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Here’s every change made at Harbour Town Golf Links, site of RBC Heritage

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Justin Thomas explains what makes the par-3 14th at Harbour Town so challenging

Justin Thomas explains what makes the par-3 14th at Harbour Town so challenging

    Written by Paul Hodowanic

    Harbour Town Golf Links underwent a restoration after last year’s RBC Heritage, bringing in Davis Love III and Love Golf Design to bring the course closer to the original intent set out by famed architect Pete Dye.

    The restoration was done to ensure championship-level conditions while preserving classic shot values and design. Love’s goal was to thoughtfully consider Dye’s design while also improving agronomy and course maintenance. The biggest undertaking and most notable work was the rebuilding of all greens, bunkers and bulkheads.

    “I think Davis and his team did a great job from what I can see,” said defending RBC Heritage champion Justin Thomas. “I think a lot of redos or restorations, to be perfectly honest, I think they screw the course up pretty bad. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous a little bit about it.

    “But knowing that Davis was doing this made me feel a lot better, one, because he is very good at this, but two, he loves -- he isn't going to completely change a golf course at a place that he loves like Harbour Town,” Thomas continued. “Anything that he was changing or doing was going to be very minor and for the better because a lot of what makes Harbour Town what it is, you need to keep, and that's the doglegs, the small greens, the trees where they are. From what I've seen so far, it is very, very subtle tweaks.”

    We compiled the full list of what was done, subtle tweaks and all. Here’s every change made at Harbour Town, according to the club.

    Hole No. 1:

    • Lengthened by 10 yards
    • Moved the greenside cart path away from the green’s edge

    Hole No. 2:

    • Moved fairway bunker 7 yards into the fairway, steepened the bunker face
    • Added a new bunker at the back of the green
    • Added a stacked-sod bunker face to the existing bunker
    • Added 200 square feet to the green complex

    Hole No. 3:

    • Replaced fairway cart path with crushed sand and shell (removed black top)
    • Reduced the left greenside bunker size by 35%
    • Reshaped right greenside bunkers to their original, larger size and positioned closer to the green complex

    Hole No. 4:

    • Expanded all tee complexes
    • Removed bridge crossing over lagoon 50 yards short of the green complex
    • Rerouted the cart path to the right side of the lagoon and the hole
    • Added back-stacked-sod bunker behind green

    Hole No. 5:

    • Removed cart path crossing the middle of the fairway
    • Expanded the left lagoon, now 10 feet closer to the fairway
    • Added waste area cart path on the right side
    • Added stacked-sod bunker greenside on the left side of the green
    • Lowered the green complex 16 inches and restored it closer to its original shape, approximately the same size as the original green complex
    • Moved live oak on the right side of the green, now 18 feet closer to the fairway, with the canopy reaching out to the right third of the green complex
    The 561-yard, par-5 fifth hole underwent major changes, including the removal of the cart path crossing in the fairway, lowering the green complex and moving the live oak on the right side of the green closer to the fairway, with its canopy extending over the right side of the green. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The 561-yard, par-5 fifth hole underwent major changes, including the removal of the cart path crossing in the fairway, lowering the green complex and moving the live oak on the right side of the green closer to the fairway, with its canopy extending over the right side of the green. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Hole No. 6:

    • Back of green expanded
    • Greenside bunkers reshaped
    • Added stacked sod to existing left bunker

    Hole No. 7:

    • Removed the bridge and rerouted the cart path around the right side of the hole
    • Added a bulkhead around the pond
    • Expanded bunker around green to the edge of the bulkhead
    • Expanded the back-left portion of the green

    Hole No. 8:

    • Left greenside bunker expanded to the edge of the bulkhead closest to the tee

    Hole No. 9:

    • Raised entire green complex 14 inches
    • Added stacked sod to two bunkers behind the green

    Changes to the 326-yard, par-4 ninth hole include the addition of stacked sod to two bunkers behind the green and raising the entire green complex by 14 inches. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 326-yard, par-4 ninth hole include the addition of stacked sod to two bunkers behind the green and raising the entire green complex by 14 inches. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 326-yard, par-4 ninth hole include the addition of stacked sod to two bunkers behind the green and raising the entire green complex by 14 inches. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 326-yard, par-4 ninth hole include the addition of stacked sod to two bunkers behind the green and raising the entire green complex by 14 inches. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)


    Hole No. 10:

    • Removed cart path and created a waste area cart path on the right side of the fairway
    • Front-right bunker changed to stacked sod
    • Expanded back portion of green
    • Added trees on the right side of the fairway

    Hole No. 11:

    • Removed cart path from the middle of the hole to 40 yards short of the green
    • Created a cart path in the waste area on the right side of the fairway
    • Front-right bunker changed to stacked sod
    • Expanded back portion of green

    Hole No. 12:

    • Bunkers were enlarged to their original shape and size

    Hole No. 13:

    • Removed cart path from the middle of the hole to the 14th tee
    • Created a waste area cart path on the left side of the fairway
    • Lowered the green surround to be more level with the cypress planks bordering the bunker short of the green

    Hole No. 14:

    • Doubled the size of the raised Heritage tee
    • Existing greenside bunker changed to stacked sod
    • Added one additional pot bunker to the one that was there; both bunkers are stacked-sod bunkers
    • Removed cart path close to green

    Changes to the 188-yard, par-3 14th hole include doubling the size of the raised Heritage tee box, adding an additional greenside pot bunker and removing the greenside cart path. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 188-yard, par-3 14th hole include doubling the size of the raised Heritage tee box, adding an additional greenside pot bunker and removing the greenside cart path. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 188-yard, par-3 14th hole include doubling the size of the raised Heritage tee box, adding an additional greenside pot bunker and removing the greenside cart path. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    Changes to the 188-yard, par-3 14th hole include doubling the size of the raised Heritage tee box, adding an additional greenside pot bunker and removing the greenside cart path. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)


    Hole No. 15:

    • Removed cart path in the middle of the hole
    • Created a waste area cart path on the right side of the fairway
    • Green slightly reshaped, making more hole locations available at the same square footage

    Hole No. 16:

    • Expanded fairway waste bunker about 10 feet toward the fairway on the right side
    • Existing pot bunkers changed to stacked sod
    • The cart path on the right changed to a waste area cart path

    Hole No. 17:

    • Slightly expanded back of green

    The back of the green was expanded on the 198-yard, par 3 17th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The back of the green was expanded on the 198-yard, par 3 17th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The back of the green was expanded on the 198-yard, par 3 17th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The back of the green was expanded on the 198-yard, par 3 17th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)


    Hole No. 18:

    • Added retaining wall around the back portion of the tee
    • Tee moved closer to the marsh about 10 yards back and left

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)

    The tee of the iconic 470-yard closing par 4 was shifted back and left with a retaining wall added along the back portion. (Justin Naro/PGA TOUR)


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