1 round pick 'em: Chechessee or Harbour Town

[Jim Jackson]

Ladies and Gents:

I'm off on a trip to Hilton Head in a week or two, and in the midst of childcare I've gotten the green light for one round (despite my efforts to get a second).  I've narrowed down my choices to Harbour Town, primarily because we'll be staying on site, and Chechessee Creek, about a half hour away.  In fairness, I've played both before but my experience at CCC was immediately following a late Spring rain so I did not get a chance to experience the course in peak form.

This will be my one respite for the week, so help me choose wisely - given one round, which would you choose? And why?

[Jaeger Kovich]

The golf I think is equal. The vibe is CCC hands down... I guess it depends on how much you like driving. 18 would be a tough choice, if it was a full day I think its a no brainer.

[Bill_McBride]

Chechessee Creek is great.  I've never played Harbour Town but I really know instinctively that CCC is more fun.  Wide fairways, very natural lying on the ground.  I really liken it to a heathland course south of London.  

Of course Harbour Town is iconic so maybe preferable if you know you'll be back to that area in the future to play Chechessee Creek later.  

[Philip Caccamise]

I think it's Chechessee Creek, hands down. Just a better golf course.

[Bryan Icenhower]

Ten rounds I'm going CCC 8-2.  Great club, great vibe. Really really like the vibe of the place. 

1 round its Harbour Town.

[Michael Whitaker]

Chechessee Creek is one of my favorite clubs on the planet. The course is a very good "members course," but not one of C&C's most memorable. Harbour Town is one of THE iconic courses in America. It put both Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus on the road to golf architecture superstardom.

As Bryan says, if you had 10 rounds you might play 6 or 8 of them at Chechessee... the club experience is that good. But, with only one round you MUST play Harbour Town. To not play there would be like going to Paris and skipping a trip up the Eiffel Tower.

[Anthony_Nysse]

C3. Easy choice.

[Matt MacIver]

I'd lean to Chechessee as far as the course, and certainly to the overall experience, but in that Jim has already played both, one is on-site, iconic and he's doing a hit-and-run with no vibe time I'd say HarbourTown is the call - but to be sure I'd call ahead and make sure the course was in near top shape before dropping the coin because conditioning is often an issue.

Which I guess begs the question of relative value, which wasn't asked and I don't know the costs of either but if they're about the same (including caddy fee) it truly is a wash, travel notwithstanding.

[Rich Goodale]

I agree with Bryan and Mike, but since you've played both courses before, it's really up to you, and what you want out of the experience.  If it's relaxation/chilling out Chechessee wins, but if it's challenge/hard-ass golf you must play Harbour Town.  If it's architecture you are looking for, both are instructive, but from different perspectives.  HT is designed as a tournament course that will beat you down if you do not concentrate on every hole and every shot.  CCC is the classic members course, which will leave you walking off the 18th with a smile, no matter how well or badly you play.

[Mac Plumart]

Harbour Town

[BCrosby]

Play Harbour Town for its historical significance. Play Chechessee for the fun.

Bob

[Bill_McBride]

Play Harbour Town for its historical significance. Play Chechessee for the fun.

Bob

+1.   Chechessee really is fun.   And very good food in the dining room. 

[Kevin Robinson]

Chechessee....but there's no way you'll ever get there from Sea Pines (or anywhere else on the South End of the island) in an hour..

[Carl Nichols]

I don't think you can go wrong either way.  If I were you, as Matt mentioned, I'd try to figure out what the conditioning at HT is like right now . . . perhaps by just taking a look, since you're staying on site.  If it's good (and it can sometimes be quite good), I'd try to get the first twilight time (2pm), which will give you the morning with your family, allow plenty of time to finish before it's dark, get the greens fee pretty close to what I bet CCC is for an unaccompanied guest, and let you play an iconic course--all closer to where you're staying.  

[Lou_Duran]

CCC if necessarily restricted, but Long Cove is my area preference over both.   Took a few bucks from Rocco Mediate and his partner there in the early 80's after DoG Jim Ferree (note to Joel Zuckerman- in your own neck of the woods, how could you have omitted Jim from your "Pro's Pros"?) set me up with Rocco's college roommate as my horse (and he was).  Played it again more than 20 years later knowing it could never live up to the first experience and came away even more impressed with the course (enough that I was ready to make an offer on a house a couple years ago to eventually retire there, but my wife nixed it- her damned friends!).  Not a huge Dye fan, but I'd be giddy with Long Cove as my home course.

[Phil Lipper]

I prefer CC as a golf course over Harbour Town, but if I was staying that side of the island I would choose Harbour Town just for convience. Although its only about 25 or 30 miles it takes a while to get off the island and theres always traffic coming back.

[Bill Crane]

C3 is just a great golf experience - traditional in nature.

The course is a shade subtle, but really worth getting to know.  I have played about two dozen rounds there and I like it more every time I go. The angles of every hole are really well conceived and executed.

The course is really walkable - fairly flat with short walks green to tee.  Caddies in the AM - trolleys available for afternoon.

The staff is great, the food is really good and the clubhouse is charming.  Only really 6 holes near the water, but it is a fun and attractive setting.  Also, the new owner has the course in good condition.

When I was there a year ago I talked to a good young golfer who had just played Secession nearby.  He said Secession seemed harder with some tight spots, but C3 was actually harder to score on since the greens are so narrow and hard to hit.

I just love being there.

Wm Flynnfan

[Jerry Kluger]

May River should be a consideration - I would have to put it up there as perhaps the best Nicklaus I have played - really good and really fast greens.

[Mark Pritchett]

May River should be a consideration - I would have to put it up there as perhaps the best Nicklaus I have played - really good and really fast greens.

Agreed. 

[Jon Cavalier]

For someone who had never played either, I would recommend Harbour Town.

For someone who has played both, I would recommend CCC. 

[Tom_Doak]

Is it just me?  I find it super-odd for someone who has played both courses to need advice on which he should play again.

[Brent Hutto]

Not just you, I was scratching my head over the same thing. But having played neither course I figured maybe it was a trick question or something.

[Jim Jackson]

Not a trick question.  I played Harbour Town around 20 years ago, while in college, and before I had any appreciation for or understanding of golf architecture.  I'm not sure that I'd glean any more from that experience than from watching the tournament on TV yearly.  As to CCC, my one round was several years ago, and the day after a torrential spring rain - again, not sure it's the best time to assess the nuances of a course like that.  So I though I'd poll a group who'd probably have an opinion, and, more so, one based on objective/recent experience.