Seabrook Island, South Carolina; Take a Bow

Seabrook Island, Ocean Winds, No. 16, a par five

Ocean Winds, No. 16, a par five

If our time at Seabrook Island was a screenplay, the story would be an uplifting one. Either the villains were quarantined or it is indeed a jubilant community.

We arrived and met with Joe Salvo, he’s been the broker in charge of Seabrook Island Real Estate since 2004. He directed the community tour; we saw the equestrian center, fitness center, racquet club, marina, huge houses for $4 million, smaller homes for $300,000, the golf course clubhouse and the beach club that sits next to the Atlantic Ocean. With a hawk-eye, he noted various points of interest and told a story about the time Tiger Woods used their health club. It was obvious Salvo has a special relationship with the neighborhood, but something else was on his mind. His son is a freshman on the baseball team at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Salvo was looking forward to attending his son’s Saturday doubleheader.

View from deck of home at Seabrook Island

View from deck of home at Seabrook Island

On the first pass, the Seabrook Island community looks like a lot of lovely neighborhoods, it has a cozy “Small Town USA” feel. Trademark Carolina palms and grand oaks flourish in the area. Portions of the drive included tree canopy roads and views of salt marshes, but this neighborhood has aces in the hole. Its grand driving range, practice facility, and two starting tee boxes are tucked behind the massive clubhouse. The sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean are hidden behind the Beach Club. The light-bulb comes on once you get out of the car to better survey the situation — Seabrook is a proper mesh of resort comfort and ecotourism flora and fauna.

 

Seabrook Island, Crooked Oaks, No. 13, a par three

Crooked Oaks, No. 13, a par three

Spend some time with members at a private golf club and typically the gloves come off. We enjoyed a delicious dinner onsite at Bohicket’s Lounge with Mr. Vladuchick from Indianapolis and Mr. Finke from New York; not a negative word. The South Carolina local fresh catch was fantastic. We played golf with Mr. Farbor from Pennsylvania and Mr. McCulloch from Houston; not a single gripe about the course conditions. The 36 holes of golf there are well maintained and a lot of fun to play. The positive vibes say a lot about the community. People are enjoying themselves at Seabrook; isn’t that the point?

“I’m humbled to work at a place where people work all year to spend one week. The people here are genuine and sincere. And the golf is going to get better once we finish the renovations we’re working on, we expect the project to be completed in 2019,” Brian Thelan, head golf professional told us.

Seabrook Island Ocean Winds, No. 14, a par four

Ocean Winds, No. 14, a par four

On our final night at Seabrook, we ate dinner with Mary Ann Lloyd at Hege’s Restaurant, just outside the gates. She’s sold real estate in the area for more than 15 years. At Hege’s, we were seated immediately and she ordered entrées not listed on the menu. Mary Ann knew what she was doing; we started with fried oysters and had softshell crabs for the main course. Her passion for the area is contagious. She spoke about dolphin strand feeding, which was chronicled by National Geographic and she talked about her days as an avid snow skier.

The private oceanfront community has all the amenities and activities anyone could ever want. Charleston, its brunching fame, and allure are just 20 miles away for the occasional change of scenery. This was unexpected, but the major takeaway from Seabrook was its people’s demeanor. The cast: Joe Salvo, the Head Pro, the members and Mary Ann Lloyd; all of them are happy, it’s easy to see.

Visit: discoverseabrook.com

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