It's no coincidence that Harbour Town Golf Links is the most famous and best course you can play on your Hilton Head golf vacation.
A popular stop on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town was designed in 1965 by architect Pete Dye and his young protégé, Jack Nicklaus, who, at the time, was approaching his zenith as the world's greatest golfer.
Dye and Nicklaus imported ideas such as railroad ties and waste bunkers from courses in the British Isles. They also went against prevailing logic by building a short layout with narrow fairways and tiny, postage-stamp-sized greens.
At 5,208 yards from the green tees, the Harbour Town Golf Links is not very memorable. But measuring 6,973 yards from the Heritage tees, the par-71 course requires you to make perfectly positioned shots, with arrow-straight accuracy and unwavering consistency.
Every hole has its own unique flavor, and the finishing trio is among the most breathtakingly difficult you will find on your Hilton Head golf vacation, or just about anywhere else.
The 18th, with the famous candy-cane lighthouse in the background, is the most recognizable, but the windswept 185-yard, par-3 17th, which overlooks the Calibogue Sound and across to Daufuskie Island, perfectly captures the area's low country ambience.
Hilton Head Island in South Carolina offers 23 courses for your golf vacation, but none better or more memorable than Harbour Town Golf Links.
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