This is the first of a series of Links Pro Strategy Guides focusing on individual golf courses and the strategies to use to be successful on each one. As evidenced by the first four courses released to date by Access, course location, terrain, and general design can play an important part in your overall strategy. This guide (and hopefully the ones that follow) will present a hole-by-hole description (including yardage information from all tees, men’s and women’s handicaps, and an overhead view of the hole) of the golf course and offer suggestions for ways to improve your scores.
As always with this kind of article, the opinions expressed are my own, based on many hours of both real and simulated golfing. In general, these strategies are based on someone playing at the professional level from the blue tees. Although yardages are given from all tees, specific driving and second shot strategies will usually only be accurate when playing under the “pro/blue” conditions.
Course Overview: Harbour Town Golf Links is situated on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Overall, Harbour Town is a flat golf course with very slight changes in tee-to-green elevation on all holes. Only one of the par-5’s is consistently “reachable” in two. The par-4’s are variable in both distance and difficulty, and the par-3’s (depending on pin placement) can be difficult. The major strategic element of the course is water. Almost every hole features some kind of water hazard, and, although many of the hazards don’t regularly come into play, they can still jump up and bite you if you’re not careful. The fairways are of average width and trees come into play on almost every hole. Fairway bunkers are also common. The course can favor the “long” hitter, but it’s still pretty easy to score well with average distance. As is usually the case, accuracy is more important than distance. The greens are generally flat and are usually well-protected by bunkers and/or water.
Hole #1 - Par 4
414 yards - 328 yards - 300 yards
13th handicap - 7th handicap
 
The first hole at Harbour Town is one of the easiest on the course. The landing area for the drive is open and without hazards, unless the ball is far to the right or left. The water in front of the tee box is for “intimidation” purposes only, and shouldn’t come into play. A large bunker protects the entire left side of a relatively flat green.
Strategy: Grip it, and rip it. You can go for a big drive on this hole because the landing area is fairly open. Distance isn’t necessary, however, and the best bet is probably just to hit it straight. If your drive hits the fairway, the second shot should be a piece of cake. The only trouble is to the left in the form of that large bunker.
Hole #2 - Par 5
505 yards - 481 yards - 420 yards
9th handicap - 3rd handicap
 
Hole number two is another relatively easy hole. Reachable in two with a good drive and second shot, this hole has eagle potential. A fairway bunker is on the left about where the drive should land, and there’s also a bunker to the right of the green. Trees in front of the green on the right can present a problem if your drive doesn’t stay left and if the pin is back-right.
Strategy: The best bet here is to keep the drive down the left hand side (and out of the bunker). If you position the drive on the left, you’ll have a relatively easy second shot to anywhere on the green, even a back-right pin placement.
Hole #3 - Par 4
411 yards - 342 yards - 297 yards
15th handicap - 11th handicap
 
The third is another of the “scoring” holes. A wide open fairway, large green, and not much in the way of bunker protection allow this hole to give up a lot of birdies. A group of trees on the left off the tee can present a problem for an errant tee shot, but that’s true of almost all the holes.
Strategy: Hit your drive down the left to cut the distance for the second shot. Again, distance isn’t that important and it’s better to be straight than long. The second shot should be a short iron over the front-left bunker to a flat green.
Hole #4 - Par 3
198 yards - 160 yards - 131 yards
11th handicap - 17th handicap
 
From the blues, this is the longest par-3 on the course. Depending on the pin placement, it can also be the most difficult. Although the screen shot doesn’t to it justice, the hole is well protected in front and left by water. Anything short and/or left is going to be wet. A bunker in back will catch most long shots. To top it all off, the green’s a bit hilly, too.
Strategy: Depends on the pin and your nerve. If the pin’s on the left side of the green, it’s going to take a very clean shot to be on the green. If it’s on the right, it’s a pretty safe shot, because the water doesn’t come into play. No matter where the pin is, it’s better to be on and putting than trying to recover from an errant shot that found the water.
Hole #5 - Par 5
535 yards - 515 yards - 432 yards
3rd handicap - 1st handicap
 
Number five is rated the toughest par-5 on the course. This hole doglegs twice, left and then right up near the green, and is difficult to reach in two. The landing area for the drive is protected left by a bunker and right by another bunker and the trees. Trees on the front-right of the green protect it against most second shots. A bunker on the left-front of the green also comes into play.
Strategy: Keeping the ball tight down the left side off the tee is the best way to get a good angle to the green on the second shot. It’s also the best way to end up in the bunker! The safest play might be a 3-wood off the tee, another fairway wood or a long iron to in front of the green, and an easy chip and putt for birdie. If you go for it in two, watch out for the trees on the right - they’ve knocked down more than one second shot, and when they do, you usually end up in the bunker beneath the trees.
Hole #6 - Par 4
419 yards - 379 yards - 304 yards
5th handicap - 13th handicap
 
Number six is a dogleg right that can be tricky. The landing area is tight and protected on the right by a large bunker and farther right by a creek. The green is protected left and right by more bunkers.
Strategy: Drive the ball straight to avoid the right side bunker. With a decent drive, you should have a medium iron to the green. Although protected left and right, as long as the second shot is straight you can avoid trouble on this one.
Hole #7 - Par 3
180 yards - 140 yards - 94 yards
17th handicap - 15th handicap
 
The par-3 seventh can give you fits as well. Well protected with water in front and a bunker surrounding the entire front three-quarters of the green. The green is flat in front, but the rear half is bowl-shaped and funnels anything hit to the back into the back-center of the green.
Strategy: This is another hole that depends on pin placement. If it's in front, it's pretty tough to get it over the bunker and stop it close to the pin, but you're better off being on than trying to get it close out of the bunker. If the pin is back, almost everything funnels towards the back-center anyways. Either way, on the green anywhere is probably better than the bunker.
Hole #8 - Par 4
462 yards - 422 yards - 353 yards
1st handicap - 5th handicap
 
Rated the toughest hole on the course (although I don’t agree), this par-4 doglegs sharply to the left. The landing area is open and wide, but long drives can go too far and end up in the opposite woods. A long bunker protects the entire left side of the fairway from about 70 yards out all the way to the front of the mostly flat green.
Strategy: Keep the drive down the middle and don’t overhit it. If you’re too long, you can end up in the trees. If you’re left, the shot to the green is obstructed by trees. Too far right, and the second shot can be pretty long. If you hit a good drive, the second shot is unobstructed to the flat but small, “putter-friendly” green.
Hole #9 - Par 4
337 yards - 310 yards - 275 yards
7th handicap - 9th handicap
 
Although a short hole, this is another one where the drive is pretty important. The fairway is tight, and the kidney-shaped green is protected across its entire front by a depressed bunker.
Strategy: A straight drive is much more important than distance here. In fact, too far and you could end up in the bunker fronting the green (or, worse, the trees). With an average drive or 3-wood, the second shot is still only a wedge. Although depending on the pin, that second shot can be easy or treacherous.
Hole #10 - Par 4
436 yards - 352 yards - 326 yards
10th handicap - 6th handicap
 
The tenth is a slight dogleg left with water down most of the left side. The landing area is wide, but the second shot can be blocked by trees with a drive that’s too long or too short. The green’s pretty flat and the two bunkers on the far right of the green shouldn’t come into play.
Strategy: The best bet is a safe, 12 o’clock/6 o’clock drive down the left hand side. About 275 yard is perfect distance and will give you an unobstructed shot to any part of the green. The second shot is still a little tight, but the lack of bunkers or water protecting the green make it easier to handle.
Hole #11 - Par 4
438 yards - 392 yards - 314 yards
4th handicap - 10th handicap
 
Number eleven is an average length par 4 that seems non-threatening, but, as its handicap reveals, can be difficult. The drive is tricky because the fairway tightens as you move towards the green. The longer the drive, the straighter it needs to be to remain in the fairway. The green is well-protected with a big bunker left and two small ones on the right.
Strategy: Keep the drive straight. This hole demands accuracy, not length. With the drive placed in the fairway, the second shot shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re way left or right.
Hole #12 - Par 4
413 yards - 383 yards - 290 yards
8th handicap - 14th handicap
 
Like eleven, the 12th landing area tightens as you approach the green. This hole has a slight dogleg right and no real trouble, except the rough, in the landing area. The kidney-shaped green is protected front/left and right by bunkers. The green is also sloped from front to back, especially so in the back half of the green.
Strategy: The best drive is down the right side, but whatever you do, make it straight. The right-side drive cuts the little bit of distance on the second shot and allows you to drive the ball a little longer without getting into trouble. Pin placement can make the second shot difficult, but most of the placements are of average difficulty.
Hole #13 - Par 4
378 yards - 335 yards - 302 yards
12th handicap - 4th handicap
 
All you need to know about this hole is driving position. Although the bunkers in the fairway look intimidating, the simplest play is to drive over them. The green is well-protected by the huge bunker encircling the entire front half and also has quite a few breaks to it. Pin placement will determine how difficult the second shot is.
Strategy: Although it’s difficult to tell from the screen shot, the best drive here is over the left side fairway bunker. It’s a pretty easy shot to clear it (as long as you consider 220-230 yards easy), and provided you don’t go too long or too far right, the other bunkers won’t bother you. A solid 270-yard drive down the left side is the best bet and will leave you a short iron to the green.
Hole #14 - Par 3
165 yards - 138 yards - 97 yards
18th handicap - 16th handicap
 
Here’s another hole where I don’t agree with the scorecard’s handicap. If the pin’s in back, this one’s a cake walk, but with the pin in front, this is a tough little hole. The front portion of the green is completely protected by the water. There’s also a small pot bunker back/left.
Strategy: Strategy on this one is completely dependent on pin placement. If it’s in front, good luck getting it close. If it’s in back, don’t hesitate to try to drop one on the stick. In general, just make sure whatever club you hit, you hit it well, because that water has swallowed a lot of miss-hit Titleists.
Hole #15 - Par 5
575 yards - 507 yards - 417 yards
6th handicap - 2nd handicap
 
Fifteen is the only par-5 on the back side and the longest hole on the golf course. In my opinion, it’s also one of the trickiest holes unless you’re careful. The second shot dares you to go for it, but the green is protected in front and back by bunkers, in front by water, and down the left side by trees, and it’s almost impossible to reach in two. The hole also doglegs left sharply near the hole.
Strategy: Drive the ball down the right side. For the second shot, rotate the view (for some reason the caddy always seems to point me into the trees) and hit a 3-wood or long iron down the middle. The landing area near the green allows you to go well past the hole and still be safe. With these two shots, you should have an easy wedge to the green. Better to get the sure birdie than blow up your score going for eagle.
Hole #16 - Par 4
376 yards - 316 yards - 240 yards
16th handicap - 12th handicap
 
Sixteen doglegs nearly 90 degrees left and the fairway is dotted with several trees, a la the eighteenth at Pebble Beach. The fairway is also bunkered from about 200 yards from the tee all the way to the front of the hole. Another bunker dots the right side of the green.
Strategy: There are two basic approaches to this hole. First is to use a driver or 3-wood, just let it rip, and hope the ball doesn’t end up behind or hitting one of the fairway trees. Another (and possibly better) approach is to hit a long iron (one- or two-iron, mostly) from the tee. Although you obviously won’t get a lot of distance, you avoid the trees, and the second shot, while over that huge bunker, is still relatively simple.
Hole #17 - Par 3
176/192 yards - 161 yards - 97 yards
14th handicap - 18th handicap
 
Another of Harbour Town’s water-protected, pin placement sensitive par-3’s, seventeen can jump up and bite you. Like the other par-3’s, this one has water and bunkers in front. Another bunker back/center can cause problems.
Strategy: Hate to sound like the broken record, but pin placement will determine how close you’ll be able to get to this pin. The closer to the front the more precise the shot needs to be. As always, hit it well or get out the SCUBA gear.
Hole #18 - Par 4
478 yards - 458 yards - 330 yards
2nd handicap - 8th handicap
 
The eighteenth is Harbour Town’s signature hole with its wetlands and great view of Hilton Head Lighthouse. The landing area is very wide, but you can hit it too long (or short) on the left side. The large green is bunkered front and back, and the front bunker is very deep and sometimes very difficult to get out of.
Strategy: Although you can hit the ball to the left, leaving the second shot over the entire wetland area, if you go that way, don’t hit it too far. A 3-wood’s probably the safe play. I prefer to take a bigger swing because of this hole’s length, so I aim for the far right side of the fairway and hit the driver. This shot leaves you with an easier second shot and takes most of the wetland area out of play - although you’ve still got to deal with that deep front bunker.
Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or suggestions for other things to add to future course guides:
