Harbour Town Golf Links
Pete Dye's tight, tree-lined lowcountry classic on Hilton Head — home of the RBC Heritage and its iconic lighthouse 18th, open to any traveller through The Sea Pines Resort.
Harbour Town Golf Links in photos
Can I play Harbour Town Golf Links?
Yes — Harbour Town is a public resort course within The Sea Pines Resort, and any golfer can book a tee time without membership. Guests staying at Sea Pines receive priority on the tee sheet and better package pricing, but day visitors are welcome. The course closes to public play around the RBC Heritage each April.
How to book: Book online through The Sea Pines Resort or by phone; staying on a Sea Pines stay-and-play package is the surest way to secure prime times and lower rates. Tee times use dynamic pricing, so booking earlier generally means paying less. The green fee includes cart and range balls.
About Harbour Town Golf Links
Opened in 1969, Harbour Town Golf Links was the course that made both Pete Dye and a young Jack Nicklaus, breaking from the era's long, wide layouts with small greens, railroad-tie bunkering and claustrophobic corridors of oak, pine and palmetto. It has hosted the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every year since, played the week after the Masters, with the candy-striped lighthouse behind the 18th green its enduring emblem. Set within The Sea Pines Resort along Calibogue Sound, it is a public resort course any golfer can book. Precision, shot-shaping and patience matter far more than length here — which is exactly why the pros love it.
Signature hole
The par-4 18th plays straight along Calibogue Sound to a green framed by the red-and-white candy-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse — one of the most recognisable finishing holes in golf, and a fully exposed test when the sea breeze is up.
What makes it special
The lighthouse 18th
A finishing hole straight down Calibogue Sound to a green beneath the famous red-and-white Harbour Town Lighthouse.
Pete Dye's breakthrough
The tight, tree-lined design that launched Dye's career and rewrote what a championship course could be.
RBC Heritage host
A PGA Tour venue since 1969, played every year the week after the Masters.
Tournament pedigree
- RBC Heritage (1969–present)
Need to know
Best time to play
Spring (March–May) and autumn are the prime seasons for pleasant temperatures and firm turf; summer is hot and humid, and winter is cooler but playable. Avoid RBC Heritage week in mid-April, when the course is closed to public play.
Dress code
Collared shirts required; Bermuda-length shorts or trousers only, no denim. Soft spikes.
Good to know
Carts are included and caddies can be booked for an extra fee. The layout is famously tight — narrow, tree-lined corridors and small greens that reward precision over power — so allow a full four and a half to five hours and leave the driver in the bag on many holes.
Upcoming golf tournaments
Prefer to watch the world’s best? Book tickets to an upcoming tournament, then add a hotel and flights.
Getting there
Nearest airports
Hilton Head Island (HHH) ~20 min; Savannah/Hilton Head (SAV) ~50 min.
On arrival
Harbour Town sits at the southern tip of Hilton Head Island inside the gated Sea Pines community, about 20 minutes from Hilton Head Island Airport and under an hour from Savannah. A car is needed to reach the island and to enter Sea Pines.
Stay near the course
The Sea Pines Resort surrounds the course, with the boutique Inn & Club at Harbour Town and a wide range of villas and rental homes; a stay here delivers the best tee-time access. Hilton Head Island beyond the gates offers many more hotels and rentals.
A taste of the luxury stays near Harbour Town Golf Links — tap any hotel to see live availability and prices for your dates, or search them all.
Plan your golf trip
Hotels near the course
Live-priced stays a short drive from the 1st tee.
Search hotelsFlights
Get to Hilton Head Island — search fares to the nearest airport.
Find flightsTournament tickets
Rather watch the pros? Book golf tournament tickets.
See golf ticketsThings to do
Tours and experiences around Hilton Head Island.
Explore Hilton Head IslandFrequently asked questions
Can the public play Harbour Town Golf Links?
Yes. It is a public resort course within The Sea Pines Resort; anyone can book a tee time, and resort guests get priority and better pricing.
How much does it cost to play Harbour Town?
Green fees use dynamic pricing and run roughly USD 378–651 per round including cart and range balls, highest in the spring and autumn peaks. Prices are approximate and seasonal.
Do I have to stay at Sea Pines to play?
No — day visitors can book, but staying on a Sea Pines stay-and-play package gives you priority tee times and lower rates.
When is the best time to play Harbour Town?
Spring and autumn offer the best conditions; avoid RBC Heritage week in mid-April, when the course is closed to public play.
More golf courses to play
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, United States · Coastal
Golf guide
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course)
La Jolla, San Diego, United States · Coastal
Golf guide
TPC Harding Park
San Francisco, United States · Parkland
Golf guide
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Pebble Beach, United States · Coastal
Golf guide
Chambers Bay
University Place, United States · Links
Golf guide
The Plantation Course at Kapalua
Kapalua, Maui, United States · Resort
Golf guideSources & pricing note
Green fees, access rules and tee-time policies change frequently and vary by season. The figures here are indicative for trip planning — always confirm on the official site before booking.
Guide updated 2026-07-27.