What’s more, you’re not going to be dis-
tracted on some of those tougher angles
that Jones designed. Tree lines and cre-
ative routing around the 190 acres gives
you the feeling of being all by your lone-
some. In fact, on 16 of the final 17 holes,
once you pull away from the tee box, the
previous hole is no longer visible.
HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS
If there is a prioritized round for your
trip to Hilton Head Island, it should be
Harbour Town Golf Links at The Sea
Pines Resort.
The property, also home to the Heron
Point and Atlantic Dunes courses, gets a
week of high-end advertising each year
via the RBC Heritage PGA Tour event.
Started in 1969, it moved its annual sched-
ule to the week immediately following
the Masters back in 1983, parlaying all
the excitement built the previous Sunday
into a notability that has done wonders
for Hilton Head Island’s reputation in the
golf travel industry.
Harbour Town isn’t that long by today’s
standards, however the layout challenges
even the best of professionals. In fact, the
winning score of the 2019 RBC Heritage
was only 12 under par. What the tourna-
ment broadcast doesn’t convey on Pete
Dye’s beauty are the slender fairways, heav-
ily angled and tree-protected shots into the
green, or the dynamic putting surfaces that
place a premium on accuracy. No matter
how many camera angles you can absorb,
there really is nothing quite like seeing the
lead-up to Calibogue Sound behind the 159-
yard par 3 at No. 17 in person. Nor can you
replicate the finisher, which plays parallel
to the Sound and has you putting out under
the backdrop of the famed Harbour Town
Lighthouse and Marina.
DINING AT ITS BEST
After our round at Harbour Town, we
returned to the clubhouse where we
were treated with some huge chicken
wings with flavor that matched their size.
Because we’re aficionados, we paired
them with River Dog Brewing ’s Light-
house Blonde Lager, a beer that was origi-
nally crafted specifically for The Sea Pines
Resort in honor of the iconic lighthouse.
Pretty good start, but that was only
the beginning.
Alexander’s Restaurant and Wine Bar
is a reservation-required establishment
(during peak season, at least) where oys-
ters and bacon-wrapped shrimp appe-
tizers lead into grouper and other local
catches for entrees. You will want to close
Above: Hole 15
of the Atlantic
Dunes course, also
located at Harbour
Town Golf Links.
The Harbour Town
Clubhouse, left, is
the perfect place to
unwind and enjoy a
great meal after
a round.
vsga.org
with the Cheesecake Bombe or house
doughnut for dessert.
Coast Oceanfront Dining is on the eastern
tip of The Sea Pines Resort inside the all-new
Beach Club. The one-page back-and-front
menu is headlined by the shoyu-marinated
tuna nachos, cast-iron crab cake, smoked
half chicken, and pork belly BLT, in addition
to several fresh-catch options.
Nunzio’s Restaurant & Bar is one of the
Island’s newest restaurants, opening ear-
lier this year. As such, Nunzio and Angelo
Patruno are frequently walking the floor,
earning their compliments on everything
from grilled Spanish octopus and Angus
beef loin appetizers to chicken parmesan
and center-cut veal. Accompanying all of
it is some 170 wine options, including just
shy of 100 reds alone.
We spoke with employees of all three
restaurants and found that chefs from
around the country have been fighting for
jobs on the Island. They know there isn’t
much room for error, but also that the
payoff is well worth the effort. In this sce-
nario, the dining customer always wins.
In the wake of that dynamic, Hil-
ton Head Island visitors again reap the
rewards, able to celebrate in their own way.
From award-winning golf to incredible
cuisine, beautiful beaches, and an abun-
dance of activities, Hilton Head Island is
guaranteed to deliver an unforgettable
golf vacation experience. To learn more
about planning a Hilton Head visit, go to
HiltonHeadGolfIsland.com.
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