At Hilton Head, players shift gears, narrow focus
At RBC Heritage, course requires strategy, precision
There’s a slightly different look to Harbour Town Golf Links.
The tranquil feel for the RBC Heritage, however, remains unchanged.
Six months after Hurricane Matthew rolled over the region, the revered course built and designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus has a few less trees as about 200 were knocked down during the storms, some 20 or so had been integral to the course. But to look at the course now, you wouldn’t have any idea that a hurricane left damage in its wake.
One week after the major pressure of the Masters, where tensions are high and nerves shot from the taxing chal- lenge of Augusta National Golf Club, a softer vibe resonates on Hilton Head Island, S. C. Cars run neck and neck with bicycles on the streets, people walk 12 miles of beachfront, recreational activities abound and Southern hospitality is around every corner.
“A very family- oriented vibe,” Luke Donald said. “You drive around, and you see so many people riding around on their bicycles. And it’s just a very good family spot. ... The scoring is always quite challenging here, too. But certainly I think people let off a sigh of relief coming from Augusta.”
As Augusta National tees up a unique challenge, so, too, does Harbour Town. The candy- striped Harbour Town lighthouse stands tall over a course that features narrow fairways, dark lagoons and the PGA Tour’s smallest greens. While the course has lost some trees and replaced a few others, many overhanging oaks remain in place. Winds roaring off the Calibogue Sound make things interesting.
Donald, with six top- threes in eight starts here, including four runner- up finishes, said the course is like a puzzle.
“You really have to think your way around it,” he said. “You don’t need to overpower this golf course. A lot of strategy is involved. ... It’s a very claustrophobic place. For some reason, that real tight feeling narrows my focus and gets me more engaged in the shot, and that’s why I seem to hit it very well around here. And also the greens are very small, so if you do miss greens, you need to be really good around the greens.”
You better be chipping and putting well when you’re at Harbour Town, 1997 PGA Championship champ Davis Love III said. He’d know — he’s won the event five times.
“What I’ve learned here is to pick a good target right in the front of the green and just hit it,” Love said. “If you’re on the green, you’ve got a legitimate chance to make birdie. It’s just a matter of being free.
“One of the classic courses on Tour now. It’s always in the top five of everybody’s rankings of courses on Tour. It’s just stood the test of time without really much adding of length. And always produces great champions.”
Says Jim Furyk, a two- time RBC Heritage winner, “My strengths are very valuable here, getting the high, bombing draw and driver isn’t really in my wheelhouse. And there’s not a huge need for that here. So it’s always going to be a top three. But right now it’s my favorite one.”