Bluffton bests Hilton Head Island in RBC Heritage social media challenge

The mayors of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton kicked off the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing festivities early, holding a friendly competition Wednesday to determine which town “gets their plaid on” better.

Each made a short video showcasing their plaid spirit and posted them to the RBC Heritage Facebook page.

On Wednesday — National Tartan Day — the videos went live.

Hilton Head Island Mayor David Bennett and Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka urged their constituents via social media to head to the RBC Heritage page and check out the videos.

The rules of the Tartan Day challenge were simple: The video with the most comments, likes and shares wins.

The winner was announced Wednesday evening at the first annual Plaid Party hosted by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.

Both videos racked up hundreds of likes, shares and comments.

Bluffton was victorious, but Hilton Head wasn’t far behind.

“It was a tight contest,” chamber communications manager Anne Feldman said. “The towns were only separated by only 14 points.”

Sulka said the win “was extremely heartwarming.”

Even though the RBC Heritage is held on the island, “Bluffton is a big supporter of the tournament,” she said. “So I am just happy that the town is being seen as a participant.”

Tournament director Steve Wilmot echoed her sentiment.

“This is all about community and working together,” he said. “This tournament is important not just to Hilton Head, but to the entire Lowcountry area.”

Bennett could not be reached by phone Thursday, but he posted a Facebook message thanking the community for participating in the challenge.

“Bluffton was announced the winner, but the real winner was the RBC Heritage,” he wrote.

The 48th annual golf tournament kicks off in earnest Monday at Harbour Town with opening ceremonies and the first practice rounds.

Your Guide to the RBC Heritage

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Bluffton bests Hilton Head Island in RBC Heritage social media challenge."