Harbour Town (SC) Review

[den748]

Played this gem 2 weeks ago and it was the best course experience I've ever had. 

The course:

If you play the right tees you're gonna have a good time, it really is that simple.  The fairways are fairly wide; there is no such thing as rough (though some waste areas that are bunkers that are packed down).  The final 3 holes are classics and have some great views of the sound.  I agree with everyone who has said the greens are tiny.  I watch some of the Heritage every year and never got a good understanding of why the 18th green was so hard to hit....until now.  That green is just tiny!   Overall, I found the course to be very fair.

Pro Shop/19th hole:

Fantastic!  Make sure to go into the locker room.  They have lockers for all of the PGA pros in there so it's just fun to see where they all are.  I doubt anyone keeps anything in there but still a very cool locker room.   The pro shop is quite large and has a nice lookout over the 9th green and the range.   The  beers and food at the end were needed since I played with a heat index approaching 110. 

Staff:

Super polite and very helpful.  You are required to have a fore caddie.  This was my first experience ever having a caddie of any kind and I gotta admit, I don't ever want to play without one again.  I played ok and probably would not have lost a ball anyways but to have a guy who knew where you were, and to give tips on where to hit was so nice. Chatting about everything except golf at times made the round feel like I was playing with guys I had known for years (even though I played as  a single). 

Overall:

It is a pricey round of golf.  I paid $300+ tip to play but I did not feel like I over paid.  The drinks were reasonably priced.  Not inexpensive but fair for a high end course like this.  If you have the budget, I'd recommend playing this course.

[vandyland]

Thanks for the writeup! I am going in November and playing Harbour Town and Heron Point. I looked at the course on Google Earth and since I am a bit squirrely with my tee shots I will likely be playing the yellow tees so I have the option to hit hybrid on most holes if I feel the need.

What tees did you play and how did you find the pace of play?

 

My fear is that it can get REALLY slow out there but maybe the required forecaddies keep people moving along. Definitely planning to walk as the course looks extremely walkable and I always think when you play a world class golf course like this you have to walk to get the full experience. 

 

[den748]

16 minutes ago, vandyland said:

What tees did you play and how did you find the pace of play?

I played the whites and I think it was the right choice.  I maybe could have played blues but I was on vacation and was looking for something a bit more relaxing but still challenging.  I don't think you should be over concerned with the tee shots.  Even if you see trees on google earth, they tend to have high canopies and it's pretty clear under them. 

As for pace of play, I was done right around 4 hours.  The forecaddie really does keep it moving. Gave the reads on the greens so no one in our group had to take too long to read and finding balls obviously helps a lot too.  The scores in my group were all over the place 84-108 so even with that it moved along.

If it were not 100+ degrees when I played I would have loved to walk.  There is a nice story about how Arnold Palmer walked the course soon after it opened and they asked him what he thought and said something along the lines with "loved it but my trouser bottoms kept getting wet on the walk to my ball" so they have the cut outs from tee box to fairway.  If I was there in November I would 100% walk. 

[juspoole]

4 hours ago, den748 said:

Played this gem 2 weeks ago and it was the best course experience I've ever had.

Thanks for the write up - we've stayed in Sea Pines the past 3 years and really love the feel of it for the family and I love all of the golf there too of course.  I was set to play Harbour Town this year when we went in June, but they had punched the greens two days before our trip so I decided against it.  Atlantic Dunes is a very fun course that I played last year if you get the chance.  Certainly not as iconic, but a lot easier on the wallet.

[Golfspy_CG2]

4 hours ago, den748 said:

Played this gem 2 weeks ago and it was the best course experience I've ever had. 

The course:

If you play the right tees you're gonna have a good time, it really is that simple.  The fairways are fairly wide; there is no such thing as rough (though some waste areas that are bunkers that are packed down).  The final 3 holes are classics and have some great views of the sound.  I agree with everyone who has said the greens are tiny.  I watch some of the Heritage every year and never got a good understanding of why the 18th green was so hard to hit....until now.  That green is just tiny!   Overall, I found the course to be very fair.

Pro Shop/19th hole:

Fantastic!  Make sure to go into the locker room.  They have lockers for all of the PGA pros in there so it's just fun to see where they all are.  I doubt anyone keeps anything in there but still a very cool locker room.   The pro shop is quite large and has a nice lookout over the 9th green and the range.   The  beers and food at the end were needed since I played with a heat index approaching 110. 

Staff:

Super polite and very helpful.  You are required to have a fore caddie.  This was my first experience ever having a caddie of any kind and I gotta admit, I don't ever want to play without one again.  I played ok and probably would not have lost a ball anyways but to have a guy who knew where you were, and to give tips on where to hit was so nice. Chatting about everything except golf at times made the round feel like I was playing with guys I had known for years (even though I played as  a single). 

Overall:

It is a pricey round of golf.  I paid $300+ tip to play but I did not feel like I over paid.  The drinks were reasonably priced.  Not inexpensive but fair for a high end course like this.  If you have the budget, I'd recommend playing this course.

Thanks for this.  As mentioned in another thread, I really want to take a trip here sometime very soon.  Looks and sounds like a great guys weekend type trip.

[Rickp]

10 hours ago, den748 said:

Played this gem 2 weeks ago and it was the best course experience I've ever had. 

The course:

If you play the right tees you're gonna have a good time, it really is that simple.  The fairways are fairly wide; there is no such thing as rough (though some waste areas that are bunkers that are packed down).  The final 3 holes are classics and have some great views of the sound.  I agree with everyone who has said the greens are tiny.  I watch some of the Heritage every year and never got a good understanding of why the 18th green was so hard to hit....until now.  That green is just tiny!   Overall, I found the course to be very fair.

Pro Shop/19th hole:

Fantastic!  Make sure to go into the locker room.  They have lockers for all of the PGA pros in there so it's just fun to see where they all are.  I doubt anyone keeps anything in there but still a very cool locker room.   The pro shop is quite large and has a nice lookout over the 9th green and the range.   The  beers and food at the end were needed since I played with a heat index approaching 110. 

Staff:

Super polite and very helpful.  You are required to have a fore caddie.  This was my first experience ever having a caddie of any kind and I gotta admit, I don't ever want to play without one again.  I played ok and probably would not have lost a ball anyways but to have a guy who knew where you were, and to give tips on where to hit was so nice. Chatting about everything except golf at times made the round feel like I was playing with guys I had known for years (even though I played as  a single). 

Overall:

It is a pricey round of golf.  I paid $300+ tip to play but I did not feel like I over paid.  The drinks were reasonably priced.  Not inexpensive but fair for a high end course like this.  If you have the budget, I'd recommend playing this course.

I had the chance to  play many years ago and I agree definitely a fun/challenging course.

[tchat07]

I am headed there in a couple of weeks. Very excited but also little nervous because I havent played in about a month and probably wont have the time till that week haha

[Golfspy_CG2]

20 hours ago, tchat07 said:

I am headed there in a couple of weeks. Very excited but also little nervous because I havent played in about a month and probably wont have the time till that week haha

Ah Cool, Stop in Howard County on your way out and pick me up

 

[Stephen Lee]

On 9/2/2021 at 4:27 PM, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Ah Cool, Stop in Howard County on your way out and pick me up

 

Howard county! Born and raised in Clarksville. 

[Imp]

I play it every 2-3 years when I head down there every Oct. Not in the rotation this year, but always fun. That 18th hole... I put one in the water on my approach shot, just short of the green, and cost me a sub-70 round. *sigh* 

--kC

[vandyland]

Just as a counterpoint to the initial review, I played Harbour Town this past week and thought it is a great course to watch but was not my favorite to play. The conditions were excellent, the layout was cool but ultimately a lot of the holes ran together. The par 3s are all excellent, they are the highlight. Holes 9 and 16-18 are exceptional but, in reality, are much different than the rest of the course. I was hitting hybrid or utility iron off the tee on almost every par 4 and par 5 because even if you hit a good drive on many of the holes, if you are on the wrong side of the fairway you will be blocked out. The hole I take exception with the most was hole number 15 which is the only par 5 on the back. I nuked a drive down the left side of the fairway and then had to hit a punch 5 iron 130 yds because of the very large tree blocking the green on the left. I still made a birdie but just thought the hole played strangely. Hole 5 (another par 5) also was an extreme dogleg left that was a bit odd as well. 

Overall, the course will run you about $350 (with required forecaddie gratuity) and I think I am just not a person who enjoys playing really tight, expensive golf courses with small greens. I actually scored pretty well (shot 79) but just felt like I was on defense the entire time. Hole 18 is also absurdly difficult. We had a 20 mile an hour wind coming off the sound (which was directly into us on the par 3 17th) and it made hitting a 180 yd approach into a tiny green seem particularly daunting. 

Ultimately, I am glad I played it as I now have a familiarity with it when I watch the RBC. I don't think I ever need to play it again. I am glad it is on tour because I think it rewards precision in a way that many other tour courses do not. Also, this course exposed my inability to work the ball with all the clubs in my bag which some people may real enjoy. 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by vandyland

[MGoBlue100]

Excellent writeup; thanks!

[mscall]

I live in WI but vacation in Hilton Head every other year. So far out of all of the course I have played down there I agree and would fully recommend Harbor Town even if it is a bit pricy. That being said I have been able to play Whistling Straits up here and between the two if I was going to play one over again....100% the Straits and Whistling Straits. Most of the amenities are very similar but the course are very different but both are great.

[ChuckZ]

My boss and I are planning on heading down to Sea Pines in December for a round.  Have lived here since 1984 and have never played the course.  Have been down there numerous times for the tournament and we work the pro/ams every year at the RBC Heritage on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  Love the area.  Not too far from Charleston.       

[Top Hunge]

I live in Sea Pines and Harbour Town is my home course (thru Sea Pines CC). It's awesome, a second shot golf course.

[TMAC]

I'm a local to the area and I would say that Harbour Town is worth the price of admission for most golfers coming here on vacation.  You may not score your best, especially for those playing it for the first time, but you will have fun and it's usually in great condition.  It's definitely one of those courses that you need to play a few times in order to score better.  If you miss it to the wrong areas (even the wrong side of the fairway on some holes) your score will suffer.
The new Clubhouse is fantastic too.  Great food and the staff treats you like a Pro.
Have fun!