Harbour Town Golf Links

Harbour Town Golf Links is the course that put Hilton Head on the golfing map, and unlike many tournament courses, you can play it. It was designed by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus as design consultant and opened in 1969, and it has hosted the island's PGA Tour event, now the RBC Heritage, which the island's visitor bureau describes as South Carolina's only PGA Tour event, for decades. It is the antithesis of a modern bomber's course. Harbour Town is narrow, tree-lined and full of small, cleverly protected greens, with overhanging live oaks and pines, railroad-tie bulkheads and pot bunkers, and Sea Pines' own description sums it up: it rewards finesse, imagination and shot-making rather than strength. From the Heritage tees it plays to a par of 71 at a little over 7,100 yards, with a slope rating that warns you what the tour players face, but there are several shorter sets of tees, down to around 5,200 yards, so mid-handicappers can enjoy it without being humiliated. The par threes are celebrated, and the finish is one of the most famous in golf: the par-four 18th runs along the edge of Calibogue Sound toward the red-and-white Harbour Town Lighthouse, with marsh and water all the way down the left side. The course sits inside The Sea Pines Resort on the island's southern tip, with its clubhouse beside Harbour Town. It is a resort course with an open visitor policy and is open year-round; carts are included in the green fee, and caddies can be arranged through the resort. Green fees are among the highest on the island, especially in spring and autumn, so book tee times well ahead through Sea Pines.

The best way to play Harbour Town is with realistic expectations and the right tees. The course is not long, but it is demanding: fairways are tight, many greens are tiny, and errant shots find trees, sand or marsh. Choosing a forward set of tees makes the round far more enjoyable, and taking a caddie adds local knowledge on reads and lines, along with stories about the tour players who have won here. Late afternoon tee times can be good value outside peak season, and the light on the closing holes, with the lighthouse glowing over the sound, is unforgettable.

Seasons matter. The RBC Heritage is held each April, the week after the Masters, and the course closes to public play around the tournament; check Sea Pines for the coming year's dates. Spring and autumn are peak golf seasons on Hilton Head, with the highest rates and the most competition for tee times, so November golfers should book early. Winter brings lower rates and the occasional crisp, windy day when the sound shows its teeth. Sea Pines also operates Heron Point, another Pete Dye design, and Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III, a five-time Heritage champion, which make good companion rounds and are generally easier to book.

Non-golfers can still enjoy the course. The Harbour Town Lighthouse looks straight down the 18th fairway, and the harbor's restaurants and shops sit beside the clubhouse, so a walk around the yacht basin gives you the classic view. Remember the Sea Pines gate fee for day visitors driving in (resort guests and golfers with reservations should ask about access), and pair your round with dinner on the harbor or a stay at The Inn & Club at Harbour Town, a short walk from the first tee.