A guide to Heritage 2022: Parking, food, tournament changes and more
The RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing is back in full swing this year (pun intended).
After two years of either no spectators or strict COVID-19 attendance limitations, the annual golf tournament on Hilton Head Island is expecting 120,000 visitors in 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s Heritage if you’re planning to go.
Where should I park?
Free general parking is located at the Coastal Discovery Museum at 70 Honey Horn Drive. A motor coach service will operate from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday to drive spectators from Honey Horn to Harbour Town Marina. There’s no general spectator parking in Sea Pines, where the tournament is held at Harbour Town Golf Links.
Cyclists can enter Sea Pines if they have a digital ticket or a volunteer badge. Free bicycle parking is available at the tennis courts next to the golf clubhouse’s parking lot. People are responsible for their own bike locks.
During tournament hours, ride-sharing drivers and taxis can pick up and drop off at The Shops at Sea Pines Center at 71 Lighthouse Road. They can pick up at locations around the course once play has ended.
What’s new this year?
The Heritage now only uses digital tickets. Tournament organizers have published an online guide on how to access and manage the tickets: bit.ly/HeritageDigitalTickets
The switch to handling all tickets virtually is “a project that has been four or five years in the making,” tournament director Steve Wilmot previously said.
Meanwhile, after two years of COVID-19 disruptions, 2022 marks the return of the popular Heritage Lawn and public bleachers throughout the golf course.
Angela McSwain, director of marketing and communications for the Heritage Classic Foundation, added in a statement Wednesday that the PGA Tour autograph policy has changed.
“Autographs can only be obtained at designated Autograph Zones. On-course autographs are not permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, tees, fairways, greens and practice areas during practice rounds and tournament rounds,” McSwain wrote.
The Heritage autograph zone, she wrote, “is located on the croquet lawn right next to player scoring” (which is close to the clubhouse).
“Players who want to sign autographs after their round will walk right over,” McSwain wrote.
A map of the golf course can be found online: bit.ly/HeritageMap2022
Are there any COVID-19 rules?
Last year, there was a strict mask mandate for spectators both indoors and outdoors at the Heritage.
In 2022, though, there will be no mandatory face-covering rules.
The PGA Tour says people over the age of 2 are “encouraged” to wear a mask while indoors, unless they are actively eating or drinking.
Unvaccinated people, meanwhile, are encouraged to wear a mask outdoors “when they cannot be socially distant.”
It’s unlikely that many residents will wear a mask at the tournament — especially outdoors. There are no local laws requiring face coverings at events on Hilton Head, and as COVID-19 cases have dropped in recent weeks, fewer people have been wearing masks in public.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Thursday, listed Beaufort County as having a low level of coronavirus transmission. Federal health authorities are not recommending that people wear masks indoors.
Golf officials, meanwhile, are asking residents to check their temperatures before attending the Heritage. “Confirm you do not have a fever of over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“The PGA Tour asks that people who are feeling sick stay home,” McSwain wrote. “By coming to the tournament, fans are acknowledging they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.”
Beaufort County, between March 27 and April 2, logged 28 newly confirmed coronavirus infections, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
What should I wear?
The National Weather Service predicts that the beginning of this week will be sunny, with temperatures in the upper 70s.
There’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms Thursday, with a high temperature near 80. There’s a 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms Friday, with a high near 79.
What food will be available?
There will be several concession stands featuring food from the SERG Restaurant Group. The stands will be staffed by volunteers from local civic and nonprofit organizations, according to tournament organizers. The stands will be located: between the 1st and 9th fairways; the 2nd green and 7th tee area; the 8th green; the 10th fairway; the 13th green; the 15th green; the 18th fairway; and the Heritage Lawn and 17th green area.
Fraser’s at the Pavilion is open to all spectators and is under the clubhouse, adjacent to the 10th tee.
The Ultra Club is open to people 21 or older and sells food and beverages behind the 18th green. Tito’s Stillhouse Lounge on the Heritage Lawn offers cocktails for spectators of legal drinking age. The Maestro Dobel also is on the lawn and serves “specialty tequila cocktails.”
The 1 & 9 Village is an open-air venue that features wine and whiskey bars between holes 1 and 9.
What are the phone rules?
Cellphones and other mobile devices must be on silent mode at all times. Phone calls are allowed only in certain areas. Those locations can be found online at: bit.ly/HeritagePhoneRules
Who’s playing in the tournament?
World No. 73 and defending champion Stewart Cink is in the Heritage field and is seeking another tartan jacket.
Bluffton native Bryson Nimmer, 25, also will compete thanks to a sponsor exemption.
Other big names in the field include world No. 3 Collin Morikawa, world No. 5 Patrick Cantlay, world No. 6 Cameron Smith, world No. 7 Justin Thomas and world No. 8 Dustin Johnson.
Past champions Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson (the 2020 victor) and Brandt Snedeker also are in the field.
(These rankings and field statuses are current as of Saturday afternoon.)
The entire field can be found online at: bit.ly/HeritageField2022
When do they tee off?
Players’ tee times were not available as of Saturday afternoon. The morning starting times for the first and second rounds are 7:20 to 9 a.m. on the 1st and 10th tees. The afternoon starting times are 11:50 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The third and final rounds’ starting times are 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
When are the Pro-Am events?
One Pro-Am will be open to spectators Wednesday. It runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Another Pro-Am will be held Monday when the course is closed to the public.
Where’s the official event schedule?
The event schedule can be found online at: bit.ly/HeritageEventSchedule
How can I find The Island Packet’s coverage?
All of our reporting about this year’s tournament can be found online at: bit.ly/HeritageCoverage
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
