Sea Pines Resort or, simply, "Sea Pines," is a gated community in the town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Formerly known as Sea Pines Plantation, the historic resort encompasses 5,200 naturally beautiful acres located on the southern end of Hilton Head Island. There are 5 miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, a 605-acre Forest Preserve, 3 golf courses including the famed Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the Verizon Heritage Tournament, 23 tennis courts, 2 marinas, 15 miles of leisure trails, an equestrian center, beaches and a multitude of water sports. There is also a 60-room Inn in Harbour Town, 2 Conference Centers and over 400 residential rental properties dispersed among its 5,200 acres. Harbour Town, itself, is home to boutique shops, art galleries, restaurants, a children's playground and the famous candy-striped lighthouse.

More on Sea Pines Plantation/Resort properties from Carol Ivey...

On June 20, 1957, the Sea Pines Company was formed by Charles Fraser and his brother, Joseph B. Fraser Jr, with their father, Joseph B. Fraser Sr., serving as Chairman of the Board. Charles Fraser, sometimes called the "inventor" of the modern American resort, originally envisioned selling only oceanfront and ocean-oriented lots. Plans changed when architect Stewart Dawson of Boston and planners Sasaki, Dawson, and DeMay developed "T-roads" that made up rows of seaside houses.

The original offices of the company were located in a trailer on Sea Pines Circle (the intersection of Wm. Hilton Parkway, Palmetto Bay Road, Pope Avenue, and Greenwood Drive) and the only phone on the island was a car-based mobile unit. Several roads were established on the island based on paths from the working plantations that had been located on the island years ago. Golf courses were also built, luring would-be residents into the interior of the island with beautiful wooded views. Sea Pines expanded further to offer different types of residences as well as a vast array of sports and activities.

The Heizer Corporation purchased the Sea Pines Plantation in 1982 for $10 million. It was then transferred to an independent investor who, after purchasing most of the property on the island, nearly ran Sea Pines into the ground financially. Unable to pay his debts, he sold his assets to Roylat Holding Corporation with the deal financed by Philip Schwab, a stockholder in a large Florida savings and loan organization. A federal judge then placed the Roylat Corporation and Schwab's organization in involuntary bankruptcy. The legal team he appointed to rebuild Sea Pines created two organizations to run Sea Pines: Sea Pines Associates, which owns resort properties, and CSA (Community Services Associates) which owns, maintains, and secures common property and roads within Sea Pines. In March of 2005, ownership passed to the Riverstone Group, a private concern owned by William Goodwin of Richmond Virginia.

Fraser, along with many local architects, had developed an endogenous style of architecture called "The Hilton Head Style" or the "Sea Pines Style." The style was influenced by the 1960 Modern Architecture movement, California Modern, Japanese Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright's Aldbrass house and the local vernacular style, or "Lowcountry Architecture." The Hilton Head / Sea Pines Style came to be categorized by large overhangs, screen porches, low roof slopes, earth tone colors, and landscaping with native plants rather than formal southern plantings. The desired effect was to blend the house into nature rather than to stand out. The best examples of this architecture were built in the period of 1961-1973 in Sea Pines Plantation. Most of these homes, all on beach front lots, were eventually torn down for larger residences. With rising land prices and a change on public taste the style has largely been abandoned in favor of increasingly larger private residences as well as historically derivative styles from around the world.

Today, houses, villas, condominiums, and hotels within Sea Pines and other plantations have expanded inward to cover virtually the entire island. In recent years, Sea Pines, like many other resort communities on Hilton Head Island, has also developed a large permanent resident population. In the 2000 census, it was determined that over 33,000 people live on the island's approximately 55 square miles.

The Lowcountry Region, including Beaufort County, offers so much to see and do, from a variety of recreational pursuits (fishing, sailing, hunting, bird watching, paddling, surfing, golf, and tennis, to name a few) to enjoying the many historic and artistic venues scattered through the region (lighthouses, historic buildings, museums, art galleries, concerts, movie locations, the Penn Center Historic District, etc).

Local plantation homeowners and their guests love to re-experience the Lowcountry often by taking advantage of the many local tours through the area. Whether being pulled by horse-drawn carriage, riding an air-conditioned bus, enjoying the thrills of boating or kayaking or even joining one of the frequent walking tours, Beaufort County residents - full or part-time - know to relax around the island. Shopping on Hilton Head Island can include one-of-a-kind treasures from the South Carolina Artisans Center, to clever, little, eclectic shops, to mega, bargain hunting at factory outlets.

If you love the outdoors, a beautiful day's walk or easy drive and a little invigorating competition, don't miss an opportunity to tee off in the Lowcountry, one of the world's premier golf destinations. Dozens of courses to delight players of every skill level stretch across Beaufort County. Lowcountry fairways are respected for their spectacular lagoons, envied for the scenic marshes and maritime forests and long remembered for their abundant wildlife experiences. And the golfing is great, as well. With its temperate climate and year-round sunshine, Beaufort County, South Carolina is the perfect place to enjoy a satisfying round of golf.

And, the island itself is a true paradise. Hilton Head Island in coastal South Carolina is often referred to as the second largest barrier island on the eastern seaboard after Long Island (which is not actually a barrier island but two glacial moraines). Technically, Hilton Head Island is only half barrier island. The north end of the island is a sea island dating to the Pleistocene epoch, and the south end is a barrier island that appeared as recently as the Holocene epoch. Broad Creek, which is actually a land-locked tidal marsh, separates the two halves of the island.

For many years, Hilton Head Island in South Carolina has been renowned as a world class destination for golf, tennis and for family vacations. With over 14 miles of beach, terrific shopping, nature preserves, water sports, biking and so much more, it's no wonder why Hilton Head Island has become a permanent home for so many vacationers.

But vacationers are not the only people who love this ideal locale on the Atlantic. Island real estate is immensely popular and coveted. Million dollar estates, plush executive plantations, luxurious homes, condos, gated community properties and waterside manors are abundant throughout the island. It is as common as sunshine to find yachts standing as if in permanent salute along elegant marinas at docking spots up and down Hilton Head's coastline.

Despite extensive development, however, much of the Island remains as it was when sighted from William Hilton's ship more than 300 years ago. Hilton Head Island's natural beauty, spectacular seascapes and exceptional ecology now beckon a new generation of explorers.

For more information on activities in and around Sea Pines Plantation, South Carolina, visit:

• Resort of Sea Pines Plantation, SC
• Beaufort County, SC
• Hilton Head Island - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
• Sea Pines Plantation, SC Google Earth Map
• View Sea Pines Plantation, SC Area Jobs on Career Builder
• View Sea Pines Plantation, SC Area Jobs on Yahoo HotJobs
• Sea Pines Plantation, South Carolina on Wikipedia.com
• Sea Pines Plantation, SC on AskJeeves.com
• Port Royal Plantation
• Sea Pines Plantation
• Shelter Cove Harbour Marina and Villas
• South Shore Commons Villas
• Spanish Wells Plantation
• Wexford Plantation
• Greater Beaufort / Hilton Head Economic Partnership
• Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
• Arts Council of Beaufort County
• Beaufort County / Hilton Head Island Airport
• Beaufort County School District
• South Carolina Lowcountry Tourism
• Welcome to Beaufort County