Fripp Island Resort, 19 miles east of
Beaufort
and smack on the Atlantic, encompasses the better part of a thickly forested island that is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. There are some 700 full-time residents on Fripp. The resort manages more than 300 villas, cottages and homes for a largely family and business clientele. Ocean-front properties are popular but so are rental homes that are all but obscured by pines so dense it feels like Maine.
In general, for families who might include golf as part of a vacation of more extended activities in the Beaufort area, Fripp Island Resort is well worth investigating.
Here is everything that an active family would want including two golf courses, miles of biking trails and beaches, a nature day-camp for children, a deep-water marina, tennis facilities, and swimming in either the Atlantic or one of a dozen swimming pools. There are also first-rate restaurants, including The Beach Club that serves the finest she-crab soup I have ever tasted, and a fitness center. If that's not enough, Hunting Island State Park, just north of Fripp, is one of the largest and most majestic coastal wildlife refuges in the U.S. where over 250 species of birds and mammals take up residence.
On the north end of Fripp Island is
Ocean Point,
a George Cobb-designed seaside layout that traverses inlets and marshes and meanders through inland forests on the front nine, while winding out toward the ocean on the links-like back nine. Until her death in 1984, Pat Conroy's mother lived in a seaside villa along one of the back nine holes and used to collect wayward golf balls in baskets when not taking walks on the beach with her famous novelist son, who continues to live on the island.
Fripp Island Resort took over Ocean Point in 1990 and has been restoring it by stages to higher quality. The restoration has included improving the greens and bunkers, enlarging fairways, adding fairway perimeter mounding on some holes, and elevating tee boxes. At just under 6,600 yards from the back, this par 72 course with a 129 slope is a moderate challenge for accomplished golfers and a sporting experience for the high handicapper.
On the far south side of the island is
Ocean Creek,
a Davis Love design opened in 1995. This par 71 course of 6,500 yards features several holes along an expansive salt marsh while the majority of holes wind through tall pines in a distinctly parkland setting. Scenes from The Jungle Book and Forrest Gump were shot on this land. Just forward and to the left of the tee box of number 5 is a row of trees marked with streaks of red (fake napalm). This is where the Vietnam scenes in Gump were shot before the course was built. Ocean Creek is a tight course and one that should grow in quality as it continues to mature.
The resort's third course is
South Carolina National Golf Club,
Cobb's last creation. This semi-private course also fell into disrepair under old management before the resort began upgrading it a couple of years ago. Located some 18 miles from Fripp on Cat Island, South Carolina National (formerly the Cat Island Golf Club), has one of the area's superior public layouts from a design standpoint.
The holes are real testers, especially in the wind, but very fair. A few marshside holes by Port Royal Sound on the front nine are premium challenges as well as visual jewels. The back nine is as fine a design scheme as you'll find anywhere, featuring a creative mix of long and short par 4's, a fine par 5 that parallels a long, narrow lake, and a short but tricky par 3 to an elevated marshside green.
In addition to upgrading course conditions, the resort plans to add tennis facilities and other amenities and enlarge and upgrade the practice area as part of a comprehensive improvement of the club. In my opinion, South Carolina National is the resort's best
course. 
Beaufort Archipelago Golf
