Hilton Head Golf Blog

SPRING ISLAND - Spring Island’s Old Tabby Links in Okatie, SC has been ranked the 25th best residential golf course in the United States by Golfweek magazine for 2009.

Golfweek’s volunteer team of 500 course raters tracked the country’s 15,500 golf courses in search of the top 100 residential golf courses for 2009. The team used a 10-point standard of evaluation based on many factors, ranging from overall routing or sequence of holes to the strategic variety and “fun factor” of the holes. 

Due to the inclement weather in the South Carolina area as a result of Hurricane Hanna, the first-annual Rees Jones Invitational has been postponed and rescheduled for November 2-4. The tournament, hosted by the Michigan State men's golf program at the Haig Point Club in Daufuskie Island was originally scheduled for Sept. 7-8.

Haig Point's signature golf course, which debuted at 28th in the country by Golf Digest and 68th in the world by Golf Magazine when it first opened 22 years ago, recently underwent a $5.5-million renovation and restoration overseen by Rees Jones and his design associate Greg Muirhead. Recent changes added length with the course stretching to 7,350 yards from the tips and altered various features that make the Lowcountry layout a better test for players of all abilities.  

Is it me or is The Golf Channel becoming the CMT (Country Music Television) of golf television? Well now that's not necessarily true because after all, there really is no direct competition in terms of 24-hour cable networks dedicated to golf programming.

While CMT limits the number of country music videos it shows in favor of reality programming like "Trick My Truck" or "Wife Swap", Golf Channel is featuring more and more reality shows every month and fewer music videos. Soon Tiger Woods footage will be just as scarce as a Faith Hill/Tim McGraw duet. Well I wouldn't go that far, Golf Channel did have "Tiger Week" or was it "Tiger Month." 

Greens can often be the most fickle element of a golf course, whether you're a golfer trying to get off them with as few putts as possible or a course superintendent striving to keep your visitors and members happy.

Golfers desire consistent speeds, a true roll and a pleasant overall appearance from putting surfaces. "How's it rolling?" is a popular refrain as players pass through the clubhouse corridors. Many of these characteristics and how they can be achieved depend on the make-up of the surface itself.

A long standing Labor Day weekend tradition matching amateur golfers with celebrities for a good cause is slated to celebrate its 28^th anniversary this year.

The Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament, which provides funds for 18 Children's Charities in Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort, will be held Aug. 29-31 on three of the best golf courses on the island. The Celebrity Golf Tournament has provided more than $3,035,000.00 to children's charities in the area since its inception.

BLUFFTON - Clearwater Beach Florida's Zachery Sobel blistered Berkeley Hall's South Course in the second round of the Heritage Junior Championship, carding 10 birdies opposite zero bogies, and held on to an eight-shot lead during the final round to win his first ever American Junior Golf Association event.

Sobel finished with a score of 15-under-par 201 to capture the Boys Division title over Birmingham, Alabama's Smylie Kaufman who finished in second place with an 11-under-par 205. Sobel was pleased with the way he followed up his competitive course record of 62. 

DATAW ISLAND, S.C. – Just miles away from historic and beautiful Beaufort is Dataw Island, an effortlessly charming coastal community ideal for casting aside the travails of everyday life. Dataw’s first golf course, Cotton Dike, is a shining example of what Lowcountry golf is all about.
 
This charming layout separates itself from the pack by producing stunning panoramic views of marshland as far as the eye can see. The narrow fairways and prevalent water hazards require accuracy off the tee but leave players with plenty of options when considering how to approach each hole. 

Do you have trouble placing the ball at a proper position when hitting out of a fairway bunker? Would you like to learn a new technique off the tee? Or are you a beginner looking to learn a proper swing?

Next month you’ll have the chance to pick up a valuable pointer or two from a knowledgeable professional in your area, and it won’t cost you a thing.

In an effort to increase participation and create greater interest in the game of golf, PGA Professionals will be offering free 10-minute lessons throughout the month of May.

Boo Weekley's first victory at the Verizon Heritage, which doubled as his first victory on the PGA TOUR, bordered on improbable. Weekley holed out from a greenside bunker on back-to-back holes at 17 and 18 to overtake Ernie Els during a weather-induced Monday finish in 2007. This year was more dominant than dramatic.

Dealing with ideal scoring conditions for the majority of the week, Weekley flirted with the overall scoring record, extended his run of rounds in the 60s to seven, a tie for the second most all-time at South Carolina's only PGA TOUR stop with Nick Price and displayed a knack for getting the ball in the cup despite lacking his best stuff on his way to another Heritage win and another berth in the Masters.

Scores continue to climb on day two of the Verizon Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links which is celebrating its 40th year anniversary. Five-time champion Davis Love III who shared the lead after Thursday's round and defending champion Boo Weekley are both on the course finishing their morning rounds.

10:40 - Davis Love III just finished his first nine holes of the day; he started on No. 10. Love III missed a couple of short birdie putts on the backside this morning and lipped out a short par putt on No. 3 on his way to a 35 on his way in. He birdied the signature 18th hole to get back to 5-under which is where he began today's round. Playing with Love III, Jim Furyk is also making a move. He is currently tied with Love III at 5-under par and is 2-under for his round. 

Justin Rose, who won last year's Order of Merit on the European Tour and is currently ranked No. 7 in the Official World Golf Rankings, withdrew after an opening round 76 sighting a bad back. 

11:08 - Defending champion Boo Weekley, 2006 champion Aaron Baddley and crowd favorite Jonathan Byrd, who played his college golf at Clemson University, are all 4-under-par for the day and share the lead with three other players at 6-under. Actually scratch that, things are changing quite quickly this morning on the leaderboard. Another former Clemson Tiger, Lucas Glover, just birdied No. 2 to become the first golfer to get to minus-7 and take sole possession of the lead.

12:06 - Boo Weekley is firing on all cylinders today. Weekley's birdie barrage has him at 7-under on the day heading to the par-3 17th hole. He is on pace to shoot a 64 if he pars out. The course record of 61 was set by David Frost in 1961.