HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – There may not be anyone on the planet who knows Harbour Town Golf Links better than Davis Love III. He first came to the course when he was just a boy to watch his father, Davis Love Jr., in early editions of the tournament now known as the RBC Heritage.

Love III competed on the course as a junior golfer and again after turning pro, winning the RBC Heritage five times. That’s why Love III is the perfect person to serve as the player consultant for the restoration of Harbour Town Golf Links.

The project will begin two weeks after the conclusion of this week’s RBC Heritage. Harbour Town, which opened in 1969, was designed by Hall of Fame architect Pete Dye with assistance from Jack Nicklaus. For each man, it was his first course to host a PGA TOUR event.

The course is scheduled to reopen in November. The restoration will make improvements to agronomy and maintenance of the course, while preserving the classic shot values and design. Greens bunkers and bulkheads will be rebuilt, as well.

Considering its history, Harbour Town is one of the most architecturally significant courses on the PGA TOUR. It is also the centerpiece of Hilton Head Island, one of the world’s premier golf destinations, and one of several famous coastal courses in South Carolina. Before the restoration of Harbour Town takes place, Davis Love III talked to PGATOUR.COM about the upcoming work and the importance of Harbour Town Golf Links (this interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity).

PGATOUR.COM: To start, can you give us an overview of the plans and what you are hoping to accomplish when you start work on Harbour Town?

DAVIS LOVE III: Well, we want to make everything brand new. As Mr. Bill Goodwin said, this is going to be the last time we do this for a long, long time, so let's get it all done this go-round. If we're closing the golf course, let's leave no stone unturned.

PGATOUR.COM: What does it mean to do this work on Harbour Town?

DAVIS LOVE III: I think being an old golfer and an old Harbour Town Golf Links golfer, all the way back to the Junior Heritage, I at least have an opinion and a wealth of experience on the golf course, and I'm close to home. That's what I told John Farrell (the director of sports for the Sea Pines Resort). I said, yes, we are very busy, but I always have plenty of time for you guys. I love working here because it is close to home, and it is almost like a second home. I'm lucky that two of my favorite tournaments, two of my favorite Pete Dye golf courses, one is two hours in one direction (TPC Sawgrass), and one is two hours in the other direction. I’m happy to come here and help.

PGATOUR.COM: Are there any architectural changes planned to the course?

DAVIS LOVE III: If you play once a year at Harbour Town, the goal is you'd come back and go, wow, it's beautiful. What did they actually do? I keep saying that Sea Pines and the Goodwin family have been great stewards of an iconic golf course. They have not let it change much over the years, so we don’t really have to do much. The PGA TOUR players and caddies will notice because they’re experts. They’ll notice there’s a little more slope in this green or a new hole location in that green. There were some stacked sod bunkers that were cool looking back then, some vertical faces in bunkers that have gone away. An older caddie will say, 'Hey, it’s more like the original,' but the player who’s only played one tournament might not notice a whole lot of difference. It’s going to be very subtle.

PGATOUR.COM: You described Harbour Town as ‘iconic.' What makes it iconic?

DAVIS LOVE III: It really changed golf course architecture. It made you look at everything a little bit differently, and it set the stage for Pete Dye to go bigger and bolder on all kinds of property after he left Harbour Town. It made a big, bold statement. And then obviously jumping right in with a PGA TOUR event. It's been on TV forever. It's certainly, I think, especially in the southeast, one of the iconic golf courses on the East Coast.

PGATOUR.COM: Tell us about your first memory of Harbour Town.

DAVIS LOVE III: I came here as a 5-year-old to watch my dad play in the first Heritage, and I remember getting stuck in the marsh very clearly. That's all I remember. I think I must've been hunting for golf balls, but I don't remember watching my dad play in the tournament. But having that history of being here when it started and then coming back as a kid when the Junior Heritage was played, it was a dream come true for a junior golfer.

PGATOUR.COM: Harbour Town wouldn’t seem to be a good fit for a big hitter like yourself. Why do you think you had so much success here?

DAVIS LOVE III: Well, one, because I was a big hitter, I didn't have to hit my driver. But everything goes back to my dad. My dad made sure I had a good caddie, and he convinced Lee Trevino when he went to TV that he should share his caddie, Herman Mitchell, with me. So I came in 1987 with a veteran caddie who'd been around the golf course a bunch and knew not to let me hit my driver. He made me hit my 1-iron a lot more times off the tee than my driver. Some days, I would only hit one driver.