Sun City Hilton Head

Year-round warm weather, more golf courses than you can play in several months, a clean environment...who wouldn't want to retire in Hilton Head, SC? But where to begin looking?

Del Webb's Sun City Hilton Head - pictured - is a retirement community for retirees who are still active. With 2 championship golf courses (see the Hilton Head golf page for more information about Hidden Cypress and Okatie Creek), a nine-hole putting course, fitness trails, ten tennis courts, and, well you get the idea.

Sun City is actually located about 15 miles from the bridge to the Island, so it isn't constrained by space as some of the others are. This has allowed Sun City to grow into a small town of its own, all centered around a traditional style town square, complete with clock tower. The Village Center has plenty of workshops for residents to try their hand at everything from pottery to computer classes.

For evening entertainment the 17,000 square foot ballroom stages movies, dancing and so on. You are certainly never short of something to do at Sun City Hilton Head.

The continuing care community of The Cypress is located just inside the back gate of Hilton Head Plantation.

There are four golf courses in the Plantation, plus a good complex of bike paths, parks, tennis and more. The Cypress staff organize plenty of other activities for residents too, movie nights, Scrabble tournaments and the like.

Unlike many other communities, residents buy a property at the Cypress, currently between $175,000 and about half a million dollars, and then pay monthly dues.

Newer to Hilton Head than both Sun City and The Cypress is The Seabrook, a Continuing Care community located on the South End of the Island, off Pope Avenue.

A non-profit center, The Seabrook has 5 residential buildings, with more than 200 units available. There is also a central meeting and activities spot, the Clubhouse, which is home to the dining room, library, barber shop and so on. There is a heated swimming pool and Health Center available too.

As with the Cypress, residents own the villas, so equity is gained during the stay, and each villa has its own kitchen. Housekeeping services are available at an extra rate.

Tide Pointe is a Hyatt 'Classic Residence', the luxury senior continuing care and retirement community part of the Hyatt Group. TidePointe has a luxury spa, and owners are given special access to the Sea Pines golf courses (see the Hilton Head golf page for more info).

Units at TidePointe are sold as simple real estate, and then residents pay a monthly fee.