Inside the course: Harbour Town Golf Links

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The famous finishing hole at Harbour Town runs alongside the Calibogue Sound, and the lighthouse is the exclamation point.

Apr. 14, 2009

The TOUR leaves Georgia after its first major of the year for beautiful Hilton Head Island, S.C., for the Verizon Heritage. Learn more about this week's host, Harbour Town Golf Links.

Fast facts

Course Superintendent	Jonathan H. Wright
Original architect	Pete Dye (1969)
Redesign	Pete Dye (2000) \| Listen to Dye talk about the course
Par value	71
Number of TOUR events as host venue	41 (including 2009)
Course ranking	Ranked 23 (out of 54) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2008
Yardage history	6,973 (2003-present)
	6,916 (1998-2002)
	6,915 (1997)
	6,912 (1996)
	6,657 (1969-1995)
Grass	Celebration/TifSport bermudagrass overseeded w/Paragon ryegrass (tees); Bermudagrass overseeded w/Paragon ryegrass (fairways); TifEagle bermudagrass overseeded w/Poa trivialis(greens); Bermudagrass overseeded w/perennial ryegrass (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	10.5-11 ft
Sand bunkers	49
Water hazards	12
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
David Frost

Year
1994

Round
2nd

Finish
T4

Holes-in-one

There have been 10 aces recorded at Harbour Town Golf Links

Player	Hole	Year
Robert Allenby	4	2008
Ben Curtis	4	2008
Jerry Kelly	4	2007
Blaine McCallister	14	1996
Jeff Sluman	7	1996
Gil Morgan	7	1995
David Edwards	7	1994
Bob Gilder	7	1992
Greg Norman	7	1990
Tom Purtzer	17	1986

2008 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	The par-3 192-yard 14th This is a beautiful aquatic layout with water from tee to green on the right. Thanks to overhanging trees, the green is a small, isolated target with an adjacent, small pot bunker bound to act as a magnet for the unsuspecting. 2008: 0 eagles, 37 birdies, 283 pars, 63 bogeys, 24 double bogeys, 2 others.
Easiest hole
	The par-5 530-yard 5th Aim just to the right of the left fairway bunker, and then calculate your odds of making the green in two. The obstacles: a massive strategic bunker to the right, water and a greenside bunker left. A deep but narrow green falls off to the right and rear. 2008: 9 eagles, 210 birdies, 168 pars, 18 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 1 other.

Harbour Town Golf Links			2008 rankings		Last 25 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	410	3.995	14	4.035	12
2	5	502	4.528	17	4.528	18
3	4	437	4.154	5	4.123	6
4	3	200	3.161	4	3.159	4
5	5	530	4.509	18	4.577	17
6	4	419	4.078	11	4.059	11
7	3	195	3.09	9	3.099	8
8	4	470	4.178	2	4.269	1
9	4	332	3.924	16	3.945	15
10	4	444	4.169	3	4.107	7
11	4	436	4.139	7	4.138	5
12	4	430	4.044	12	4.090	9
13	4	373	4.103	8	4.029	13
14	3	192	3.196	1	3.183	2
15	5	571	4.929	15	4.931	16
16	4	395	4.005	13	4.001	14
17	3	185	3.149	6	3.079	10
18	4	452	4.083	10	4.173	3

Course origins

Although Harbour Town Lighthouse is one of the more recently built lighthouses, at the time of construction it was the only lighthouse that had been built on the Atlantic coast in over 150 years. It was erected as a navigational tool for the inland waterway of Calibogue Sound. However, it was also built as a symbol of Harbour Town and to commemorate the Verizon Heritage.

The Harbour Town lighthouse was designed by Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay Association Inc., and was built by Whaley Construction Company in 1969-1970. From the concrete base to the roof peak, it stands 93 feet. The lighthouse design has a hexagonal motif, which is apparent by looking from atop the structure. The foundation of the structure is an 8-foot deep hexagon, which is supported by soil below. The mainframe of the structure is also hexagonal.

In February 1993, the lighthouse received a facelift in a very unique way. NewTech Inc. of Hilton Head worked with HEK platforms & Hoist Inc. of Acworth, Ga., using a new platform lift. The lift is made in Holland and used regularly in Europe, but the Harbour Town lighthouse was one of the first structures in the United States to use this innovation. The platform is a free-standing, 70-foot structure that can support 4,180 pounds. It can reach heights of 300 feet. The HEK platform provided a safer and easier environment to repaint the famous lighthouse.

The golf course is a shot-maker's course, which requires precision off the tee to avoid live oaks, pine trees and strategically placed bunkers. Getting your ball to the hole is also quite a challenge with subtle breaks in the small, well guarded greens, posing problems for golfers of all levels. No. 18 is one of the most demanding finishing holes on the PGA TOUR. --Source: Golf Course Superintendents Assocation of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Harbour Town Golf Links	Hilton Head Island, S.C.	1969-present*

* In 1972, the first two rounds of the tournament were played at the Ocean Course

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 452-yard 18th at Harbour Town Golf Links
LAST YEAR: The 18th played to a stroke average of 4.083, with players recording 0 eagles, 56 birdies, 280 pars, 59 bogeys, 11 double bogeys and 3 others
DESCRIPTION: In this emerald-hued finale, the famous lighthouse becomes a beacon to landlubbers. A successful shot is one aimed toward the cherished landmark. The goal is the wide landing area jutting into Calibogue Sound. A word of advice on one of golf's most spectacular finishing holes: The long approach to the flag offers ample bailout to the right where the innocent-looking but insidious mounding has caused many a wannabe champ to lose a sought-after par.(Click here for Harbour Town tour)