Harbour Town Golf Links

Q: Which hole is hardest at Harbour Town Golf Links?

Hole 6 has stroke index 1 — the hardest hole on the scorecard.

Hilton Head Island, United States

Par

Holes

Yards

7,043

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 11 · 3

Image: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Course Layout

254 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fairway Green Bunker Tee Water

Hole-by-Hole Strategy

Dogleg and layup calls derived from hole centerline geometry. 19 doglegs · 10 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	4	407	410 +3y · +10ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
2	5	502	498 -4y · -13ft	Moderate dogleg right (30.3°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 502y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
3	4	438	437 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg left (16.4°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
4	3	192	196 +4y · +13ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
5	5	545	535 -10y · -33ft	Moderate dogleg left (29.8°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 545y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
6	4	416	420 +4y · +13ft	Moderate dogleg right (30.7°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
7	3	196	185 -11y · +26ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
7	3	177	185 +8y · +26ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
8	4	474	379 -95y · +10ft	Moderate dogleg left (35.1°)	LAYUP 474y par 4 with a moderate dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
8	4	376	379 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg right (23.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
9	4	326	499 +173y · -36ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
9	5	510	499 -11y · -36ft	Sharp dogleg left (57.5°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 510y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
10	4	451	354 -97y · +36ft	Moderate dogleg left (27.3°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
10	4	343	354 +11y · +36ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	4	435	528 +93y · -13ft	Slight dogleg left (14.8°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	5	532	528 -4y · -13ft	Sharp dogleg left (60.6°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 532y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
12	4	429	398 -31y · -23ft	Moderate dogleg right (28.5°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
12	4	405	398 -7y · -23ft	Slight dogleg right (24.1°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
13	4	371	158 -213y · +26ft	Slight dogleg left (20.1°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
13	3	150	158 +8y · +26ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
14	3	188	347 +159y · -33ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
14	5	462	347 -115y · -33ft	Moderate dogleg left (31.3°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
14	4	357	347 -10y · -33ft	Sharp dogleg right (41.9°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (41.9°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
15	5	581	189 -392y · -13ft	Sharp dogleg left (43.7°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 581y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
15	3	193	189 -4y · -13ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
16	4	427	358 -69y · +13ft	Sharp dogleg left (68.1°)	LAYUP Sharp left-hand dogleg (68.1°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
16	4	354	358 +4y · +13ft	Sharp dogleg right (44.7°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (44.7°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
17	3	214	204 -10y · -33ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
18	4	471	470 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg left (17.9°)	LAYUP 471y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
Total	115	10,922	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 254 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

112 bunkers

66,423 sq yd of sand — 6.2 bunkers per hole on average.

6736 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

391 sq yd avg green

Classification: Mid-size greens (~4,500 sq ft avg) — typical modern design. Standard target size — club selection matters more than shape.

904 sq yd

Largest green on the course — a three-club difference front-to-back is possible.

5.94 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 20 fairway zones.

19 doglegs

6 sharp, 13 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

10 layup holes

Best played as three-shot holes for anyone outside single figures — chasing them turns pars into doubles.

Hole 15: 581y

The longest hole on the card — par 5. Know your layup number before you tee off.

112 bunkers · 38 greens · 20 fairway zones · 70 tee boxes · 13 water hazards.

About Harbour Town Golf Links

Harbour Town Golf Links is a public golf course in the eastern United States, located in South Carolina in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island in Beaufort County. Since 1969, it has hosted the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, usually in mid-April, the week after The Masters.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What Should You Expect to Shoot?

These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.

Championship

Rating 74.5 · Slope 145 · Par 72 · 7,200 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	9	83	+11
10	15	90	+18
15	22	96	+24
20	28	103	+31
25	35	109	+37
30	41	115	+43

Back

Rating 72.5 · Slope 138 · Par 72 · 6,700 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	79	+7
10	13	85	+13
15	19	91	+19
20	25	97	+25
25	31	104	+32
30	37	110	+38

Middle

Rating 70.5 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 6,200 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	4	75	+3
10	10	81	+9
15	16	86	+14
20	22	92	+20
25	27	98	+26
30	33	104	+32

Forward

Rating 72.0 · Slope 128 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	11	83	+11
15	17	89	+17
20	23	95	+23
25	28	100	+28
30	34	106	+34

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	5	4	4	3	4	4	3	4	35	4	4	3	5	4	4	3	4	5	36	71
Yards	380	580	398	462	175	459	415	181	410	3,460	404	464	193	525	413	440	206	396	542	3,583	7,043
Stroke Index	7	3	13	11	17	1	9	15	5		8	4	16	2	10	6	18	12	14

Holes That Decide Your Round

Hardest Hole · SI 1

Hole 6

Par 4 · 459 yards

Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →

Longest Hole

Hole 2

Par 5 · 580 yards

Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 5

Par 3 · 175 yards

Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 3 · 206 yards

Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.

Pre-Round Checklist for Harbour Town Golf Links

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 11 par-4 tee shots. Check 4 par-3 yardages — pick your go-to clubs now, not on the tee. Plan hole 6 (hardest) for bogey — don't chase birdie there. Hole 2 is long — know your layup number. Arrive 45 min early — 15 range, 10 short game, 10 putting, 10 to the tee.

Your Game Plan for Harbour Town Golf Links

The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.

Take the 2-min Assessment Try the App Free for 30 Days

Tee Sets

Championship

Yards:: 7,200
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 74.5
Slope:: 145

Back

Yards:: 6,700
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.5
Slope:: 138

Middle

Yards:: 6,200
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 70.5
Slope:: 130

Forward

Yards:: 5,400
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.0
Slope:: 128

Other Notable Courses near Hilton Head Island

Secession Golf Club

Beaufort, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,029 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Harbour Town Golf Links?

Harbour Town Golf Links is a par 71 course with 18 holes measuring 7,043 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,460 yards), back nine par 36 (3,583 yards).

What is the longest hole at Harbour Town Golf Links?

The longest hole is hole 2, a par 5 playing 580 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Harbour Town Golf Links?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 459 yards.

What should I shoot at Harbour Town Golf Links?

Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.