‘A little more civilized’: How COVID-19 impacted the Heritage’s party scene
It wasn’t the South’s typical premier cocktail party, but boaters and others in Harbour Town this past week still found ways to celebrate the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.
The yacht marina was quieter than years past. Tourists milled around, more interested in the lighthouse than golfer Rory McIlroy. Bartenders talked about the pre-pandemic crowds of people who visited Hilton Head Island for the tournament.
Yet some golf fans said they enjoyed the event, making the most of their time with friends even though they were barred from Harbour Town Golf Links due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Honestly it’s a nice change,” said Shane Scibelli, 47, who’s been coming to the Heritage since the 1980s. “It’s a little more quiet, a little more civilized.”
Scibelli, who grew up on Hilton Head and lives in the town now, said he had a small party Friday on his boat, the Mia Cella. He was out until about 1 a.m. Saturday.
“We’re still in the harbor, having a great time,” he said. Friends would stop by for a beer and then walk away. He watched the Heritage on TV.
With everyone on separate boats in the marina, it was easier to socially distance, he added.
David Carlson, 56, of Auburn, Mass., docked in Harbour Town this past week without knowing the Heritage was underway. He realized what was going on after golfer Harold Varner III came to visit a friend who was at a slip next to Carlson’s.
Carlson took a photo with Varner, who climbed aboard his boat, the Wazzzzup. Carlson hadn’t been to the marina before and said it was great to see people out and about late Friday.
High school friends Marshall Wilde, 30, and Josh Simmons, 29, booked a place to stay at the Harbour Town Yacht Club last fall, ready for a vacation this month.
They were thrilled to learn the Heritage had been rescheduled to June 18-21 after initially being canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Simmons stood on their balcony with a pair of binoculars early Saturday, trying to figure out if CBS was setting up a TV camera at the edge of the 18th hole. His view was mostly blocked by a yacht.
“We haven’t seen ourselves on TV yet,” Wilde said, adding that the two Roanoke, Va., residents are big golf fans and want to be on the broadcast.
They planned to take a boat trip out on the water at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Wilde said they wanted to watch players at the 18th hole.
Chuck Haddon, 67, and Leigh Denton, 61, were on their boat in the marina Saturday, taking in the sun. They own a slip and typically try to avoid the Heritage due to the large crowds. They stay in Florida during the winter and head back north in late April.
Heritage is usually crazy, Haddon said, but this year it was a “very different normal.” People were still partying, he said, and around South Carolina not “respecting” the coronavirus.
Haddon and Denton are trying to remain isolated on their boat, the Almost Home. They’ve watched a bit of the tournament on TV, but being in the harbor makes them feel as if they’re part of the action.
Earlier this week, the two took their tender out into the water off the 18th hole.
“It was pretty sparse. Usually there’s 100 boats out there,” Haddon said. “There was maybe 12.”
Chris Duncan, 32, the food and beverage operations manager at Sea Pines Resort, said Saturday the past week had been like any typical week in late June. There were fewer golf fans, but still lots of tourists.
“It’s just obvious what a non-spectator environment does,” he said.
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
