Dye, Hendrix and Harbour Town

By Jeff Mingay

My guess is: Pete Dye’s not a Jimi Hendrix fan. And I’m certain Hendrix didn’t play golf. Nonetheless, the two mavericks have something in common: they’re self-taught pioneers who’s mammoth influence on their respective professions – beginning during the mid 1960s – has been somewhat diminished by time.

So many loud guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll albums have been released, and so much advancement in recording technologies and techniques have come about since Hendrix’ astonishing trio of late 1960s albums, the revolutionary impact of his guitar playing, songwriting and recordings is difficult to accurately realize today.

The same can be said about Dye and his early work at designing and building courses during the 1960s and early 70s.

Why?

Frankly, Dye’s designed too many mediocre courses throughout the United States since his early days, when he concentrated on one or two projects at a time (often one). Too many copycat courses featuring Dye-like features and strategies have been constructed, too.

Following the success of Crooked Stick, Harbour Town and, of course, TPC Sawgrass, other course architects began borrowing from the repertoire of their most successful contemporary. Sand “waste areas”, railroad ties, and even (gulp!) island greens began featuring elsewhere, diminishing the originality of Dye’s best works.

Early in his career, Dye himself took an opposite approach to golf architecture – most notably at Harbour Town Golf Links (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina). Dye’s ambition there, at Harbour Town, was to create a golf course completely different from Robert Trent Jones’ Palmetto Dunes course, down the road.

At Palmetto Dunes, in typical fashion, Trent Jones was stamping out runway-like tees, and freeform bunkers flanking fairways and tightly guarding large greens featuring multiple tiers. So, Harbour Town features multiple teeing areas; small, severely canted greens; and large sand “waste areas” (a term actually coined during construction at Harbour Town) that contrast tiny pot bunkers. Dye (now famously) used railroad ties and bulkhead throughout the course as well, to shore up water hazards and even some sand bunkers at Harbour Town.

Early in the development stage, Dye had to be at least a little nervous about his concept at Harbour Town. After all, Trent Jones’ typical style was en vogue at the time. And, Pete Dye was pretty much an unknown. In fact, the developers of Sea Pines Resort employed Jack Nicklaus as a “design consultant” at Harbour Town to provide some clout, and name recognition.

Essentially, Dye resurrected tried-and-true architectural principles, features and strategies at Harbour Town that had seemingly been forgotten following the Second World War. Although early reviews of the course were mixed, following its opening in 1969, Harbour Town has proven timeless, and a genuine favourite amongst all calibers of golfer – including PGA Tour players who visit annually to compete in the Heritage tournament.

This Pete Dye—Jimi Hendrix analogy actually popped into my head a few weeks ago while visiting Harbour Town for the first time in nearly a decade. Harbour Town – along with Donald Ross’ Essex, in Windsor, Ontario – was the first course to spark serious interest in golf architecture. It was a thrill to re-evaluate Harbour Town so many years later, with some experience at designing and building golf courses under my belt.

So, what is it about Harbour Town?

1. The low country of coastal South Carolina is a beautiful setting, and the Harbour Town course is so well integrated into its surrounds. Working with relatively flat ground, Dye designed and constructed low-profile features, and many holes – including the par-four first – can be described as suitably restrained.

2. The combination of an (over-)abundance of influential trees and unbelievably small greens demand strategic thought, and precise play. Utilizing trees in this manner is contrary to classic course architecture. Somehow though it’s acceptable at Harbour Town. In fact, PGA Tour players Richard Zokol and Brad Faxon have recently stated that Harbour Town is the only course on the Tour these days that continues to force the world’s best golfers to bend the ball, and play creative shots, high and low – around trees!

3. The ebb and flow of the course, made up of a fine collection of unique and interesting holes, is excellent. And, of course, the finishing stretch is outstanding – namely 16, 17 and 18. The par-five fifteenth – one hole that definitely features too many trees in the way – is my least favourite hole at Harbour Town. Eliminating it from consideration, the aforementioned outstanding stretch to the home green begins at the short par-four thirteenth. (Come to think of it, holes 10 through 12 are pretty good too!)

Harbour Town Golf Links has an important and deserved place in the history of golf architecture. It’s a must-see for aspiring course designers and golf architecture aficionados. More important though, it’s simply a great place to be and a fun course to play.

Originally appeared at MingayGolf.blogspot.com, January 1, 2007