Pirate's Island Adventure Golf

Every beach town has mini golf, but Pirate's Island Adventure Golf is a proper attraction in its own right. The complex at 8 Marina Side Drive has been operating on Hilton Head for more than twenty-five years and offers two separate eighteen-hole courses, thirty-six holes in all. The theme is pirates, and it is carried through the landscape: wooden bridges, streams and waterfalls wind among tropical plantings, and players follow clues to find hidden treasure in a pirate's cave. A costumed crew of swashbucklers staffs the course and tells stories about legendary pirates, which gives the round some theater. The format suits almost everyone. You can play a single eighteen-hole course, both courses for the full thirty-six, or buy an unlimited-play option for a long family evening, with lower prices for children aged four to twelve and free play for children three and under with a paying adult. The venue is open daily with hours that run into the evening and depend on the weather, and the last admission is taken at closing. It sits on Highway 278 near mile marker 8.5, beside the Hilton Head Diner, so it is easy to reach from Coligny, Shelter Cove and the mid-island hotels. It is a good rainy-day-that-turned-sunny activity and a reliable crowd-pleaser for mixed ages.

Choose the right round. One eighteen-hole course takes roughly the time of an ice cream; a full thirty-six holes is a more serious outing, and the unlimited option makes sense if you have competitive children or want to replay your favorite holes. The courses are laid out with ramps, water features and obstacles, so younger children may need a hand, and a mixed group will enjoy the story-driven treasure hunt more than the scorecard. The venue states that it has been recognized with several multi-year travelers choice awards.

Plan around conditions. Hours are subject to weather, so check before you go on a wet or windy day. Summer evenings are the busiest and most atmospheric, with lights, warm air and lines for the most popular holes; mornings and shoulder seasons are quieter and cooler. The venue takes group bookings and birthday parties, which can be arranged by email, and runs a holiday charity gift program in the winter with a local organization.

Build a day around the neighborhood. The site is a short walk from several mid-island hotels, and nearby restaurants include waterfront options at Skull Creek and Shelter Cove, so a round of golf and a harbor dinner make an easy evening. For a quieter, more natural afternoon, the Coastal Discovery Museum and the island's pathways are only minutes away.

If you are choosing between island activities, adventure golf is the most flexible and the easiest on the budget, a lighthearted counterpoint to the beaches and a dependable way to burn an hour or two with children.

Bring a hat, sunscreen in the summer and a sense of humor; pirates take their putting seriously. If you are traveling with a mixed group, let the youngest children set the pace, offer a hand on the steeper ramps and agree beforehand whether you are keeping score or simply hunting for the treasure.