Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort
About
The Harbor Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is one of three 18-hole courses at the Sea Pines Resort. It is constantly ranked one of the best courses in the area and in the U.S. Pete Dye, with help from Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course and it is touted as one of his finest courses. The par-71 course covers 7,099 yards of flat terrain.
The RBC Heritage is an annual golf tournament played at the Harbour Town. This challenging course is known for its stunning views and attracts top professional golfers from all over the world. The tournament has been a beloved tradition since the course's opening in 1969, drawing in over 100,000 spectators each year and is an elevated event in 2023. If you're looking to attend or follow the tournament, make sure to mark your calendar for the week following the Masters in April.
As for the course itself, Harbor Town's sloping greens are small and covered in Tif Eagle grass. There are several challenging par 3s but the signature hole of the golf course is a tricky par 4. The infamous 18th hole is 458 yards that require a long tee shot towards the lighthouse. The breeze from the Calibogue Sound is definitely a factor in the difficulty of the hole.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
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Heritage | 71 | 7099 yards | 75.6 | 148 |
Blue | 71 | 6681 yards | 73.3 | 144 |
White | 71 | 6253 yards | 71.4 | 136 |
White (W) | 71 | 6253 yards | 76.2 | 144 |
Gold | 71 | 5867 yards | 69.6 | 131 |
Gold (W) | 71 | 5867 yards | 74.1 | 137 |
Green | 71 | 5084 yards | 66.7 | 118 |
Green (W) | 71 | 5084 yards | 69.8 | 126 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heritage M: 75.9/152 | 410 | 550 | 469 | 200 | 569 | 419 | 195 | 473 | 332 | 3617 | 451 | 436 | 430 | 373 | 192 | 588 | 434 | 198 | 472 | 3574 | 7191 |
Blue M: 74.0/150 | 392 | 495 | 411 | 187 | 511 | 404 | 172 | 435 | 322 | 3329 | 421 | 413 | 404 | 354 | 165 | 571 | 395 | 185 | 444 | 3352 | 6681 |
White M: 72.1/146 W: 78.0/150 | 380 | 471 | 381 | 165 | 497 | 373 | 160 | 405 | 298 | 3130 | 398 | 387 | 376 | 339 | 148 | 541 | 361 | 159 | 414 | 3123 | 6253 |
Gold M: 69.9/136 W: 75.4/144 | 347 | 424 | 355 | 155 | 485 | 360 | 148 | 380 | 283 | 2937 | 358 | 365 | 360 | 324 | 138 | 511 | 333 | 141 | 400 | 2930 | 5867 |
Green M: 65.8/128 W: 71.3/131 | 330 | 383 | 315 | 140 | 427 | 318 | 113 | 309 | 267 | 2602 | 287 | 285 | 272 | 307 | 107 | 421 | 304 | 130 | 332 | 2445 | 5047 |
Handicap | 11 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 2 | |||
Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 71 |
Handicap (W) | 11 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesAvailable Sports
TennisAccolades
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Golf Advisor: Top 25 Courses for Pace of Play in the U.S. (2016 #4)
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by jpar17 on 08/10/2023
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Photo submitted by jpar17 on 08/10/2023
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Photo submitted by jpar17 on 08/10/2023
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Photo submitted by jpar17 on 08/10/2023
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Photo submitted by jpar17 on 08/10/2023
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Harbour Town Golf Links, hole 4 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGP on 11/30/2022
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Harbour Town Golf Links, hole 12 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGP on 11/30/2022
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Harbour Town Golf Links, hole 13 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGP on 11/30/2022
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Harbour Town Golf Links, hole 18 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGP on 11/30/2022
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Photo submitted by cjohnbrown on 04/14/2021
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Photo submitted by DMcK1120 on 10/29/2020
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Photo submitted by DMcK1120 on 10/29/2020
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Photo submitted by DMcK1120 on 10/29/2020
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Photo submitted by MikeBaileyGolf on 10/12/2018
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Photo submitted by MikeBaileyGolf on 10/12/2018
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Photo submitted by MikeBaileyGolf on 10/12/2018
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Sunrise on the first hole. Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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The par-3 4th hole. Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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The view from the men's locker room balcony Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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Teeing off on the par-3 17th Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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Teeing off on 18 Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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New palm trees already being transplanted at Harbour Town. Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 11/21/2016
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Photo submitted by Filthy20 on 07/26/2016
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Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 04/29/2015
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The historic lighthouse Photo submitted by JayCoffinGC on 02/20/2014
A Perfect Course
I recently played Harbour Town and this is my first time since the redesign. WHAT.AN.AMAZING.COURSE.
From the clubhouse to the fairways and greens, this is an incredible course. The greens are a bit hard right now since they recently re-opened but they roll fast and true. Can't wait to play again!
Beautiful Course
The course was in excellent condition from tee to green. Enjoyed the experience of having a fore-caddie to give us tips on how to play each hole as well as much-needed assistance locating our balls after errant tee shots.
If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend playing this course, but a bit pricey to play it regularly...
Great Course
Got to play the course a month before the professional tournament. Could tell they were getting ready for it because the greens were getting firm. The overall course is in great condition.
Course is in perfect condition
Staff graciously let our team play last minute. Very professional and outgoing. Could easily tell they truly cared about your experience. Course was in great shape. The tees, fairways, and greens were all fantastic. Very neat to be able to play the course with the RBC Heritage Sunday pins as well as playing with the grandstands all set up around the course. Always fun to play a PGA Tour course and see how your scores stack up against theirs.
Unbelievable Champion Course
Although the course is not too terribly long, it makes up for it with doglegs, risk-reward opportunities, and challenging holes that require you to hit your spot and execute your plan effectively. It is definitely a champion style course, especially since we played it a few weeks before the RBC Heritage. The course also offers fantastic views of the harbour and brings in the natural beauty of the area. Harbour Town also presents a wonderful clubhouse full of amazing amenities including a well organized pro shop, superb restaurant, and a locker room that might as well be a Hall of Fame room. It was incredible experience, especially as an inspiring, young NCAA collegiate golfer. I would surely take the chance to play there again, as well as reference this course to friends and family.
Immaculate
We got to play this course a month before the professional tournament and it has to be the best time to play. The course is in perfect shape and the staff couldn't be more accommodating. Pictures are a must!
What a place!
Course is in fantastic shape and staff is also fantastic. Great facilities with all the small touches such as ProV1 Titleist range balls. You can easily see why it's the favorite course for many of the PGA Tour players. It always makes you think one or two shots ahead, so for example, if the pin is front left, you have to come in from the right side of the fairway, and, in order to have a direct angle to the right side of the fairway you have to tee off from the left side of the tee.
Good course
Had a great time. Course in good shape. Not sure it's worth $350
Put this on your bucket list .......
Beautiful place. If you can walk it, go for it. You'll get a better appreciation of surroundings. Greens are hard and ball may not hold. Staff does great job start to finish.
One of the best layouts on the PGA Tour
Some folks are disappointed to find out when they play Harbour Town for the first time that the majority of the course isn’t like the finishing holes on the sound. The truth is that those inward holes, while they don’t have saltwater views, are well thought-out, a tremendous challenge and never boring. From the very beginning, Harbour Town is a test in patience, which rewards the skilled golfer who’s willing to think his or her way around the golf course. Harbour Town also has one of the best collections of par 3s you’ll find anywhere, so it’s no surprise that the PGA Tour elite count this among their favorite courses on tour. And then there's the last three holes, among the best finishing stretches in golf, culminating with the 18th and the famous lighthouse. Add the outstanding clubhouse and brand new locker room, rated among the best in the country, and this is a five-star experience through and through.
Great experience
Worth the treat. Don't get a chance to play to many PGA tour courses. It was a great experience and may do it again.
Worth the price
Course had been closed for renovations until September. Fairways played soft and greens were extremely slow. Great test of golfing ability especially with swirling winds. All par 3s required a carry onto the green. Layout involved both long and short par 4s, several doglegs, water hazards and plenty of sand. High handicappers will struggle because greens were small and required a high ball flight to stay on the greens. Bermuda collars made chipping precise. The walk up 18 is very scenic.
Not in top condition
If you want to score you must put ball where you have shot to the green, I know that sounds simplistic but this is target golf. The greens are small making it more of a challenge. The day we played there was mist with occasional drizzle. The course was wet and cart path only. We still played in 4 hrs. Because the course was over seeding and wet, the greens were very slow. This is an expensive tract, I have not made up my mind if it is worth the money. When I checked in the young guys behind the counter were making fun of some lady golfer who had just teed off. I did not think that was appropriate- maybe it was just a slow day for them. This may sound strange, while the personnel was cordial it did not seem like they cared whether you played their course. Almost forgot, this course runs thru tall trees and forested real estate the only hole with water view is the famous 18th with the lighthouse.
A PGA Tour icon and no better finish in golf
My golf game is in no way compatible to the challenges of Pete Dye's target-style golf courses like TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town. Having said that, it's such a neat round of golf to play. Each shot, while often intimidating, commands your full attention. From turning the corner on the dogleg par-4 16th to reveal the Cailbogue Sound until finishing up in the shadow of the famous candy striped lighthouse, this is one of golf's great walks.
We played the course a couple weeks after the RBC Heritage event, and the greens were still ultra-fast, and the lush overseeded conditions couldn't have been better. It blows me away they're going to entirely re-seed the course this summer. It hardly seems to need it. But expectations at Harbour Town are as high as ever. A new clubhouse opened this year and is a fitting base for one of the great stalwarts on the PGA Tour schedule.
You'll need tidy wedges, a savvy punch-out and a descriptive yardage guide to make it around here, and a great attitude. Embrace this most unique design style that is still able to challenge the game's best. And be sure to swing away on the par-4 18th. The fairway couldn't be wider, and you'll need to move it to have a chance at this ultra-intimidating approach.
one of the best courses around
played harbour town as part of a yearly golf trip. it is without question one of the best courses i've ever played. aside from pebble beach, i can't think of any courses that compare.
it was very helpful to have a forecaddie to help with shot selection and also to provide cool information about the course and its history.
the back nine is especially tough, but the whole course will challenge your entire range of skills.
17 and 18 are two of the most beautiful holes i've ever played.
we played the week after the RBC was in town so the bleachers were still up, which was cool. the course was closing down for renovations shortly after we played, but i can't even imagine how the course could be better!
Great Experience!
The Staff were very helpful. The New club house is spectacular!
Bucket List
I have had the good fortune of playing Harbour Town multiple times over the years but have never taken that for granted. This course welcomes you into being a part of history from the moment you view all the past champions and trophy case in the newly updated clubhouse, until you walk off 18 and say goodbye to the famous lighthouse. Every staff position makes it well known that your experience is of their utmost concern. Despite it's popularity, Harbour Town feels like a private club with consistently pristine course conditions. It is truly a unique golfing experience that makes it a bucket list in my opinion. Harbour Town has all the pieces from history, public accessibility, staff service, architectural beauty, course condition, facilities, great food, and anything else you may need. If that isn't enough for you, watch or attend the RBC Heritage and listen to the appreciation that PGA Tour Pro's have for Harbour Town. Happy Heritage Y'all.
Great inland holes to go with the famous 18th
The 4 par threes are perhaps the best I have played. The 4th is a classic Pete Dye par 3 with water all along the left. This hole does a great job of challenging the good player but giving less confident golfers a chance to bail out on the right with little to no trouble. The 9th is a great short par 4. The fairway is relatively wide but the overhanging trees can get in the way of your approach. The green is really something special as it is V shaped with a bunker in front and small pot bunkers splitting the legs of the V. The 13th is another interesting short par 4. The drive is deceptive and the green is really interesting. The fronting bunker is extremely deep and the green itself is sort of Mickey Mouse shaped. The 14th hole is almost a mirror image of the 4th but IMO you get a much better view on the 14th with the elevated tee. The 17th is the last of the great par 3s and introduces you to the Calibogue Sound. The green is a small target, especially in the harsh winds that you confront once you approach the water. The finale is one of the most famous holes in golf and lives up to the hype IMO. The views are unbelievable and the second shot has some great strategy to it. The green is isolated out in the water but you are able to bail out to the right to avoid the H2O. Overall and amazing course and an amazing experience to play a PGA Tour stop.
Great Course
Got bored after first few holes... But then it slowly began to improve, each hole better than the next. 17 and 18 are two very impressive holes. Every part of the course in great condition, greens very fast and very narrow course with small greens, but no ridiculous putts needed. Forecaddie was very friendly, just had a few issues spotting golf balls. Slightly slowed down our pace of play having a fore caddie, but was helpful giving yardages. Definitely suggest to anyone traveling to Hilton Head.
Treat yourself to a great PGA Tour stop.
Excellent layout and very good conditioned fairways and rough. Super friendly staff. Greens are firm and fast. Bring your "A" game, because this course will play a bit tougher than your average resort course. Tight fairways make this a true test, but its very playable.
I think its worth the money.