On scenic Isle of Palms, South Carolina, Wild Dunes Resort has long been a premier destination for coastal relaxation. But golf and tennis aficionados have also made it a go-to destination for years. Recently, the resort has been rapidly blossoming into a full-scale sports and outdoor recreation hub, where golf, racquet sports, ecotours, and wellness cross over to create a vibrant, active atmosphere. Director of Golf Jeff Minton is seeing the resort’s outdoor programming thriving and now evolving to meet the demands of today’s sports-minded travelers.
While Wild Dunes has earned a spot as a gold-medal destination for tennis, the exploding popularity of pickleball has added dynamic energy to the resort’s court offerings. With six dedicated pickleball courts, Minton notes that the player demographic is widening rapidly.
"Our older guests play pickleball, but we’re also now finding younger people are playing it from a social aspect more so than a physical fitness aspect," Minton explains. "So that's probably something that will continue to gain momentum."
To support this surge, Wild Dunes has expanded its offerings across all fronts. The resort has partnered with Nike to host very popular multi-day pickleball camps, where guests enjoy morning clinics and interactive round-robin play led by resort pros. And a dedicated internal pickleball association also provides a structured community for resort members. These additions build upon an already world-class tennis ecosystem that features high-level daily instruction, regional league preseason retreat clinics for visiting clubs, and a thriving year-round junior tennis development program for local talent. “We’ve always had solid tennis programming,” he says. “We'll get a lot of people who come to the resort, who may be members at clubs in Charlotte, Atlanta, or Greeneville. And before their league season starts, they come down and do a weekend of tennis clinics and round robins here. We’ve continued to grow those.”
For guests who prefer exploring the area on two feet or two wheels, Wild Dunes provides dedicated pathways and pristine coastal running routes. At low tide, firm sand creates an inviting surface for a beach run, with Atlantic views stretching along the island, giving visitors a front-row view of oceanfront homes and classic coastal scenery along the 17th and 18th holes of the Links Course. Further inland, a dedicated 3-mile jogging path meanders through the core of the resort. Starting directly in front of the Sweetgrass Inn, the loop offers joggers, walkers, and cyclists sweeping views of local lagoons, marshes, wildlife, and golf course vistas before circling back to the start. Cyclists can also explore the island along relatively flat routes, not only glimpsing part of the courses but also many of the gorgeous neighborhoods.
The nearby Isle of Palms Marina serves as the gateway to Lowcountry aquatic adventures. Visitors can take advantage of kayak and paddleboard rentals for quiet, self-guided exploration through local tidal creeks. The marina also offers guided ecotours to Capers Island, where captains pull up live crab traps and share insights into local marine life, including blue crabs and stone crabs, en route to the undeveloped nature preserve. Guests can also embark on dolphin sunset cruises to watch local bottlenose dolphins against the setting sun, or set out on casual, scenic inshore fishing trips along internal creeks to catch redfish, trout, and flounder.
Active days are supported by well-rounded fitness facilities and targeted recovery programs. Wild Dunes features two Life Fitness gyms – one on the second floor of the Sweetgrass Inn and a second facility near the Port O’Call condo buildings – stocked with free weights, circuit machines, and popular Peloton bikes. Group fitness options are equally varied, offering scheduled yoga, aerobics, and water aerobics sessions.
For post-workout recovery, the resort spa offers infrared saunas, zero-gravity chairs, and plunge pools. A flexible day-pass access option allows sports enthusiasts to utilize these state-of-the-art recovery amenities without needing to book a full-length massage treatment.
