Hilton Head Named Golf Destination of the YEAR!

If you were going to have a group choose the title "Golf Destination of the Year", who would it be? Maybe people whose job it is to make sure their clients have the best possible experience, in the most enchanting possible place, at an affordable price that makes them want to come back? How about the 600 members of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO)?

The trade association of those 600 golf tour packagers from 60 different countries (who book 85% of the international golf tour business) voted Hilton Head Island the 2016 North American Golf Destination of the Year at their annual meeting in Tenerife, Spain. Each of those tour operators, whose very livelihood depends on creating happy customer experiences, casts a vote for their favorite destinations in five regions of the golf world, based on customer satisfaction, the quality of the courses and accommodations, the value for the money, the professional conduct of the hosts, accessibility to tee times and support from the local tourism industry.

And Hilton Head Island was voted #1 in North America! Ahead of, well, you know who they are, some other pretty terrific places to play.
The award is further confirmation of Hilton Head's recent renaissance of golf from a number of perspectives-

1. The variety of layouts designed by Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, Dye and the Jones', Davis Love, Arthur Hills and the Fazio's.

2. The variety of pricing options available, with each golf course also cooperating with each other to help you create the golf itinerary YOU want.

3. Improved course conditioning, epitomized by last summer's total re-grassing of the famed Harbour Town Golf Links- host of South Carolina's only PGA TOUR event, the RBC Heritage every April.

4. The 9-figure expense of re-designing and upgrading every one of the Island's beachfront hotels that give visitors 12 miles of pristine beaches to enjoy before and after their rounds.

5. And a bustling bistro scene that makes your post-round experience something you'll remember long after your round of golf is history.
"Golf is part of the DNA of our destination," said Hilton Head Chamber President and CEO Bill Miles upon receiving the award. "What sets Hilton Head Island apart is not only our long-standing tradition of golf, but the unique environment in which we play the game, and the commitment to preserving the natural beauty of our destination. It's what makes it a place that visitors and those who love the game of golf return to again and again."

It's something Hilton Head Islanders have felt for years, and the WORLD'S most influential golf travel experts have now validated, the Golf Island is a world-class golf destination, for 2016, and years ahead.