Isle of Palms is a barrier island along the coast of South Carolina, near the historic city of Charleston. Although the island had many visitors in its early years, it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the area saw permanent inhabitants. In 1899, the island was purchased by J.S. Lawrence, who recognized the area for its cooler climate and natural beauty and decided to name it the Isle of Palms. In the first decades of its development, the Isle of Palms saw the construction of a 50 room resort hotel, a beach pavilion, and an amusement park, which attracted many Charlestonians and other visitors to the island by ferry across the Charleston harbor. In 1946, efficient transportation routes to the Isle of Palms were established, and much of the island’s land was purchased by developer J.C. Long of The Beach Company. One of Long’s plans in developing the island was to provide affordable housing to the veterans of WWII. As a result, the Isle of Palms became a quaint and charming residential community. Twenty years later, resort and vacation real estate developers, the Sea Pines Co., seized an opportunity to build the currently renowned Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club.

But despite this resort development, the Isle of Palms never became a tacky tourist trap. The Wild Dunes only enhances the island’s appeal, and the Isle of Palms still retains much of the natural beauty and laid back island atmosphere that attracted people to the area hundreds of years ago. The residents of the Isle of Palms go to great lengths to preserve the ecosystem that the island depends upon; in fact, the Isle of Palms consistently achieves the Blue Wave Designation from the Clean Beaches Council for meticulously managing their beaches with the environment in mind. For this reason, Isle of Palm’s climate and environment is its greatest appeal. Aside from the six miles of beaches, the island provides many biking and walking paths, as well as sporting programs and facilities, and a variety of park areas. Isle of Palms is also a Mecca for golfers and tennis players; the Wild Dunes offers two 18-hole golf courses designed by Tom Fazio, as well as 17 nationally acclaimed Har-Tru tennis courts.

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