The Dataw Island golf community in the Low Country of South Carolina is one of those rare golf communities whose marketing language can match reality. If you want quiet and remote, the long drive in from the guardhouse to the first homes and the two excellent golf courses reinforces the notion. And yet, for those who need a good dose of civilization every few days, the charming town of Beaufort is just 20 minutes away, with a solid selection of shops, galleries, medical facilities and restaurants. For those who need a bit of sand in their shoes, sun on the faces and the smell of ocean air, the clean and typically un-crowded Hunting Island State Park is just a 15-minute drive over the surrounding marshland that gives Dataw Island its distinctive Low Country flavor. Not that the community fails to provide plenty of attractions to stay on site; start with the two highly regarded 18 hole golf courses, one designed by the renowned Tom Fazio and the other by the underrated Arthur Hills. For those who either don’t play golf, or like to supplement their time on the links with other activities like swimming in both an outdoor and indoor pool, tennis on eight Har-Tru courts (half lighted for night play) and workouts in an updated fitness center, Dataw has them all. And although all residents are compelled to become members of the club, they can choose between a basic level –-access to the pools, fitness center, clubhouse dining and even use of the practice greens and range -– and a full golf membership at a monthly dues rate under $800, reasonable for two championship golf courses. And speaking of reasonable, home prices in Dataw are among the most reasonable of any in our experience in a fully amenitized golf community. They start in the high $100s and top off around $1 million, with the widest range of possibilities in between.
