Harbour Town Golf Links

On Sunday Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell won his second PGA Tour title at the Heritage Classic, hosted by the Harbour Town Golf Links. This week’s course review highlights some of the history, design, and famous holes at this iconic public golf course.

The Harbour Town Golf Links is set on the scenic Hilton Head Island near Beaufort, South Carolina, forming a third of the golf offering at the Sea Pines Resort.

The par 71 course, which is one of the best-known public golf facilities in North America, was designed in 1969 by Pete Dye in collaboration with golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. At 6,973 yards from the back tees, the course is compact but challenging. An abundance of oak and pine trees as well as several lagoons make this seaside course a pleasure to play, while its narrow fairways and guarded greens provide ample challenges to provide an entertaining day on the course.

To keep the golf course in pristine condition year-round, Harbour Town’s green keepers maintain the course meticulously. Seven different types of grasses are used on the course, of which four are Bermudas. This type of grass is well-suited to hot weather during the summer months, while the other grass types can withstand the cold winter – the result of this careful planning is a golf course that can be played in immaculate condition throughout the year.

The tight fairways at Harbour Town require accurate tee shots throughout the course, with the ninth hole posing a challenge to amateur and professional golfers with its deceptively short distance that has tempted many a player to overshoot the green. The final holes, which are flanked by the water, often see golfers chipping out of the sea sand when tides are low.

Harbour Town is a public golf course, making it accessible to visitors. Tee times should be booked in advance on the course’s website.

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