Haig Point
Less than an hour by car from Savannah we discovered Haig Point, one of those fantastic secrets hidden in plain sight that provides a lifestyle worthy of the best literature, distinctly American but appealingly universal in its simultaneous provision of pure Old World excellence and direct engagement with the modern world—when you want it. This is the setting for great stories and great lives, whether by resident or visitor.
Located on South Carolina’s Daufuskie Island, Haig Point has its own ferry. Embarkation is handled in a woodland area: pull up, drop your groceries and luggage with the valet, park in the protected lot, walk down the dock and there you are. The ride is 15 minutes or so, with hourly departures on the half hour, and the trip is beautiful, transformative even, allowing just enough time to exhale and to shift mentally from mainland to island. Residents can find their groceries waiting at their homes, while we found our luggage in our room. On an “experience” visit, we parked our Bentley in the lot and boarded the ferry at sunset, arriving a short time later at Haig Point’s centerpiece Strachan Mansion. The elegant 1910 building serves as the community’s centerpiece, housing the post office, a general store and a bar, along with accommodations for visitors and guests of residents/members.
Our room featured a deeply comfortable bed, a mammoth clawfoot tub and access to the mansion’s large deck, with incredible views of the island and waterways. The next morning we toured the area by golf cart (there are no cars on the island), visiting the incredible Equestrian Center, games areas—including six Har-Tru tennis courts, bocce and more—and other amenities. There are 29 holes of golf here, including a well-maintained 20-hole course designed by Rees Jones in 1986 and another 9 (the “Osprey”) added later. The modern clubhouse holds everything golfers could want, including an executive meeting room—and truly, Haig Point’s out-of-area memberships are an unbelievable offering, providing opportunities for unique client or family engagements at a beyond-reasonable price point—while the rest of the island offers full-time residents (of which there are many) an enviable lifestyle just 10 minutes via water taxi from Hilton Head’s Harbour Town.
Internet here is better than most of the mainland, valet and concierge services are comprehensive and well managed by Haig Point staff, and the greater island holds charms as well, including the Daufuskie Island Crab Co, a waterside restaurant and bar at which you might see a rock star or two. Beyond all of that, the forested lanes, the pastoral vistas, the clean beaches and refreshing quiet make for the kind of living one might believe to be reserved for the best fiction, but this is real. There’s a new elementary school here, a Beach Club and incredible dining and amenities, all of it a world away from anything but so close to the best of everything. We found it clarifyingly real, and difficult to leave. For vacation, for business, or for living, Haig Point is simply stunning. Visit haigpoint.com for more.