Jackson Reid
Harbour Town Golf Links is a public golf course located at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is considered one of the best golf courses in the world and has been ranked as the #2 golf course played on the PGA Tour. The course was designed by Pete Dye, with design consultation from Jack Nicklaus, and opened for play in 1969. Harbour Town Golf Links is known for its challenging holes, including the 18th hole, which is one of the most recognisable in golf, featuring the Harbour Town Lighthouse in the backdrop. The course is open all year round and offers a unique blend of finesse, imagination, and shot-making.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
| Resort | The Sea Pines Resort |
| Designer | Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus |
| Course type | Par 71 |
| Course length | 7,099 yards (6,491 m) |
| Holes | 18 |
| Green fees for public play | $195 to $470, depending on the season |
| Number of rounds played per year | 38,000 |
| Grass types | Bermuda, Celebration Bermuda, TifSports Bermuda, Empire Zoysia, TifEagle Bermuda, Poa Trivialis |
| Notable holes | 9th, 14th, 17th, 18th |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Harbour Town Golf Links is located at The Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- The course was designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus
- It is ranked as one of the best golf courses in the world
- The course is open all year round and green fees range from $195 to $470
- The 18th hole is one of the most recognisable in golf, with the lighthouse standing behind the green
Harbour Town Golf Links is located at The Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
The golf course is known for its challenging holes, including the 18th, which is one of the most recognisable holes in golf. The 18th hole features a wide landing area jutting into Calibogue Sound, with the iconic red-and-white-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse standing behind the green. The course also includes a mix of seven different types of grass, with Bermuda grass making up the fairways, rough, and tee boxes. The greens are small, averaging 3,700 square feet in area, and are surrounded by hazards such as bunkers and water.
The Sea Pines Resort offers a premier golf experience with elevated course views, complimentary full-service locker rooms, and restaurants. In addition to Harbour Town Golf Links, the resort features two other highly-ranked courses in South Carolina: Heron Point and Atlantic Dunes. The resort also hosts the annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, South Carolina's only PGA Tour event.
The Harbour Town Golf Links course is open all year round, with green fees for public play ranging from $195 to $470, depending on the season. It will, however, be closed for restoration from May 5 to November 10, 2025 (dates are subject to change).
Nike's Golf Equipment: A Thing of the Past?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The course was designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus
Harbour Town Golf Links is a public golf course located in South Carolina, United States, in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island. The course was designed by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus serving as a design consultant.
Dye, a famed designer, and Nicklaus, a professional golfer, collaborated on the layout of the course, which first opened in 1969 for the inaugural Heritage Golf Classic. Harbour Town is considered a watershed design in architecture history, marking a turning point in the game of golf. The course is known for its unique character, reminiscent of old Scottish courses, with narrow fairways, overhanging oaks, pines, palmettos, and dark lagoons.
Nicklaus, who was still playing the PGA Tour full-time, provided consulting for Harbour Town, his first paid design work. Dye, on the other hand, had previously designed another course in the Sea Pines Resort, Heron Point, which he redesigned in 2007. Dye's design philosophy differed from that of Robert Trent Jones Sr., the pre-eminent architect of the time, resulting in a ground-hugging layout with small tees, gently curving fairways, and tiny greens with subtle fall-offs.
The course is known for its demanding precision in shot-making, requiring perfectly positioned shots to navigate the tight fairways and avoid overhanging trees. It has been ranked highly among golf courses in America by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, and it continues to be a popular destination for golfers seeking a challenging and unique golf experience.
Harbour Town Golf Links has become an iconic golf course, recognised as the crowning achievement of designer Pete Dye and a testament to the collaboration with Jack Nicklaus.
Golfing: My Personal Journey and Insights
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It is ranked as one of the best golf courses in the world
Harbour Town Golf Links is a public golf course located in South Carolina, in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island. It is ranked as one of the best golf courses in the world, and for good reason.
The course was designed by Pete Dye, with the help of professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, and opened in 1969. It has been called a "golf lover's paradise" and is known for its small greens, emphasis on finesse, imagination, and shot-making, rather than strength. The course is also famous for its majestic closing stretch along the Calibogue Sound, with the 18th hole being one of golf's most recognisable finishes. The hole has a wide landing area jutting into Calibogue Sound, with the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse standing behind the green.
The course is challenging, with narrow fairways, overhanging oaks, pines, palmettos, and dark lagoons. It requires precision and strategy, with a high percentage of holes that have a very small margin of error between greens and water hazards. The greens are slick and firm Bermuda grass, averaging 3,700 square feet in area, while the average on tour is 6,600 square feet. This means that golfers must be precise in their direction and distance, as shots must be placed in the strategic part of the fairway to have a direct shot into the green.
The course has been ranked highly by several publications and organisations. Golf Digest ranked it the #21 ranked public course in America in 2011-2012, and PGA Tour professionals rated it the #2 ranked golf course played on tour in a survey by Golf Digest. Golf Magazine rated it the #12 rated public course in America in 2012, and it was ranked #14 in the country by the same magazine in 2010.
Golf's Grand Slam Glory: An Elite Club
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The course is open all year round and green fees range from $195 to $470
Harbour Town Golf Links is open all year round, even during overseeding in October and the aerating of the greens in June, July, and August. The course is located at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is considered one of the most celebrated courses on the PGA Tour and has been ranked as one of the top public courses in the United States.
The course was designed by Pete Dye, with design consultation from Jack Nicklaus. It opened in 1969 and has been a regular stop on the PGA Tour since, hosting the RBC Heritage tournament annually. The course is known for its challenging design, which prioritises finesse, imagination, and shot-making over strength. It features a mix of tight fairways, small greens, and water hazards that require precise shot placement.
The green fees for public play at Harbour Town Golf Links range from $195 to $470, depending on the season. Junior golfers aged 17 and younger receive a 50% discount. The course offers a variety of packages, such as the Love-Dye Package, which includes rounds on two highly-rated courses, and the Inn Golf Package, which combines golf with luxury accommodation at The Inn & Club at Harbour Town.
The maintenance of the course's grass is overseen by course superintendent Jonathan Wright. The grass consists of several different types, including Bermuda grass, rye grass, and Zoysia grass, which are managed to keep the course green and playable year-round.
Golf: A Kid's Game for Life
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The 18th hole is one of the most recognisable in golf, with the lighthouse standing behind the green
Harbour Town Golf Links is a celebrated golf course located at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is the course that put Hilton Head Island on the map, and it remains one of the most revered courses in the world. Harbour Town has been ranked as the #2 golf course played on the PGA Tour and is known for prioritising finesse, imagination, and shot-making over strength.
The course is the brainchild of renowned designer Pete Dye, with design consultation from Jack Nicklaus. Dye's signature risk-reward philosophy is evident throughout the course, challenging golfers to navigate strategic bunkers, water hazards, and overhanging trees. The course features seven different types of grass, carefully maintained by course superintendent Jonathan Wright.
The 18th hole at Harbour Town is particularly iconic. It is a par-four hole and one of the most recognisable finishes in golf, with the red-and-white-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse standing sentinel behind the green. The hole stretches 472 yards and requires a precise approach to a small green, with Calibogue Sound lurking to the left. The wide fairway offers golfers a bailout option to the right, but innocent-looking mounding has caused many golfers to lose a sought-after par.
The 18th hole is a fitting conclusion to the Harbour Town Golf Links experience, providing a memorable challenge that has earned its reputation as one of golf's greatest finishing holes. The hole's design, combined with the picturesque backdrop of the lighthouse, makes it a favourite among golfers and spectators alike.
Golfing After Hip Replacement: What's a Safe Timeline?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Harbour Town Golf Links is located at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
The course is relatively flat and has small greens. It is considered a "thinking man's course" that requires finesse, imagination, and shot-making rather than strength. It has a mix of tight fairways, bunkers, and water hazards.
Harbour Town Golf Links was designed by Pete Dye, with design consultation from Jack Nicklaus.
The course opened for play in 1969 and has been a regular stop on the PGA Tour since then.
The 18th hole is one of the most recognisable in golf, with the Harbour Town Lighthouse standing behind the green. The 9th hole is also notable, with a tight par 4 that can be reached from the tee with a long drive.
