And, it is surrounded by three and a half miles of pristine beaches, saltwater creeks and canals that have provided the backdrop for movies such as Forrest Gump, Jungle Book and Prince of Tides whose author, Pat Conroy, calls home.

Once a haven for world explorers and treasure-hunting pirates, folklore has it that pirates actually buried treasure here as, supposedly did the swashbuckling English Captain, Johannes Fripp, for whom the island is named. Today kids of all ages love to explore the island searching for hidden treasures.

The treasures most find is the natural beauty that Fripp Island has been able to maintain.  Yet this uncrowded island offers so much for the visitor that everyday is an adventure.  It’s a place where families ride bikes together, they go crabbing in the little inlets, they body surf or play bocci ball on the uncrowded beaches.  Organized tennis activities and daily clinics are available, or play at your own leisure on either clay or hard courts.

Fripp is a place where wildlife lives and loggerhead turtles come to lay their eggs.  It’s a place where dolphins are often seen swimming in the creeks, and where golfers often will take a“drop” because their wayward ball has nestled up against an alligator sunning on the bank of a water hazard.

Golf is one of the more popular amenities as Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort boasts two award-winning, championship course named “Best of” by many top golf magazines.  

The Ocean Point course, scheduled to reopen this spring, provides 10 holes with such incredible views of the Atlantic that golfers might have a hard time keeping their head down. Aloha Seashore Paspalum is being installed on the tees, fairways, roughs and driving range at Ocean Point. It will be the first golf course in the world to use this grass that tends to allow the ball to sit up in the fairway as if on a tee.  It is seawater friendly making it environmentally appealing as well as providing a lush bright green color all year.

Golfers who play the Ocean Creek course (Davis Love III’s first signature design) have a keen sense they are playing a links course.  The panoramic views on the course are a work of art as the fairways twist and turn their way through marsh wetlands and fresh water lakes.