Life on Pawleys Island is a Walk on the Beach
Bill and Bonnie Gillespie, full-time residents and members at The Reserve on Pawleys Island, South Carolina, are decidedly “beach people.” The Reserve’s relaxed, Lowcountry setting, championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, and private beach access sold the Gillespies on relocating full-time to one of the golf villas across from the clubhouse. They have loved every minute of their time here since moving in one and a half years ago. Their son, Blake, who lives in Raleigh, N.C., has also enjoyed spending time at Bill and Bonnie’s new home any chance he can get away for a weekend.
Hitting the links at The Reserve’s private golf course several times a week is typical for Bill, though he still works full-time and travels for work quite a bit. Bill was fortunate enough to play on the winning team in the McConnell Golf 11th Annual Ryder Cup in 2018 — the first time The Reserve had ever won the tournament. Making good use of his reciprocal access, Bill also loves playing at Raleigh Country Club with his son when visiting Raleigh. Bill takes advantage of other opportunities to play sister properties such as Country Club of Asheville and Sedgefield Country Club when traveling for business.
In addition to playing golf, the Gillespies love their beach time. As the nearby public beaches can become very crowded, especially in the summer, their family appreciates that as members of The Reserve, they have access to Litchfield by the Sea’s pristine private beach. They enjoy taking a quick golf cart ride to the large parking area next to the beach access, and spending time on the uncrowded stretch of strand — which they take advantage of daily. In fact, their favorite time of day is early in the morning when they wake up and hop in the golf cart with their coffee and dogs in tow. Starting their day together with a walk on the beach sets a relaxing tone to the couple’s laid-back Pawleys Island lifestyle.
A typical weekend for the Gillespies looks like this: Wake up early, take their coffee on a 45-minute beach walk with their dogs, head back home to get ready for the day, enjoy a round of golf, and then eat lunch at the club. In the afternoon, they’ll enjoy a cocktail and a relaxing dinner at home before taking an evening ride on their easily recognizable golf cart named “The Dirty Goose” to end the day.