Did you hear? Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island is the PGA Tour pros' favorite place to play! Players were surveyed by GolfWorld magazine, and they cited such reasons as beauty, strategy, condition and location. For more, check out the April 9, 2012 Forbes.com write-up.

Greg Norman shares his perspective on Hilton Head Island, wins and losses, golf course design and more.

by Brad King

Slideshow photo above by John Loomis Photography; photo at right courtesy of Golf Channel

Brad King: As a player, you captured one of the most popular Heritage victories ever in 1988. As a golf course architect, you designed not only Oldfield, one of the most enjoyable and respected golf courses in the Hilton Head area, but also nearby Savannah Quarters and The Reserve Golf Club in Litchfield. What are some of your fondest memories from coming to Hilton Head and the Lowcountry all these years?

Greg Norman: Well, I first got to know Hilton Head as a player, and from the very beginning I could tell it was a great destination, No. 1 because of the atmosphere. You knew you could get one of those townhomes by the golf course, and you never had to put a key in the ignition. You went to the golf course; you went back to the townhome. You cooked yourself a dinner. It was just easy and relaxing, like the Lowcountry should be. Obviously, it was the week right after Augusta. I loved driving from Augusta to Hilton Head and just enjoying the relaxing drive. And of course, the tournament gave us an opportunity to relax a bit more than the Masters because the atmosphere was totally different, and it was a totally different golf course. I’ve always loved Harbour Town. It is, and always has been, one of my favorite golf courses anywhere. Not only the aesthetic beauty, but from a strategic standpoint, what Pete Dye did there was pure genius. Pete was able to design the course and really position the trees like hazards, requiring the golfer to absolutely work on every tee shot, and every iron shot that you play. I also really enjoyed the times when I went to play at Harbour Town and was able to stay out there on my boat. I enjoyed the unique opportunity to do that. You can’t do that at every tournament. I think I was one of the first golfers to do that by bringing my boat up there. And then over a period of time Curtis [Strange] brought his boat, and Davis Love brought his boat.

PGA pro Kyle Stanley—the Berkeley Hall pro who is now a household name well beyond the local area—shares his thoughts with Golfer’s Guide.

by Karen Rhodes

Photo by Starletdarlene/Dreamstime.com

Karen Rhodes: The beginning of this year got off to a bit of a rocky start, but then you had a big win that catapulted your popularity. What did you learn in that loss that helped you secure the big win?

Kyle Stanley: I would characterize the start of my year as exciting, but certainly not rocky by any means. I started playing well in Hawaii and continued that good play into San Diego. While I didn’t win the event, I probably gained much more from what happened versus if I had actually won. I think that a lot more people came to know who I was, and those that do follow golf got a better understanding of who I am and my personality. During that stretch of losing in the playoff at Torrey Pines and coming back to win the following week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I learned a lot about myself, and all of those experiences have made me not only a better player but a better person. I was pretty devastated Sunday night after San Diego, but I am not sure I would go back and change a thing.