Famed golf course architect Pete Dye, whose work helped shape Hilton Head, dies at 94

Famed golf course architect Pete Dye, whose work on Harbour Town Golf Links helped shape Hilton Head Island’s history, has died at 94, his family announced on social media.

Dye collaborated with wife, Alice, and Jack Nicklaus to craft the layout on low-lying swampland on the Calibogue Sound that has been home to the PGA Tour’s Heritage golf tournament more than 50 years.

He also designed numerous other Lowcountry courses, including Hilton Head’s notable Long Cove Club, the Dye Course at Colleton River in Bluffton and Kiawah Island’s bewitching Ocean Course.

Dye is perhaps best known for TPC Sawgrass and its iconic island green on par-3 17th hole.

Alice Dye died in February at the couple’s home in Florida, where she had been caring for Pete while he experienced dementia.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 6:48 PM.

Stephen Fastenau

The Island Packet

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Stephen Fastenau covers Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands for The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet. He has worked for the newspapers since 2010 in various roles as a reporter and assistant editor. His work has been recognized with awards from the S.C. Press Association, including first place for public service as part of a large team reporting on environmental contamination in a Beaufort military community. Fastenau previously wrote for the Columbia County News-Times and Augusta Chronicle. He studied journalism and political science at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and lives in Beaufort. Support my work with a digital subscription