GOLF IS KING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND
The Sea Pines Resort Leads the Way with Three Award-Winning Courses
On Hilton Head, an island known for its golf, the crown jewel is Harbour Town Golf Links, the area’s number-one-rated course and since 1969 the home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
One of three incredible courses that are part of The Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town Golf Links is set amid scenic Lowcountry landscapes and a must-play golf destination in the Southeast.
That’s no surprise, given the fame of this celebrated layout, designed by Pete Dye in association with Jack Nicklaus. The par -71 Harbour Town Golf Links places a premium on finesse, imagination, and shot making. Its diverse collection of par 3s is among the finest anywhere, while the 18th hole – with the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse in the backdrop and Calibogue Sound hugging its left side–is one of the game’s most recognizable finishes.
Guests of the resort and visitors to the island will also want to play the highly acclaimed Heron Point, also designed by Pete Dye. The course is a happy marriage of charm and challenge that encourages strategic risk-reward shot making on dramatic fairways and into small greens protected by Dye’s signature mounds and swales.
by Pete Dye
Hilton Head Island, SC
The resort’s third course, Atlantic Dunes, is a reconstruction of The Sea Pines Resort’s historic Ocean Course, the first layout built on Hilton Head Island in 1961 by George Cobb. The total makeover by Davis Love III debuted in October 2016 and retraces the original routing while giving it a new look, new feel, and new challenge.
Hilton Head Island, SC
Love, a five-time winner of the PGA Tour event at Harbour Town, rebuilt every hole to accommodate modern shot values. Just as important was protecting and enhancing the course’s seaside setting, which he accomplished by incorporating coquina shells, seaside grasses, the surrounding beachfront, and a bounty of native pines and oaks to line the fairways. The “new” course is more spacious than the original with wider, more scenic corridors, smaller water hazards, and larger, more welcoming greens.
All three courses are listed in Golfweek’s top 10 courses in South Carolina – Harbour Town (#2), Atlantic Dunes (#9), and Heron Point (#10) – creating a stellar trifecta for any golfer. And there’s much more golf for the truly committed: Combining the options on the island, in nearby Bluffton, and others within 30 minutes totals more than 25, enough great golf—created by a who’s who of acclaimed architects—to satisfy for a month of exciting play without ever visiting any course twice.
Visitors also will be overwhelmed by the choices at The Sea Pines Resort, which includes the island’s premier hotel, The Inn & Club at Harbour Town, as well as luxurious private homes, Beach Villas, and Golf Villas of all shapes and sizes to suit from 2 to 12 guests. Select villas are pet friendly.
Spanning the southern third of Hilton Head Island, and located along 5,000 oceanfront acres, The Sea Pines Resort has been a quiet retreat for more than 60 years. Beyond its acclaimed golf, The Resort offers an array of outdoor activities for individuals, families, and groups, including five miles of sandy beach shoreline and a 15-mile network of manicured paths. Guests also can enjoy a fitness center, boating and water sports, and swimming pool, not to mention award-winning environmental explorations including beach walks, bike tours, hay wagon rides, kayaking excursions, equestrian, stargazing, and more.
There’s also choice in how to enjoy it all, The Sea Pines Resort offering numerous golf packages throughout the year, including popular favorites the Villa Golf Package, the Inn Golf Package, and the Ultimate Buddy Golf Package. There are even special packages when the PGA Tour comes to the island every April, that combine playing and spectating.
The Sea Pines Resort is also a premier tennis facility, offering several playing packages of its own. Guests also can enjoy a variety of instructional programs suitable for tennis players of all skill levels, from novices to those perfecting their competitive and tournament skills.
Stan Smith, the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon Champion and coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s team, first brought his expertise to The Sea Pines Resort more than 40 years ago. Since then, he has developed a world-class program for players of all ages and skill levels. Today, The Sea Pines Resort enjoys premier status in the region as the number-one resort for programs devoted to the sport, as rated by TENNIS Magazine.
After all that playing, visitors will need to refuel, and The Resort features a tasty selection of restaurant options including Links, An American Grill, Sea Pines Beach Club, Fraser’s Tavern, Harbour Town Bakery, Harbourside and, coming in 2022, complete redevelopment of The Quarterdeck restaurant, which will include a new rooftop oyster bar offering 270-degree views of the famed Harbour Town Yacht Basin and Calibogue Sound. In addition, there is grab-and-go food and beverage at all the resort golf courses, sundeck pool concessions, and Cups & Cones, a great place to grab a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone.
For general and package information on The Sea Pines Resort, visit www.seapines.com or call (843) 785-3333
Sidebar: Hilton Head Factoids
Hilton Head is a little less than 5 miles wide and 12 miles long but is ribboned with nearly 60 miles of bicycle trails. Renting bicycles from the resort is a great way to explore the island.
Ever hear someone mention the “toe” of Hilton Head and wonder what they meant? Look at a map and you’ll realize the island is shaped like a foot. As a result, people commonly refer to the heel, toe, or ankle when describing locations.
Despite its shape, the red-and-white-striped lighthouse overlooking Harbour Town yacht basin was never a functioning lighthouse. It was built as a gift shop and tourist attraction and remains both today. Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse, where panoramic views of the Lowcountry await, as does a live web cam.
