Vision. The simplicity of the word belies the depth of its meaning. Being able to anticipate things before others remotely contemplate them is a skill few people clearly possess. Charles Fraser saw the vast potential on an island just off the South Carolina southeast coast – Hilton Head. Fraser had the foresight in seeing how families would want to spend time at the beach and incorporate a slew of related leisure type activities – with golf being a central item of emphasis.
The Fraser effort took hold in the late 1950’s and accelerated rapidly. The growing Baby Boomer population facilitated the explosion of both real estate purchases and golf course construction. What is important to point out is that Hilton Head Island did not have a connection to the mainland until 1956, when the South Carolina legislature agreed to build an original swing bridge to help promote Charles Fraser’s ambitious development plans for the island. This is an amazing aspect given that Hilton Head Island is the second largest behind Long Island, NY, off the American coastline.
An aspiring golf course architect named Pete Dye was selected to design a course that would prove to be a major game changer. Not only in terms of exposure to Hilton Head Island, but to golf itself, given its far-reaching design. The opening of Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort in 1969 was a major addition, but the key element was having the PGA TOUR stage one of its events at the course. Matters were helped significantly when the first event was won by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. The Palmer victory immediately provided instant credibility for both the golf event and resort. For the first five years of the Heritage golf tournament it was contested in November. It briefly moved to September in 1973, then to March in 1974 – two before The Masters. In 1983, the Heritage moved to April, the week after The Masters, where it has remained to this day. The RBC Heritage, presented by Boeing, is South Carolina’s only PGA TOUR event.
Dye’s design was well thought out in a range of ways. After having visited Scotland in 1963, Dye incorporated many of the classic elements from the old time courses in his creations. Dye himself said in order to be successful he would need to create courses that were the exact opposite of what the key designer at the time – Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was creating. Instead of long narrow tees and massive greens and flanking bunkers, Dye opted for far smaller features with pot bunkers, bulkheads and smaller sized greens. The total length for the inaugural event was 6,655 yards and with greens averaging 3,700 square feet – about half the size generally played on the PGA TOUR. Harbour Town Golf Links was not a bonafide authentic links but its characteristics favoured accuracy over brawn and the variety of its holes were cleverly positioned throughout the property. From its opening the course has been a perennial member of America top 100 course listings.
The most noted dimension of Harbour Town is its unforgettable concluding holes. The dog-left par-4 16th features a massive bunker that protects the inside elbow of the hole. The par-3 17th takes golfers out to Calibogue Sound with the green angled and fortified by menacing bunkers. The concluding hole is one of golf’s iconic holes – a long par-4 with Calibogue Sound to the left and the famed lighthouse serving as the quintessential backdrop. The red-and-white striped lighthouse is 93 feet tall and has been open to the public since 1970.
The golf connection deepened over the years. Hilton Head Island now boasts more golf per capita than anywhere in America. In February, 2018, The Pete Dye Room at Harbour Town Clubhouse opened with a multi-media exhibit that explores the close relationship between Dye – the man who revolutionised modern golf design and his rightly acclaimed creation, Harbour Town Golf Links.
Harbour Town is complemented by two other worthy layouts. Heron Pointe, also designed by Dye and features a routing with a series of strong par-4’s with the 8th, 12th and 15th holes among them. Dye also skillfully included several holes where water plays a pivotal role and must be avoided.
Davis Love III, a 21-time PGA TOUR winner and winning USA Ryder Cup Captain in ‘16, is well aware of the qualities of Sea Pines as a five-time winner of the RBC Heritage event. Love, working with his brother Mark and lead architect Scott Sherman reconstructed the former Ocean Course – the first 18-hole layout on Hilton Head Island. Now called Atlantic Dunes, the design skillfully incorporates low country ambience with top tier shot making. The ending two holes conclude your round in solid fashion with the 592-yard par-5 17th and the 462-yard par-4 18th demanding your ultimate best efforts.
Sea Pines Resort provides much more than just the golf connection. The close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean makes for a range of aquatic activities. And there is also the renowned tennis program spearheaded by former Wimbledon and US Open champion Stan Smith.
As a student at the University of South Carolina, I had the opportunity to visit Hilton Head Island and Sea Pines specifically on several occasions. I saw first-hand the growth and the depth of the resources that were developed. From a country-like small two-lane bridge to one today that is four. There is also been approval for even more width with two additional lanes to be added with construction slated to start in September 2018.
With competition ever keen in attracting visitors – Sea Pines Resort has moved proactively in demonstrating a stewardship role in protecting the natural ambience of the area and in giving golfers a keen mixture of courses that truly do test mind and body.
Course Info
Harbour Town Golf Links
7,099 Yards / Par-71
75.6 CR / 148 Slope
Architect: Pete Dye
Heron Pointe
7,035 Yards / Par-72
74.0 CR / 140 Slope
Architect: Pete Dye
Atlantic Dunes
7,010 Yards / Par-72
74.3 CR / 143 Slope
Architect: Davis Love III
For more info go to: www.seapines.com