Heron Point

We are underway!  After making the long journey across the pacific, and then across the US of A, we have arrived at the Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

All participants arrived on time and all luggage was also present.

On our arrival day, Thursday 4 April, it rained solidly for most of the day.



The view from the Hotel, looking down the 1st Hole of Harbour Town.  As you can see the marquees are arriving in preparation for the RBC Heritage Classic PGA Tour event played here in 2 weeks.



We enjoyed a nice welcome happy hour, where everyone got reacquainted, and where everyone met Joe Dason for the first time.



Another view across the 1st tee



Our tour commenced today, Friday 5 April, with golf at the Pete Dye designed Heron Point.

Again we were faced with rain all morning, and when it intensified about an hour prior to tee off, a lot of us had flashbacks to St Andrews last year.

The golf shop staff at Heron Point were bombarded, by golfers from all groups, with the most commonly asked question at Kingston Heath.  How does the radar look?  Good to see that it is a universal thing.

The response from this radar study was that the rain should be just about clear for tee off, with a few showers only for the afternoon.

True to their word, this was how the weather panned out, and we even got some sunshine on the last hole.

Nola Faure in action

Heron Point was a nice way to start the tour and gave everyone the chance to dust off the cobwebs.  It is a very pretty course, and has that resort course feel.  Plenty of water, a lot of it hidden, and some very sharp doglegs.  After the 2 days of rain, it was very wet underfoot, with many drives not progressing more than a foot after pitching.

The bordering of the water hazards with sleepers was quite prolific, and caused some interesting ricochets



Pam MacKenzie negotiating her way past one of the many water hazards.



In true resort course style, the fairways were all lined with housing, but it was done in a very classy and subtle way so that it was not intrusive to the course.

One of the many houses on course, behind Laurie Ryan as he fires a 3 wood down the fairway.

South Carolina and Hilton Head is in what they call low country.  Low country is the low lying swampland areas in Americas south.  When it rains like it has recently, then the water just does not get away, we hope that the weather warms up, not only for our own interest, but also for the resort here so that the Harbour Town course is ready to go for the PGA Tour event here in 2 weeks.

One of the other features of the deep south is the wildlife.

Notice anything in the water?

Alligators are a fairly regular sight on golf courses down here.  Quite a good reason to not search too hard for your ball in swampy areas, or even in a regular water hazard.

A close up of our studious friend

As mentioned today was a chance for many to get rid of some rust, but there were two who came out swinging.  Jeff Faure strolled around very comfortably for a solid 35 points, but it was John "Trip Advisor" MacKenzie who bolted out of the gates with a magnificent 40 points.

Clearly John has forgotten that the tour has it's own handicapping rules, say goodbye to 4 shots for tomorrow John.



Even a little sunshine on the last hole


Everyone is looking forward to our opportunity to play Harbour Town tomorrow.  I will update you all tomorrow night.