Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort

Played here for the first time just a couple of weeks before the RBC. I felt like it lived up to its lofty reputation as a top-100 course. Being in the Low Country it is, of course, very flat. There are frequent sandy waste areas throughout in typical Pete Dye fashion. The greens were in perfect condition, medium-fast, and a little flatter than I expected. You don't see the Sound until the end of the round. I loved the famous 18th. Hit a great drive and 2nd shot but still ended up in the front bunker. Couldn't get up and down.

It's the crown jewel on Hilton Head Island.

The Pete Dye design is so much fun to play. Sure, you can get into some tree trouble off the tee, but if you find your ball you usually have a chance to advance it back into the fairway.

Requires precise iron shots into the smallish greens but if you miss, you can get up and down with a decent short game.

The last two holes (the last one in particular) is what everyone wants to see, but don't overlook the first 16 holes just because you're excited to get to the closing stretch. Take your time and soak it all in.

With a great history, setting and tradition, Harbour Town Golf Links is one of those courses that every avid golfer probably needs to play at least once. This was my second time around, so I knew what to expect. Most surprising, however, was how much I enjoyed the inland holes, because you don't get to the famous ones until the very end. Precision is most definitely the name of the game. There are plenty of out-of-bounds stakes near the homes, too. Normally not a fan of OB, but it didn't seem constraining in this case. 16, 17 and 18, are, however, as good as it gets, playing along the ocean and into the famous lighthouse.