Iconic Sea Pines golf course reopens with a boom. Take a peek
Davis Love III was only five years old when he first stepped on the green at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head.
His father, Davis Love Jr., was a professional golfer who played at the very first Heritage Classic tournament on Hilton Head in 1969.
Love III doesn’t remember much from the tournament, but he remembers going into the marsh to look for golf balls, and getting stuck in the mud.
The five-time RBC Heritage winner took to a tee box Tuesday evening to launch a new beginning for the world-renowned golf course and shining jewel of Sea Pines and South Carolina golf.
After closing in May just after the 2025 RBC Heritage Tournament for an extensive restoration project Harbour Town Golf Links reopened Tuesday with a traditional cannon blast.
The 2025 tournament was won by fan favorite Justin Thomas in a playoff with a score of 17 under par.
Love served as the lead consultant for the restoration project and worked with the Sea Pines team to help make sure the updated course stayed true to the original Pete Dye design with assistance at the time from legendary Jack Nicklaus.
Love also nodded to the need to bring the RBC Heritage winning score closer to par as it has ascended to be a signature event on tour, which includes a higher purse and more eyes on the spring tournament.
Dye, who died in 2020, was one of the most influential golf course architects in the game’s history. His unique approach to Harbour Town Golf Links transformed how future architects viewed the game. Love noted during his press conference that some of the pros and low-handicap players will find some new bunkers and other trouble areas they are not used to having to navigate.
What it takes to restore a golf course
Like the roof of a house, golf courses have a life expectancy. Wind, rain, and natural wear and tear gradually erode the greens and bunkers, changing their shape and size.
That’s why as part of the restoration, all the greens, bunkers, and bulkheads have been rebuilt, according to John Farrell, Director of Sports Operations at The Sea Pines Resort.
There’s more to a golf course than just the turf. Beneath the grass are layers of soil, sand, and rock that help ensure water drains properly. Then there’s drainage pipes and irrigation pipes to help maintain the course. All of that needed to be taken out and reconstructed entirely.
Prior to moving any earth, laser technology was used to take precise measurements of the course that the new greens could be designed to the exact same shape, size, and elevation.
That kind of technology didn’t exist in 1969. “It’s much more high-tech,” Farrell said.
The renovated course is expected to last for another 60 years, Farrell said.
Designing for the ‘modern player’
Golf course renovators need to think about how the game of golf has changed, and adapt the course accordingly.
The modern golf player tends to hit farther than the golfer of 1969. A major part of that is due to advancements in technology; engineers have spent decades designing golf clubs that give players an edge in the game, and golf balls that give players better control over their shot.
That poses a challenge for golf course owners — how much should they adjust the course to make sure it’s still challenging for a modern player?
A game of golf on Harbour Town Golf Links, however, isn’t a test of how far someone can hit a ball.
Dye designed the course to reward precision and strategy over brute force. That means being able to hit the ball farther doesn’t always make the hole easier.
Unlike other architects at the time, Dye sculpted his course through the existing landscape, carving small greens out of the woods and leaving trees behind as obstacles.
Each hole is like a puzzle where the golfer must ask themselves what shot Dye wants them to take, and perform it well.
If they get too ambitious, the course punishes them with well-placed trees and bunkers. Some holes taunt you to take a risk with a seemingly clear shot, and laugh at you when you fail.
“That was the genius of Pete,” Farrell said. “He built something that is just as appropriate and just as great a test to day in 2025 as it was in 1969.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM.
