‘Worries of the world aren’t there’: Hilton Head excited for Heritage 2022 as virus wanes
The long-awaited return to normalcy at the Heritage seems to finally be here.
No fans were allowed onto Harbour Town Golf Links in the early months of the pandemic two years ago. And attendance at the golf tournament in 2021 was limited to 20% of its capacity.
But 2022 is set to be different. The public bleachers are returning. The Heritage Lawn is back, too.
There are some changes, like a switch to digital-only tickets and a reduction in crowd size due to a restructuring of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing’s ticket sales strategy.
Fans and local leaders, though, are gearing up for what will ultimately be the biggest event on Hilton Head since COVID-19 first swept across South Carolina in March 2020.
The “worries of the world aren’t there (during) those four or five days when we get a chance to relax,” Mayor John McCann said.
“It brings out the pride we have in our community,” McCann said of the Heritage. “It’s such an uplifting event.”
The PGA Tour tournament kicks off Monday and runs until next Sunday, April 17. Reigning champion Stewart Cink is in the field. The rental slips at the Harbour Town Yacht Basin, as of Thursday, were booked up. And longtime fans have been preparing for Plaid Nation Day.
“COVID-19 brought great perspective for all of us: Community is so important, especially through the biggest challenges,” tournament director Steve Wilmot wrote in a statement “To have the opportunity to welcome our fans back to the grounds is an honor. ... Our beloved traditions are back.”
A busy week awaits
As of Wednesday, the occupancy at island hotels during tournament week was expected to be around 93.5%, according to third-party metrics provided to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
Home and villa rentals, meanwhile, were expected to have an occupancy of about 77.1%, said chamber spokeswoman Charlie Clark, citing the data.
“With the tournament back at full capacity for spectators this year, and the corporate aspect of the tournament returning to more normal levels, it will be (a) strong year economically for the tournament as well as our local business community and local charities who also benefit,” Clark said.
The tournament pumps more than $102 million into South Carolina’s economy each year, and typically has over 1,200 volunteers, according to organizers.
Leslie Whitener, the harbourmaster at the yacht basin in Sea Pines, meanwhile, added that the roughly 35 rental slips in Harbour Town are booked up from Wednesday to Sunday.
Lots of boaters from Florida and North Carolina, along with locals, will be in the marina, Whitener said.
“It’ll be fun. It’s been two years since it’s been full-fledged open Heritage, so it should be great,” said the harbourmaster, who noted that the new, bigger Quarterdeck restaurant also just reopened.
Angela McSwain, the director of marketing and communications for the Heritage Classic Foundation, confirmed Saturday that all tickets for the tournament have been sold out.
How many spectators will attend?
McSwain said Friday there were 120,000 tickets available this year, so the tournament expects 120,000 spectators to attend the event between Tuesday and Sunday. (Fans are not allowed on the course Monday.)
For context: In 2019, there were 135,000 attendees, according to tournament organizers.
“We realized on Saturday in 2019 we couldn’t get another person on the course. Traffic, parking, gallery movement, lines at concession stands and restrooms ... those things did not make for an optimum experience. We’ve come off that number of tickets,” Wilmot, the tournament director, recently said.
The Heritage, meanwhile, had no spectators in 2020 and limited attendance to 20% of its normal turnout in 2021. (Using the crowd numbers from 2019, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette previously estimated that 27,000 people were expected at the tournament last year.)
‘This is gonna be, I think, a big year’
For many, the Heritage is more than a golf tournament.
Charlie Schroeder, 47, was raised on the island and has attended the Heritage for decades.
“I grew up on hole No. 2. My grandmother had a townhouse there and I ended up going over there when I was a young boy,” said Schroeder, a Realtor at The Alliance Group Realty.
But what’s special about the tournament now?
“Just seeing the beautiful nature, the baby alligators popping out, all the flora and fauna and the smells of popcorn ... things that year after year are traditions.”
The ceremonial cannon shot over the Calibogue Sound.
Meeting celebrities and PGA Tour golfers.
Reuniting with old friends from middle and high school.
“You know, we’re getting older, man. I’m almost 50. And all these people come back from different places. ... I love taking pictures with all my old friends,” Schroeder said.
Following the coronavirus disruptions of 2020 and 2021, “this is gonna be, I think, a big year,” he said.
This story was originally published April 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
