The Creation of Wild Dunes
Nestled on the northern
tip of Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes has become South Carolina's premier oceanfront
resort. But it wasn't long ago that the 1600 acre tract of land enjoyed
today by residents and guests alike was home to Indians
who roamed the island to hunt and fish, and pirates who, legend has it,
buried vast treasures here under ancient oak trees.
Wild Dunes has quite
a colorful history. The famed 18th hole of the Wild Dunes Links golf course
played a big role in the Revolutionary War when Lord Cornwallis' command
of 2000 landed there with the plan to cross Breach Inlet to Sullivan's
Island to attack Fort Moultrie from the rear. The English were met and
held at bay by a force composed of 600 North and South Carolina regulars;
a company of militia; and a company of Catawba Indians. Not a single soldier
crossed over to Sullivan's Island that day. It was America's first major
victory in the South.
A century later, when
war divided North and South, efforts to pierce the northern blockade of
southern ports resulted in the ramming of the Confederate submarine Hunley
by a Federal warship in the the waters off the Isle of Palms. The northern
ship, the USS Housatonic, sank immediately while the Hunley went down later
due to severe damage caused by explosions resulting from the collision.
The event was the world's first successful submarine battle. The remains
of the Hunley remain at rest off of the coast. The anchor belonging to
the Housatonic is exhibited at the entrance of Wild Dunes' Reception Center.
The development of
Wild Dunes began in 1972 when Finch properties purchased the site from
J.C. Long. It was completely undeveloped and remained in its original,
natural state. Except for a few campers, explorers, and beach combers,
the land was unused, having never been cleared or farmed.
Finch Properties sold
the land to the Sea Pines Company of Hilton Head Island, a developer of
planned communities. They were responsible for the planning, zoning, and
development of the site, and named it the Isle of Palms Beach and Racquet
Club.
Sea Pines sold the
resort in November 1975, when Wilbur Smith and Associates became a 50 percent
investor with Finch Properties in the project. They opened their first
offices in the Isle of Palms Motel which stood across from the present
site of Red and White grocery store.
As the resort prospered
and grew, the decision to introduce golf into the master plan was given
the go-ahead and thus, the Wild Dunes Links Course was created. Designed
by Tom Fazio, one of the world's premier golf course architects who takes
pride in protecting environmental landmarks, the Wild Dunes Links Course
opened in 1980 and became a world-ranked course by Golf Magazine
within 18 months. The prestigious and highly successful Links Course almost
immediately became a cornerstone for the resort and residential community.
By 1981, the Wild Dunes
Links Course had received such high acclaim and publicity that Finch Properties
combined the name of the course with the name of the resort, thus becoming
Wild Dunes Resort.
The year 1983 marked
the purchase of the resort and its world-class amenities by Wild Dunes
Associates. Wild Dunes reached a pinnacle in 1988 when Golf Magazine
awarded Wild Dunes "The Gold Medal" which placed "Charleston's island resort"
among the top-12 golf resorts in America. Additionally, the United States
Tennis Association selected Wild Dunes as the site of the U.S. Men's Clay
Court Championships which received exposure on national television.
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