June 23, 2023 •Carolina Girl
As a wildlife sanctuary with a long and beautiful beach, there’s a lot to do on Fripp Island (beach time, exploring nature & wildlife watching, fishing, crabbing & boating, cruising on a golf cart) that lies outside of the offerings of the Fripp Island Resort. However, the resort has a number of amenities, such as golf courses, pools, restaurants, pickleball & tennis, excursions & rentals, a marina, and more that island guests can purchase access to via the resort’s “club cards” to enhance their vacation experience. Here are our top 5 Fripp Island Resort amenities ya’ all!
Honorable mention: Horseback riding at Camelot Farms Equestrian Center. At this time, this does not require a resort club card, so this could be listed in the top non-resort activities. But, the resort owns the equestrian center so we’ll give it some cred.
- Pickleball & tennis at the Racquet Club. The courts are offered year round to island guests with club cards. There are six permanent pickleball courts so that picklers and sport newcomers alike have space set aside especially for them. And there are eight soft Fast-Dry clay tennis courts for plenty of volleying and maybe an ace or...watch out...a smash!
- Boating & excursions. The marina was one of the earliest amenities built on the island, so boating has long been an important part of the scene on Fripp Island. You can bring your own or rent a skiff or kayak from the marina. You can also enjoy cruises on the resort’s Fripper II, a 40 foot pontoon boat. It offers sunset, fishing, dolphin and shelling cruises seasonally. Or you can book the Fripper II for a few hours for a private cruise, to reserve call (843) 838-1518!
- Bonito Boathouse (or Beach Club) restaurants. With all of this activity, you are going to be hungry! The Bonito Boathouse has long been a family favorite on Fripp Island. It has spectacular sunsets and long marsh views. You’ll need to go at least once to consider yourself a Fripper. The Beach Club is a bit more upscale and has a new menu featuring southern seaside staples that has been getting good reviews. At the Beach Club, resort casual attire is required and reservations are recommended.
- Golfing. Fripp Island is blessed with two golf courses. Ocean Point is a seaside course imagined by one of Augusta’s designers, George Cobb. Golf Digest gives Ocean Point a 4 Star rating. On the south end of the island is Ocean Creek, Davis Love III’s first signature course. Ocean Creek offers magnificent panoramic views of the marsh, and wildlife is abundant throughout this picturesque sanctuary. Deer, egrets, herons, ospreys, and gators present a distraction in their natural habitat. Golf Magazine named Ocean Creek “one of the top 10 new courses you can play” initially and Golf Digest awarded it a 4.5 star rating. For those of you staying at the Carolina Girl, it is a very short walk to the Ocean Creek clubhouse across the street.
- Cabana Club. The Cabana Club pools are located on the south end of the island also, close to home. With scenic views overlooking Skull Inlet and Pritchard's Island, this is one of our favorite choices for a day in the sun. The oval pool boasts plenty of lounge chairs and is steps away from the bar for your favorite drinks, try a Banana Cabana (a banana pina colada) with a Kahlua floater! In the off-season, this pool is usually heated through Thanksgiving. Explore the lagoon pool that winds its way through caves, waterfalls and tropical plants. Finally, the children's pool is a must see among the younger set, in particular its frog slide is a crowd favorite.
