each has its own page in our golf section: Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront, George Fazio and Arthur Hills. The Toptracer range and Palmetto Dunes Golf Academy are here too. Palmetto Dunes resort packages bundle a villa stay with golf, tennis or pickleball, and the golf ones are compared on our Palmetto Dunes golf packages page.
The resort also has a Tennis & Pickleball Center, with 17 clay tennis courts and 24 pickleball courts.
Where to Eat in Palmetto Dunes
Palmetto Dunes restaurants on Hilton Head: a beach bar, clubhouse grills, a lagoon-view dinner room and a general store, with hours and phone numbers.
The Dunes House beach bar in Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head: fish tacos, wraps and frozen drinks with live music. Menu, hours and how to get in.
The Palmetto Dunes General Store on Hilton Head: weekday breakfast and lunch, fried chicken, cinnamon rolls, groceries and beach gear. No pass needed.
Arthur Hills Grill in the Palmetto Dunes clubhouse: breakfast from 7 a.m., burgers, sandwiches and cocktails until 5 p.m. Menu, hours and phone.
George Fazio Grill in the Palmetto Dunes clubhouse: breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m., burgers, wraps and cocktails until 5 p.m. Menu, hours and phone.
Food is scattered through the community, from a beachfront deck at The Dunes House to Big Jim’s BBQ and XO Sports & Spirits.
Palmetto Dunes Amenities and Things to Do
Hilton Head Outfitters at 80 Queens Folly Road: Palmetto Dunes bike rentals, kayaks, paddleboards and beach gear, with free delivery on 3-day bike rentals.
Palmetto Dunes beach access, parking, gate passes, dog rules and step-free ramps for the resort's three miles of public Atlantic beach.
The Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse, also called the Leamington Lighthouse, stands in Palmetto Dunes. How to visit and its 1880s history.
Watch the Palmetto Dunes webcam live from the Dunes House beach bar, plus live cams at the Arthur Hills golf course, pickleball courts and 11-mile lagoon.
The lagoons are open to paddlers, and the resort’s paths connect the villas, the courses and the beach. Bikes, kayaks and beach gear rent from Hilton Head Outfitters.
The Dunes House also has a live view of the beach on our Palmetto Dunes webcams page, along with the golf, lagoon and pickleball cameras. The island’s other cameras are on our Hilton Head webcams page.
About Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
- Size
- More than 2,000 acres
- Beach
- Three miles of Atlantic oceanfront
- Lagoon
- 11-mile system for kayaks and canoes
- Access
- Gated, with a pass for most visitors
- Restaurants
- Seven inside the gates
Palmetto Dunes is a gated resort community on the ocean side of Hilton Head Island, roughly at the middle of the island. It covers more than 2,000 acres between William Hilton Parkway and the Atlantic, with three miles of beachfront on one side and an 11-mile lagoon system winding through the villas and fairways on the other. Most people call it Palmetto Dunes, some shorten it to Palmetto or Palmetto Hilton Head, and the resort’s own name for itself is Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. Directly across the parkway, on Broad Creek, is Shelter Cove, the ungated harbour and shopping district with the Kroger, the charter boats and about twenty restaurants.
It is a place people stay and a place people visit for a day. Guests rent villas and homes inside the gate (see Palmetto Dunes rentals), book a room at the oceanfront hotels, play one of the three courses, or come for tennis, pickleball, bikes and a meal.
Palmetto Dunes Gates, Guest Passes and the Dunes Buggy
Renting through the resort
Guests in a resort-managed rental get their car passes at check-in.
Staying or visiting otherwise
Pick up a pass at the pass office, 16 Queens Folly Road: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday inside, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day at the drive-thru.
No pass needed
Alexander’s, the General Store, the Welcome Center, the Tennis Center, the Robert Trent Jones course, Big Jim’s, Hilton Head Outfitters and the Hilton. Omni guests and Fazio or Arthur Hills golfers get passes at the South Gate.
Palmetto Dunes is gated, and the rule of thumb is that you need a pass unless you are heading to one of the places the resort has opened to everyone. Guests in a resort-managed rental get their car passes at check-in. Everyone else picks one up at the pass office at 16 Queens Folly Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. The Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association (PDPOA) runs it, and it is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside and every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the drive-thru.
Some destinations do not need a pass: Alexander’s Restaurant, the General Store, the Welcome Center, the Tennis Center, the Robert Trent Jones course, Big Jim’s, Hilton Head Outfitters and the Hilton beachfront hotel. Guests of the Omni and golfers heading for the Fazio or Arthur Hills courses get their passes at the South Gate. Visitors to the Leamington Lighthouse use the Ocean Lane Gate. Hours, phone numbers and the rules inside the gates are on the Palmetto Dunes security page.
Inside the gates the speed limit is 25 mph, and personal golf carts are not allowed. The Dunes Buggy is the resort’s courtesy shuttle. It runs seasonally, and in 2026 its hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (843) 689-4222 for a pickup. The beach itself is public and the Town of Hilton Head Island’s rules apply on the sand: no alcohol, glass or fires. Owners can find the association’s assessment, decal and rental rules on the Palmetto Dunes POA page.
An annotated, printable Palmetto Dunes map: the pass office, three golf courses, hotels, The Dunes House, bike paths and the Leamington Lighthouse.
What guests say
Guests say the vacation rentals are clean and look like their photos, and the golf courses and tennis courts draw steady praise. The beach is an easy ride from most rentals, and the shaded bike paths mean many families leave the car parked for the week. Dining on the property, from the Dunes House to the General Store, gets a good word, and the golf staff are singled out for service from arrival onward.
Watch: Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head in 2 Minutes: Beach, Lagoon, Golf and the Gate
Palmetto Dunes is a gated resort community on the ocean side of Hilton Head Island, roughly at the middle of the island: more than 2,000 acres between William Hilton Parkway and the Atlantic, with three miles of beachfront and an 11-mile lagoon system for kayaks and canoes. The beach is public and the Town’s rules apply on the sand (no alcohol, glass or fires). Bikes, kayaks and beach gear rent from Hilton Head Outfitters, and the resort has three courses (Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront, George Fazio and Arthur Hills), 17 clay tennis courts and 24 pickleball courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
Is Palmetto Dunes a gated community?
Yes. Guests in a resort-managed rental get car passes at check-in, and other visitors pick one up at the pass office at 16 Queens Folly Road. A few destinations, such as the General Store, the Tennis Center and Big Jim’s, can be reached without a pass.
What is the Palmetto Dunes zip code?
Palmetto Dunes addresses use the Hilton Head Island zip code 29928, the same code as Sea Pines, Shipyard and the rest of the island’s south and middle.
How big is Palmetto Dunes?
More than 2,000 acres, with three miles of Atlantic beachfront, three golf courses and an 11-mile lagoon system.
What golf courses are in Palmetto Dunes?
The Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, the George Fazio Course and the Arthur Hills Course.
Can you golf-cart around Palmetto Dunes?
Not in your own. Personal golf carts are prohibited inside the resort, the speed limit is 25 mph, and the Dunes Buggy offers courtesy rides seasonally.
Is the beach at Palmetto Dunes public?
The beach itself is public and falls under the Town of Hilton Head Island’s rules, but getting to it through the gates takes a pass unless you are going to one of the places the resort has opened to everyone, such as the General Store or the Tennis Center. The Dunes House is not on that list.
Where do you get a Palmetto Dunes guest pass?
At the pass office at 16 Queens Folly Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday inside and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at the drive-thru. Omni guests and Fazio or Arthur Hills golfers get theirs at the South Gate.
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