About: Daufuskie Island is a residential sea island between Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is home to a resort, a private residential community, and a largely undeveloped tract of residential property.
Location: Daufuskie Island, South Carolina 29915.
Hours: Ferry Boat transportation is available to Daufuskie Island. For Ferry information including schedules, shuttles, and parking options, visit DaufuskieIslandFerry.com.
The island is now split into five parts. To the northeast is the Haig Point Club, a private, member-owned residential club with year-round residents. South of Haig Point is the Daufuskie Resort and Breathe Spa. Formerly a private vacation club emphasizing golf and tennis, and offering a private residential component, this is now a publicly accessible resort. Further south on the island's eastern side is Oak Ridge, a small oceanfront community followed by Bloody Point, a private residential community with amenities that are an accessible part of the Daufuskie Island Resort and Breathe Spa. The western part of the island is unincorporated land, with several dozen residents living in a variety of accommodations, from trailers to beautiful waterfront homes with private docks. This section of the island is often referred to as the Historic District. Visitors can take a tour around this historic portion of the island, with boat transportation available from nearby Hilton Head Island, Bluffton or Savannah on the mainland. Highlights include the site of the Bloody Point Lighthouse, the school where Pat Conroy taught, and the home workshops of local artisans. The island is also home to the First Union African Baptist Church, which is Daufuskie's oldest building and is still in use today as a place of worship.
The Island's earliest recorded history traces back to pre-Revolutionary war times. It was the site of a skirmish called the Daufuskie Fight during the Yemasee War of 1715-1717. The Island was home to a sizable population of Gullah inhabitants from the end of the Civil War until very recently. The Gullah are the descendants of freed slaves. The 1988 Jimmy Buffet song, "The Prince of Tides" laments the urbanization of the island and the loss of the Gullah. The 1972 Pat Conroy book, The Water is Wide, was set on Daufuskie, fictionalized as Yamacraw Island. The book recounts Mr. Conroy's experiences teaching on the island in the 1960s.
The Haig Point Club has a private ferry service. The Daufuskie Island Club runs its ferry service, which is also contracted by the county to provide public ferry services between Hilton Head (Salty Fare Embarkation Center) and the Melrose Landing on Daufuskie. Residents of the clubs, as well as some of the other residents on the island, use golf carts and bicycles to travel around the island, although there are a handful of cars and trucks on the island.
There are two historic lighthouses on Daufuskie Island. The Bloody Point Lighthouse was built in 1883 and the Haig Point Lighthouse was built in 1873. The Daufuskie Island Conservancy is one of several local organizations charged with preserving the ecosystem, wildlife, and quality of life on Daufuskie Island. Details of these groups and their meetings can be found at the island's only news source The Daufuskie Front Porch. In addition, there is a web portal for the island. Daufuskie Tides has local weather, tides charts, fishing reports, and other local interests for residents and frequent visitors.
The island has three golf courses, the Bloody Point Course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, the Melrose Golf Course designed by Jack Nicklaus and the 20-hole Haig Point Signature Course plus the 9-hole Haig Point Osprey Course designed by Rees Jones. The 20-hole Haig Point Golf Course is designed to be played as two separate 18-hole courses, one easy, one difficult with two extra "easy" par threes, and many holes have two sets of tees. It is a unique and ingenious design that allows every level of player to enjoy the Signature Course. Ten of the twenty holes have spectacular marsh, sound, and ocean views.
Link: https://www.daufuskieisland.com/
