Hilton Head Island has long been associated with amazing golf, but when did this start? The first golf course on Hilton Head Island opened in 1961, but this golf island truly began its journey to a treasured golf destination with the 1969 opening of Harbour Town Golf Links.

Harbour Town Golf Links hosted the first Heritage Tournament in 1969 and has been the host course for more than three decades. The course, which was designed by Pete Dye, at first received a cold reception but gradually Tour players warmed to it. Today the Heritage is a very popular tournament on the PGA Tour and a huge event for Hilton Head Island.

Then in the 1970s, construction on Shipyard Plantation and Hilton Head Plantation began, and Hilton Head golfers haven’t looked back since.

In the past few years, the Harbour Town Golf Links and Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront at Palmetto Dunes have undergone extensive renovations in order to keep Hilton Head golf in top form. Even architect Roger Rulewich, who helped on the original construction of the Robert Trent Jones course more than 30 years ago, came back during the renovations to make the improvements to the resort course.

Hilton Head golf is always evolving and changing for the better. Did you visit Hilton Head in the earlier days? What is your favorite course?