With higher stakes and a deeper field, RBC Heritage is poised to eclipse last year’s to-the-wire contest
Throngs of plaid-clad spectators are set to descend on Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town Golf Links for the 55th edition of the RBC Heritage tournament this week, but this year’s event, always a spectacle for Lowcountry locals, will demand greater attention with more star power, volunteers and prize money than ever before.
Heightened expectations have had time to build spectators’ and golf fans’ anticipation for RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing ever since the PGA Tour announced the tournament as one of the 2023 season’s “designated events.” In the past, given the contest closely followed the prestigious Masters tournament, golf’s best would pass on Heritage to rest and recover for later majors.
The new tour requirements mandating golfers play in all designated events, save for one they can choose to skip, has set the stage for the most talented field Heritage has ever welcomed. The tour’s three top-ranked golfers — Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm — headline the field, but other top-10 pros like Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay, who narrowly lost last year’s Heritage in a playoff with defending champion Jordan Spieth, shouldn’t be overlooked.
That high-caliber crop has caused the event’s organizers and business owners in Sea Pines to bring their A-game, too.
“We’re normally limited to a capacity of 132 players, but we’re at 149 right now,” said Steve Wilmot, tournament director for the RBC Heritage foundation. “That’s 20 more players, 20 more families, 20 more caddies. Plus, we’ve sold the most amount of tickets over the course of a week than we’ve ever had ... We have 1,500 volunters, the most we’ve ever had.”
Those volunteers were still working over the weekend to put the finishing touches on everything from new spectator seating to a 2,000-square-foot temporary kitchen.
Bigger and better is the theme for many of the 2023 tournament’s aspects. This year’s prize pool is, by far, the most lucrative Heritage has offered, $20 million, just over an $11 million increase from 2022.
Things will be different on the course, too, but not dramatically so. Sea Pines Director of Sports Operations John Farrell said his agronomy team and the PGA Tour’s decided this year to grow the rough between 3 to 3 1/2 inches from the typical (inches).
“We study statistics from previous seasons, and we look at the proximity to the hole, and we like to give some variety,” Farrell said. “We like to introduce some new changes, so that was the impetus for those changes.”
With the spotlight on Sea Pines, Farrell said his team will be monitoring every aspect of the fan experience throughout the week.
“When you’re having 30,000 people come and an international TV audience, you want to make sure that their experience is really a good one,” Farrell said. “From the time they arrive to their eventual departure, we want to know how long they waited to go to the bathroom, how long they waited to get the concession stands, we want to know everything.”
Business owners with shops and restaurants near the course are making their own preparations, including Chow Daddy’s and Truffles co-owner Fernando Lossada, who noted the new Chow Daddy’s location in The Shops at Sea Pines Center opened just days before Heritage began. The new location is more than ready to feed the Heritage hordes despite increased attendance, he said, though that may mean pulling reinforcements from other locations.
“Of course, the goal was to open before Easter and Heritage. The only preparation left is trying to get more employees, to be honest,” Lossada said. “Luckily, we do have the locations in Bluffton, and we’re able to share employees. ... Sea Pines has been crazy busy for the past month already. I can’t imagine what it will be like next week.”
Lossada said he’s also ready to cater to the players looking for lunch away from the course. Last year, eventual champion Spieth made a quick stop at Truffles.
For Wilmot, the heightened status of Heritage will be an opportunity to showcase the Lowcountry to an even broader audience.
“We have an opportunity to showcase the entire community, Bluffton included, to the entire world.”
Spectator information
Parking: There is no general spectator parking inside Sea Pines.
Free parking is available at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn, located at 70 Honey Horn Drive, with transportation to Harbour Town marina from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The ride takes 20 minutes.
The official tournament shuttle picks up at the Coligny Beach parking lot and drops off at Harbour Town from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Cyclists can leave bikes at the tennis courts located by the Harbour Town Golf Links clubhouse parking lot but are responsible for locking their own bikes. Cyclists must show a digital ticket or ID badge to pass the Sea Pines gate.
Parking for people with disabilities is provided at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. Wheelchair-accessible buses will be available. Special assistance golf carts also will operate on an eight-stop route through the links from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Ride share apps and taxis will pick up and drop off at The Shops at Sea Pines Center during tournament play. After play ends each day, both can pick up at locations throughout Harbour Town Golf Links.
Seating: First-come, first-served seating is available at bleachers throughout the course. Wheelchair-accessible viewing is located at the 9th, 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th greens.
Phone use: Cellphones and other mobile devices must be set to silent at all times and no flash photography is allowed, but spectators can take photos and record video and audio. Spectators may not livestream play or provide shot-by-shot coverage on social media. Phone calls should be taken only in designated areas.
Autographs: Autographs will be signed only at designated “autograph zones,” and on-course signings are prohibited.
Food and concessions: Several concession stands are located across the course.
- Between the 1st and 9th fairways
- Near the 2nd green and 7th tee
- The 8th green
- The 10th fairway
- The 13th green
- The 15th green
- The 18th fairway
- Near Heritage Lawn and the 17th green
Fraser’s at the Pavilion is open to all spectators, located under the clubhouse near the 10th tee.
The Ultra Club on the Heritage Lawn sells food and drinks to spectators over 21.
Tito’s Stillhouse Lounge on the Heritage Lawn sells cocktails to customers over 21. Maestro Dobel offers tequila cocktails.
1 & 9 Village, located between holes 1 and 9, offers a video board and views of play. The venue also offers wine and whiskey bars.
More information can be found at the RBC Heritage website.
This story was originally published April 9, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
