TRAVEL

By, JOHN TORSIELLO

On Hilton Head, an island known for its golf, the crown jewel is Harbour Town Golf Links, the area’s number-one-rated course and since 1969 the home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

One of three incredible courses that are part of The Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town Golf Links is set amid scenic Lowcountry landscapes and a must-play golf destination in the Southeast.

That’s no surprise, given the fame of this celebrated layout, designed by Pete Dye in association with Jack Nicklaus. The par -71 Harbour Town Golf Links places a premium on finesse, imagination, and shot making. Its diverse collection of par 3s is among the finest anywhere, while the 18th hole – with the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse in the backdrop and Calibogue Sound hugging its left side–is one of the game’s most recognizable finishes.

Guests of the resort and visitors to the island will also want to play the highly acclaimed Heron Point, also designed by Pete Dye. The course is a happy marriage of charm and challenge that encourages strategic risk-reward shot making on dramatic fairways and into small greens protected by Dye’s signature mounds and swales.

The resort’s third course, Atlantic Dunes, is a reconstruction of The Sea Pines Resort’s historic Ocean Course, the first layout built on Hilton Head Island in 1961 by George Cobb. The total makeover by Davis Love III debuted in October 2016 and retraces the original routing while giving it a new look, new feel, and new challenge.

Love, a five-time winner of the PGA Tour event at Harbour Town, rebuilt every hole to accommodate modern shot values. Just as important was protecting and enhancing the course’s seaside setting, which he accomplished by incorporating coquina shells, seaside grasses, the surrounding beachfront, and a bounty of native pines and oaks to line the fairways. The “new” course is more spacious than the original with wider, more scenic corridors, smaller water hazards, and larger, more welcoming greens.

All three courses are listed in Golfweek’s top 10 courses in South Carolina – Harbour Town (#2), Atlantic Dunes (#9), and Heron Point (#10) – creating a stellar trifecta for any golfer. And there’s much more golf for the truly committed: Combining the options on the island, in nearby Bluffton, and others within 30 minutes totals more than 25, enough great golf—created by a who’s who of acclaimed architects—to satisfy for a month of exciting play without ever visiting any course twice.

Visitors also will be overwhelmed by the choices at The Sea Pines Resort, which includes the island’s premier hotel, The Inn & Club at Harbour Town, as well as luxurious private homes, Beach Villas, and Golf Villas of all shapes and sizes to suit from 2 to 12 guests. Select villas are pet friendly.

Spanning the southern third of Hilton Head Island, and located along 5,000 oceanfront acres, The Sea Pines Resort has been a quiet retreat for more than 60 years. Beyond its acclaimed golf, The Resort offers an array

of outdoor activities for individuals, families, and groups, including five miles of sandy beach shoreline and a 15-mile network of manicured paths. Guests also can enjoy a fitness center, boating and water sports, and swimming pool, not to mention award-winning environmental explorations including beach walks, bike tours, hay wagon rides, kayaking excursions, equestrian, stargazing, and more.

There’s also choice in how to enjoy it all, The Sea Pines Resort offering numerous golf packages throughout the year, including popular favorites the Villa Golf Package, the Inn Golf Package, and the Ultimate Buddy Golf Package. There are even special packages when the PGA Tour comes to the island every April, that combine playing and spectating.

The Sea Pines Resort is also a premier tennis facility, offering several playing packages of its own. Guests also can enjoy a variety of instructional programs suitable for tennis players of all skill levels, from novices to those perfecting their competitive and tournament skills.

Stan Smith, the former U.S. Open and Wimbledon Champion and coach of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s team, first brought his expertise to The Sea Pines Resort more than 40 years ago. Since then, he has developed a world-class program for players of all ages and skill levels. Today, The Sea Pines Resort enjoys premier status in the region as the number-one resort for programs devoted to the sport, as rated by TENNIS Magazine.

After all that playing, visitors will need to refuel, and The Resort features a tasty selection of restaurant options including Links, An American Grill, Sea Pines Beach Club, Fraser’s Tavern, Harbour Town Bakery, Harbourside and, coming in 2022, complete redevelopment of The Quarterdeck restaurant, which will include a new rooftop oyster bar offering 270-degree views of the famed Harbour Town Yacht Basin and Calibogue Sound. In addition, there is graband-go food and beverage at all the resort golf courses, sundeck pool concessions, and Cups & Cones, a great place to grab a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone.

For general and package information on The Sea Pines Resort, visit www.seapines. com or call (843) 785-3333

Sidebar: Hilton Head Factoids

Hilton Head is a little less than 5 miles wide and 12 miles long but is ribboned with nearly 60 miles of bicycle trails. Renting bicycles from the resort is a great way to explore the island. Ever hear someone mention the “toe” of Hilton Head and wonder what they meant? Look at a map and you’ll realize the island is shaped like a foot. As a result, people commonly refer to the heel, toe, or ankle when describing locations. Despite its shape, the red-and-white-striped lighthouse overlooking Harbour Town yacht basin was never a functioning lighthouse. It was built as a gift shop and tourist attraction and remains both today. Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse, where panoramic views of the Lowcountry await, as does a live web cam.

$169 www.Datrek.com The Go-Lite has a rubberized putter and driver wells integrated in the top. Top-Lok technology is a patented bag-to-cart attachment system that makes it a breeze to strap the bag onto your golf course transportation. Six zippered pockets include an oversized insulated cooler pocket, a fleece-lined valuables pocket, two garment pockets for all your gear, a large ball pocket and an accessory pocket. Other features include an ergonomic, double-shoulder strap and cushioned hip pad for comfort, an easy-grip handle that is integrated into the bag’s top, and a 14-way organizer top with full-length dividers.

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$199 www.BagBoy.com The Chiller does just that on the golf course, keeps your beverages cold with a removable, insulated cooler bag that holds up to six, 12-ounce cans. The bag also features Top-Lok technology, a patented bag-to-cart attachment system, and nine zippered pockets, including two large apparel pockets for rain gear and wind shirts, and a sleeve for a ball retriever. There’s also a fleece-lined valuables pocket and an oversized ball pocket. A 14-way organizer top on the Chiller has full-length individual dividers to keep your sticks from clashing against one another when traveling over rough terrain or up and down hills.

$159 www.Datrek.com This is one of the lightest cart bags on the market at just 4.3 pounds. The DG Lite II is designed with cart use in mind, as all pockets are forward-facing and accessible while the golf bag is on the cart. Soft-grip lift-assist handles are integrated into the bag top for ease of use, and there’s Top-Lok technology, a patented bag-to-cart attachment system. Other elements include an umbrella holder, a towel ring with glove holder, a 14-way organizer top with full-length individual dividers that keeps your clubs from hitting against one another, and seven zippered pockets, including an oversized insulated cooler pocket, a fleece-lined valuables pocket, a large ball pocket, two full-size garment pockets, and two accessory pockets.

$319 www.SunMountain.com The new VX Bag is constructed with sailcloth, which is known to be more water and abrasion resistant than many fabrics commonly used in outdoor gear. Weighing in at five pounds, the VX has seven pockets, including a full-length gear pocket, two velour-lined valuables pockets, and a beverage pouch. In addition, several enhancements, such as climbing rope handles, an anodized carabineer, ladder locks, and helicopter legs have been added. The VX bag comes in a multitude of colors, which is another attraction. There’s Gunmetal/Black/Lime, White/Black/Inferno, Yellow/Black, and Sky/Blue/ Black/Gray, something for every taste.

$209 www.SunMountain.com The Maverick is designed specifically for use on riding carts. Features include a cart strap pass-through runs behind two side pockets and the range finder pocket, allowing full access to the pockets during use. All the pockets on the Maverick are accessible when the bag is on the cart. There’s a 10-inch, 15-way top with individual, full-length dividers that protect and organize clubs…all of your clubs. And there is an integrated putter compartment to keep your magic wand at the ready. Eleven pockets on the maverick include a water-resistant, a velour-lined, valuables pocket, a rangefinder pocket, a full-length clothing pocket, a ventilated cooler pocket, and multiple accessory pockets. The bag’s fabric has been reinforced in wear areas. Two lift-assist handles molded into the top help load and unload the bag on a cart, and a band keeps the single strap out of one’s way when the bag is loaded.

$229 www.BagBoy.com Take your clubs for a spin with the Revolver XP, the next generation of the legendary Bag Boy Revolver, featuring a 360-degree rotating top with Clip-Lok Technology and a Grip-Lok base. There’s a newly-added external putter tube designed for wands with larger grips, and a 14-way rotating top with full-length individual dividers to keep your clubs apart. The exclusive CLIPLOK Technology and Grip-Lok base holds clubs in place, Top-Lok technology is a patented bag-to-cart attachment system that is easy to manage and keeps your clubs secure. The Revolver XP features no fewer than nine zippered pockets that includes a waterproof fleecelined pocket, a valuables pocket for peace of mind when playing and travelling over rough terrain, and an insulated cooler pocket to keep a cold refreshment on hand for those long rounds of in the heat of summer.

$179 www.Wilson.com The EXO II Carry is an innovative, premium golf bag that features five divided club sections, a non-skid base, 3D foam padded straps, a DryTech valuables pocket, large garment pocket, accessories pocket, water bottle sleeve and large ball pocket to organize and protect your gear while a fully integrated stand keeps everything at hand. 9.5× 8-inch, five-way top with three molded handles. two full-length dividers a full-length garment pocket, one DryTech valuable pocket, a large ball pocket, three accessories pockets, and a large open pocket for a rangefinder or drink. There’s an improved stand mechanism that features a completely redesigned stand trigger that deploys the bag legs farther out for rock-solid stability and ease of use. Two-in-one self-balancing strap technology improves fit and comfort. There’s an umbrella holder, a towel ring, glove holder, and a snap-on rain hood.

$149 www.Wilson.com

Each and every ECO carry bag is made from over 50 recycled plastic water bottles.

This production method uses less energy than employing new material, reduces

CO2 emissions, and keeps plastic out of landfills. The Eco is the lightest weight full-size carry bag the market, weighing in at just three pounds. The bag features a super-light Nanlon fabric that is both durable and water resistant, and there is a six-way club divider and mesh-wrapped protection. The bag also has a Swivelmax four-way strap that makes it very easy to carry and dive waterproof pockets.

$225 www.Titleist.com The all-new Players 4 Plus Stand Bag features a clean and versatile design, with added storage, a premium double strap and reliable aluminum legs to help you get more out of your rounds. The 4 Plus features and benefits include a premium double strap that allows the golfer to haul the bag for long distances in comfort, an expandable full-length apparel pocket for tucking away a wind shirt or extra jersey until it’s needed, a quick-access magnetic accessories pocket, two player-preferred external water bottle pockets, high-grade aluminum legs and advanced hinged bottom that create bestin-class stability, a waterproof valuables pocket, two Velcro glove pockets, and a lightweight, low profile top cuff with full-length dividers to keep your clubs from hitting together when passing over rough terrain and up and down hills.