Sea Pines Tennis, Hilton Head

Sea Pines tennis comes down to two clubs you can book as a visitor and one academy. The resort’s Sea Pines Racquet Club, near Harbour Town, is the big clay-court complex and the home of the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy. South Beach Racquet Club, an independent club by South Beach Marina at the other end of the plantation, has been running since 1986. Both have pickleball as well, and both take players who are not members. Part of the Sea Pines guide.

Where to Play Tennis in Sea Pines

Sea Pines Racquet Club (5 Lighthouse Lane) is the resort’s club: about 20 Har-Tru clay courts plus hard courts, six courts set aside for pickleball, clinics, a pro shop, and Stan Smith on the teaching staff. Resort guests get two hours of court time a day included. Everyone else pays by the hour, $50 for tennis. Courts are open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and must be booked in advance.

South Beach Racquet Club (230 S. Sea Pines Drive) is smaller, family-run, and a short walk from the marina and the Salty Dog. Its clay courts are $35 an hour, two are lit for evening play, and you do not need to own property in Sea Pines to book one.

Sea Pines Country Club also has seven lighted Har-Tru courts and four lighted pickleball courts, but it is a private club for its members, so it is not an option for a visitor.

Sea Pines Pickleball

For Sea Pines pickleball, the Racquet Club has six dedicated courts, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A court is $30 an hour for resort guests and property owners and $35 for everyone else, and a set of four paddles and balls rents for $20. The resort runs beginner and intermediate clinics and a weekday morning round robin for ages 12 and up.

South Beach Racquet Club has the larger pickleball setup: the club lists 12 hard courts and 8 Har-Tru courts, $30 an hour for a court, round robins most mornings, and a full-time pickleball pro. For courts outside the gate, see pickleball in Hilton Head Island.

Sea Pines Tennis Resort Packages and Lessons

Tennis was part of Sea Pines’ reputation early on. The women’s pro tournament that began as the Family Circle Cup was played in Sea Pines on clay from 1973 until 2000, apart from two years in Florida, before it moved to Charleston. The resort still sells tennis weekends built around its pros, including a Stan Smith Super Series weekend and a doubles-focused Weekend Workout, booked by phone.

Juniors who want more than a clinic have the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy, which runs day and week camps year-round as well as a full-time boarding program. Both clubs also teach private lessons and adult clinics.

Planned Changes at the Racquet Club

The Island Packet reported on July 2, 2026 that preliminary plans filed with the Town of Hilton Head Island would replace the Racquet Club’s clay courts with two tennis courts, four pickleball courts and two padel courts, next to a new resort pool, as part of a redo of the Inn at Harbour Town. The reported timeline is construction starting in 2027 and finishing in late 2028 or early 2029. Nothing changes yet, but if you are booking a tennis trip for 2027 or later, ask the resort which courts will be open. The Racquet Club page has the detail.

Getting In

Both clubs are inside the Sea Pines gate. If you are not staying in Sea Pines, you pay the day fee at the gate, $10 per standard vehicle; the Sea Pines guest pass office explains the options. For more to do once you are in, see things to do in Sea Pines, and for courts around the rest of the island, see tennis in Hilton Head Island.