FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2015 MEDIA CONTACTS: Shane Sharp (704.519.8381) Buffalo Brand Invigoration Group [email protected] David Wood (703.635.0577) Buffalo Brand Invigoration Group [email protected] The Sea Pines Resort’s Heron Point Named ‘South Carolina Golf Course of the Year’ (HILTON HEAD, S.C.) – The Sea Pines Resort – Hilton Head's most celebrated golf destination and home of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing – announces its Heron Point by Pete Dye layout has been named “Golf Course of the Year” by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association (SCGCOA). The SCGCOA selects its course of the year based on criteria established by the National Golf Course Owners Associations (NGCOA): exceptional course quality, exceptional quality of management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game. This honor for Heron Point automatically nominates it for the NGCOA “National Course of the Year” award. Earlier this year, Heron Point was named “2015 Course of the Year” by the Lowcountry Golf Course Owners Association which qualified it for the SCGCOA honor. The layout currently is one of the highest rated in South Carolina on Golf Channel’s Golf Advisor, which features reviews from golfers who have recently played the course. Currently ranked No. 11 in GOLF Magazine’s “Best Courses Near You in South Carolina,” Heron Point underwent a series of subtle modifications in 2014 under the close supervision of Dye. With the objective of making the course more player friendly, Dye’s team softened the green surrounds and contours, enlarged several greens, and added ornamental landscape beds throughout the layout. The putting surfaces were transitioned to Tif-Eagle Bermuda, the same strand used on famed Harbour Town Golf Links. “In addition to being the ideal complement to Harbour Town, Heron Point has become a ‘must play’ golf experience on its own merit,” says Cary Corbitt, Vice President of Sports & Operations. “We’re thrilled to receive this prestigious honor and invite our guests to come tee it up and savor this Pete Dye-designed gem.” Flanked by knotted hardwoods, lagoons and salt marshes teeming with wildlife, Heron Point is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Lowcountry. At 7,000 yards from the back tees the course is a wonderful combination of short and long holes. It can play considerably shorter if needed as there are seven sets of tees on each hole (including junior tees). Winner of Golf Inc.’s 2015 “Clubhouse of the Year,” the 23,000-square-foot Plantation Golf Club and Golf Learning Center serves Heron Point as well as the resort’s Ocean Course. The amenities of the 23,000- square-foot multi-use structure include an expansive pro shop; Live Oak, Lowcountry-inspired cuisine; 2,000 square feet of event space; and spacious men’s and women’s locker rooms. For more information about the resort and its wide-variety of golf packages: www.seapinesgolf.com, 866.561.8802. About The Sea Pines Resort Situated on the southernmost tip of Hilton Head Island, the legendary Lowcountry destination features five miles of unspoiled beaches, 21 clay tennis courts, 14 miles of bike and walking trails, horseback riding, Eco-Adventures, water sports, and the 605-acre Sea Pines Forest Preserve filled with wildflowers, wetlands and more than 130 species of birds. As the first Eco-planned destination in the U.S., The Sea Pines Resort has become the blueprint for numerous beach developments around the country. One of the crown jewels in the world of golf, The Sea Pines Resort is home to Pete Dye’s classic Harbour Town Golf Links (home of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage) Heron Point by Pete Dye, and the Ocean Course. The property has recently gone through extensive redevelopment with its Sea Pines Beach Club and Plantation Golf Club both opening in 2014. The new 26,000-square-foot Harbour Town Golf Links Clubhouse will open in April. Guests may choose from an array of accommodations, including 300 villas, 100 rental homes and the luxurious 60-room Inn at Harbour Town, a Forbes Four-Star boutique hotel and Preferred Hotel Group member. The resort’s best-in-class collection of golf courses, amenities, meeting facilities and accommodations makes Sea Pines one of the most sought-after leisure and group destinations in America. -END- .