A friend and I spent some time golfing on Hilton Head Island. My birthday was last month and it turned out to be fairly uneventful. I knew I was going to be in Florida and made arrangements for a South Carolina golf trip as a belated birthday gift to myself.

Anyway, we played five rounds total and built the trip around the three courses at Sea Pines Resort. We did the 54-hole package and the way the tee times worked out we played Heron Point on Wednesday, Harbour Town on Friday and Atlantic Dunes on Saturday. The total cost was about $650 including taxes for all three courses. Individually, a round at Heron Point this time of year would be $160.

After a great day of travel weather yesterday, the sunshine didn’t last. We had an early morning tee time and the rain was not supposed to hit until we finished. Well, chalk that up as another whiffed forecast by the weather folks. Unfortunately, it rained for about half the round which put a damper on the excitement. Oh well.

Overall, Heron Point turned out to be a better course than I expected. The course is a Pete Dye design and usually ranks among the top public courses in South Carolina. Overall, I found it to be one of the more enjoyable Dye designs I’ve played. As you’d expect, it was tough. But there seemed to be many fair elements as well.

We played the blue tees which are 72.3/132/6523. The large number of water hazards was the biggest challenge for my game. There are many of Dye’s signature touches throughout the course, although these features are not as severe as you’d find at other more well-known Dye courses. For example, there are uniquely shaped bunkers, wooden seawalls bordering playing areas and of course railroad ties.

Like most Hilton Head courses I’ve played, Heron Point plays through a community. Most holes have trees between the homes and the fairways for separation, but the residential setting is one area where the course lacks. On the other hand, the par-3’s are very good. Also, the yardages on all the holes vary quite a bit. So, you’ll probably hit a lot of different clubs in the bag.

The par-3’s at Heron Point were the highlight for me. I hit four different clubs and there is danger on a couple of them. The 164-yard 7th showcases Dye’s affinity for railroad ties. A gigantic bunker circles the front half of the green and the railroad ties act as a steep lip. This bunker looks similar to the one guarding the 13th green at Harbour Town. On the back nine the 141-yard 13th is a fun short par-3. Water is to the left and cuts around the front of the green, making what should be an easy shot more difficult.

As you’d expect for the premium price, the conditions were excellent. The tees and fairways were nicely overseeded. The greens were smooth and a medium pace thanks to the rainy weather. The sand in the bunkers was a good consistency. Like the other courses we played on this trip the ground was soft, so it was easy to catch a shot heavy.

Out of the three Sea Pines courses I’d put Heron Point at the bottom. It is a solid course and a friendly Dye design. I’d say mix in Heron Point if you are planning to golf at Sea Pines, however I wouldn’t go too far out of the way just to play it. For the same price, my preference is Atlantic Dunes.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):