Some years ago, venerable Golf Digest anointed Hilton Head as the 10th finest golf destination on the planet. If only they could've peeked a bit further behind the moss curtain.

Sure, Harbour Town, Palmetto Dunes, and Daufuskie Island give the region its tourist-golfer imprimatur. But there are some "secret stashes" when it comes to Lowcountry golf, the type of green-grass wonderlands that the average vacationer has never even heard of, never mind visited. Here is a pair of "hush-hush" examples:

The May River Golf Club is a sublime Jack Nicklaus creation that has sprung to life deep within the forested confines of Palmetto Bluff. It's technically a resort course, but is the rarest of resort golf experiences in that it has the look, feel, playing pressure and most importantly, conditioning, of a fine private golf club. There are natural, as opposed to concrete cart paths, no yardarms or "gravestone" markers on the tees. Members aren't required to do so after 9 a.m., but resort guests must employ a caddie, whether they choose to walk or take a cart."The caddie is the guide to the golf experience here," explains Director of Golf Charlie Kent. "It's like having a professional waiter at a fine restaurant. They are here to make the day more enjoyable, providing yardages, helping read greens, and serving players in any way." Another subtle touch is the daily tee sheet that offers exact yardages to the pin, so a golfer can use the fairway mileage markers and know the first hole is "+12 yards," the second is "-7," etc.

Like the nearby Inn at Palmetto Bluff, where resort guests must stay if they want access to this golf paradise, the course features subtleties that are much appreciated, but might not be noticed initially. An example: At the far end of the 450 yard long, double-sided range, stocked at both sides with sparkling Pro V-1 practice balls, by the way, are a series of humps, swales and hollows. These were conjured by bulldozer, and the purpose is to allow dedicated practice-addicts the opportunity to work on uphill, downhill and side-hill lies. Add this to the additional acreage set aside for a short game laboratory, with bunkers of various sizes and depths, and multiple greens, and you have a practice facility rivaling anything in the area.

Though it's one of the prettiest and most secluded golf experiences in the region, the single defining feature of May River are the green complexes. They are practically"negative edge" greens, meaning they morph so seamlessly from putting surface proper to the surrounding swales and collection areas, it's ridiculously easy to chip, even putt a golf ball too boldly and have it run entirely off the green. The bunkering is plentiful, and the waste areas and sand hazards abounding are of different sizes, shapes, depths, colors and consistency. For these reasons and many others, the May River Golf Club, with its art gallery-caliber par 3s, confounding green complexes and serene setting, has immediately taken a position as one of the premiere venues in the Carolina Lowcountry.

In a region full-to-brimming with exceptional golf experiences, a much-coveted, hard-to-come-by invite to Spring Island, is at or near the top of the list.

Arnold Palmer's Old Tabby Links is the golf centerpiece of low-profile, high-dollar Spring Island, perhaps thirty minutes northwest of the Hilton Head bridge.

"The King" has never really been considered architectural royalty, certainly not in comparison to other golf stars-turned-architects named Weiskopf, Crenshaw, and some guy named Nicklaus. But Palmer has done some exquisite work at this woodsy retreat, and each delightful circuit of this bucolic and immaculately conditioned gem reinforces the notion that this mostly-undiscovered jewel is at the pinnacle of the region's pecking order. But here's the real news: There's much more to Spring Island than just golf.

Old Tabby Links, compelling experience that it is, is little more than a tablecloth on a football field in the scheme of things. Because the whole of Spring Island is 3,000+ acres of live oaks and Spanish moss, tall marshland grasses, surrounding tidal creeks and rivers, freshwater and saltwater ponds.

There are residents, to be certain, but not nearly as many as there might have been. Because preserving the island's biological integrity was what appealed to developer Jim Chaffin of Chaffin/Light Associates. In the late 1980s, he heard of a proposed development plan for Spring Island that called for the construction of 5,000 homes and two golf courses. But he envisioned something quite different—a low-impact community with nature as its core. Today, Spring Island has just 410 home sites. In addition, 1,200 acres have been set aside into a nature preserve, allowing for residents to appreciate Chaffin's description of the island development:"Spring Island is a park with a community in it, as opposed to a community with a park in it." The developer's commitment and ultimate realization of its original plan has earned Spring Island the Urban Land Institute's Sensitive Development Award.

It would be disingenuous to say that whacking the white ball through that marvelous meadow isn't one of Spring Island's primary appeals. But other activities abound, keeping long-time head pro Bill Sampson's pro shop buzzing, but not overrun. Regarding other outdoor pursuits, fishermen drop lines in 20 freshwater ponds, where bass and bream abound. In the saltwater ponds, redfish, flounder and striped bass are the prey. The rivers and creeks surrounding Spring Island are home to Cobia, tarpon, red fish and sea trout, while 30 minutes by boat to Port Royal Sound and the Atlantic Ocean afford the chance to catch blue marlin, wahoo, king mackerel and dolphin.

It is places like May River and Old Tabby that truly make Hilton Head a world-class golf destination. Add in several others, cut from the same high-end fabric (Secession Club, Chechessee Creek, Haig Point, to name but three) and a golf connoisseur can truly understand why the region offers such broad-based appeal---golf, and otherwise.