Things to Do on and Near Dataw Island
On-island life on Dataw Island centers on the Club's golf, tennis, and marina amenities plus a genuinely documented historic site most gated communities don't have -- and a short drive off-island opens up historic Beaufort and the broader Sea Islands.
Golf: Two Real, Named 18-Hole Courses
Dataw Island's two golf courses are a confirmed centerpiece of the community: the Cotton Dike course, designed by Tom Fazio, and the Morgan River course, designed by Arthur Hills, with the Morgan River course's front nine completed in 1989 and back nine in 1993, per the Dataw Historic Foundation's own development history. Golf is available a la carte within the Club's flexible membership structure, meaning golf-focused residents can adjust their access level year to year rather than being locked into a single fixed package.
Tennis, Pickleball, Croquet, and Fitness
Beyond golf, the Dataw Island Club offers a full-service tennis club (with an Encore Tennis membership option available for non-property-owners), pickleball, croquet, a fitness center, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, per the Club's own membership materials. Like golf, tennis, pickleball, and bocce are offered a la carte within the Club's membership structure, allowing residents to tailor their amenity access to their own interests and activity level rather than paying for a fixed all-inclusive package.
The Marina and Boating
Dataw Marina anchors the community's water-recreation life, with wet slips, dry-stack storage, a full-service boatyard, and fuel, plus a path via the Morgan River and St. Helena Sound out to the Atlantic Ocean -- covered in more depth on this site's Boating & Water Access page. For residents without their own boat, the marsh and tidal creek environment also supports kayaking and paddling as a lower-barrier way to experience the same water.
The Sams Plantation Tabby Ruins and History & Learning Center
Few gated golf communities can point to a documented, on-site historic ruin with a real, sourced multi-century history -- Dataw Island can. The Sams Plantation Tabby Ruins Complex preserves the remains of a tabby home built in 1790 by the father of William Sams, who purchased the island in 1783 and established a Sea Island cotton plantation. The homeowner-founded Dataw Historic Foundation, established in 1997, operates a History & Learning Center that preserves native artifacts and interprets the island's documented Native American occupation (evidenced by shell middens and pottery shards found on the island and neighboring Oak Island) alongside its plantation-era history. For residents and visitors interested in Lowcountry history, this is a genuine, on-island resource distinct from anything a typical beach-town rental community offers.
Off-Island: Historic Downtown Beaufort
A roughly six-mile drive off Dataw Island via US-21 leads to historic downtown Beaufort, a well-established Lowcountry destination recognized by Coastal Living Magazine among its Happiest Seaside Towns in America, per general community-marketing sources. Beaufort's historic waterfront district, antebellum architecture, and downtown shops and galleries offer a genuine change of pace from Dataw's gated, golf-and-marina character. This page did not independently confirm a specific current list of Beaufort attractions or events -- a current Beaufort visitor's guide will serve that purpose better than a general statement here.
The Broader Sea Islands and Hunting Island State Park
Beaufort County's Sea Islands more broadly include Hunting Island State Park, a well-known South Carolina state park with an actual public ocean beach, historic lighthouse, and maritime forest, located within the same general Beaufort County area -- a real option for Dataw residents specifically wanting ocean-beach access that the island itself doesn't provide, though this page did not independently confirm current drive time or distance from Dataw Island to Hunting Island State Park, so treat this as a general regional reference rather than a confirmed specific figure. Confirm current park hours, fees, and driving directions directly with South Carolina State Parks before planning a visit.
What This Page Doesn't Cover
This page names Dataw Island's confirmed on-island amenities and historic site, plus genuinely nearby off-island options. It does not provide a comprehensive, current events calendar, specific current Club program hours, or a verified current distance and drive time to Hunting Island State Park or other regional attractions. Confirm current programming directly with the Dataw Island Club, and consult current regional visitor guides for off-island planning. Nothing on this page is a substitute for a current, local visitor's guide.
Ready to talk to a local Dataw Island agent?
Get a Free Agent Referral →Independent research. No ads. No sponsored listings. Data sourced from: the Dataw Island Club's own membership materials (dataw.com) for golf, tennis, pickleball, croquet, fitness, and pool amenities; the Dataw Historic Foundation (datawhistory.org) for the golf course designers and completion dates, the Sams Plantation Tabby Ruins Complex, William Sams' 1783 purchase, and the Foundation's own 1997 founding and History & Learning Center; the SC Picture Project for documented Native American shell-midden and pottery evidence on Dataw and neighboring Oak Island; general community-marketing sources for Beaufort's recognition via Coastal Living Magazine; and general knowledge of Hunting Island State Park's location within Beaufort County's Sea Islands. Facts not independently confirmed and not invented here include: current Club program hours or a full events calendar; a comprehensive current list of Beaufort attractions; and a confirmed current drive time or distance from Dataw Island to Hunting Island State Park. Confirm current programming directly with the Dataw Island Club, and consult current regional visitor guides for off-island planning. Nothing on this page is a substitute for a current, local visitor's guide.