Harbour Town Golf Links

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Home of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town is a Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus collaboration at Sea Pines Resort. The tight, strategic layout along Calibogue Sound features Dye's signature railroad-tie bulkheads, small greens, and the iconic lighthouse behind the 18th green.

History & Heritage

Harbour Town Golf Links was designed by Pete Dye with consultation from a young Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1969 at Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island. The first Heritage Classic was won by Arnold Palmer that same year, establishing the PGA Tour event that continues today as the RBC Heritage.

The course revolutionized design thinking by proving a shorter, strategic layout could challenge the world's best players. Harbour Town remains one of the shortest courses on Tour, yet its tight live-oak corridors, small greens, and coastal winds make it one of the most demanding. The red-and-white lighthouse behind the 18th green is one of golf's most recognizable landmarks.

Signature Holes

Hole 18 Par 4 · 472 yards

One of golf's most iconic finishing holes. The fairway runs along Calibogue Sound with the approach playing to a green at the base of the famous striped lighthouse.

Hole 17 Par 3 · 192 yards

A beautiful par 3 over a marshy waste area to a green guarded by Calibogue Sound. Wind off the water makes club selection tricky.

Hole 9 Par 4 · 338 yards

A short but devious par 4 with a narrow fairway pinched by towering live oaks and a tiny, heavily bunkered green.

Hole 15 Par 5 · 541 yards

The longest and most difficult hole at 541 yards. A tight, tree-lined par 5 with a well-defended green.

What to Expect

Harbour Town is a shotmaker's course where accuracy trumps distance. Narrow fairways wind through ancient live oaks draped in Spanish moss, with overhanging branches restricting trajectory. Greens are among the smallest on the PGA Tour.

The closing holes along Calibogue Sound bring wind and water into play, and the lighthouse at 18 provides a memorable finish.

Playing Tips

Leave the driver in the bag on many holes. Accuracy off the tee matters far more than distance. A 3-wood or hybrid will keep you in play and set up better angles into the small greens.

Wind off Calibogue Sound intensifies on the back nine. Take extra club and aim for green centers on holes 17 and 18.

Highlights

✓ PGA Tour RBC Heritage host since 1969
✓ Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus collaboration
✓ Iconic lighthouse at 18th green on Calibogue Sound

Frequently Asked Questions

Can non-resort guests play Harbour Town?

Yes, though Sea Pines Resort guests receive preferred tee times. Green fees range from $200 to $400 depending on season.

Why is Harbour Town so short compared to other Tour courses?

At approximately 7,200 yards for Tour events, tight fairways, small greens, overhanging trees, and coastal winds make it play much harder than the yardage suggests.

When is the RBC Heritage played?

The RBC Heritage is typically held in April, the week after the Masters.

Can I see the lighthouse up close?

Yes. The Harbour Town Lighthouse is open to the public with panoramic views of Calibogue Sound and the 18th hole.

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