Hilton Head Sports

Never Stop Peddling the Topic

There is a group that never wants Hilton Head Island to forget about the importance of bicycling to the local economy.

The HHI Bicycling Advocacy Committee, formed after the island earned a silver award in 2011 as a Bike-Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, tirelessly creates and promotes bike-related events and efforts in order to weave bicycling into the fabric of life on Hilton Head.

The 25 volunteers’ work ranges from building and distributing mobile bike racks at community events in hopes more people will arrive on two wheels, to encouraging the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Bike & Dine Week that paired dining deals with biking.

FACT
The Town of HHI spends $175,000 per year maintaining bike trails and bike lanes. Since 2010, it’s spent $1 million on bike trails, including construction and rights of way.

Harbour Town Golf Links is one of the most distinguished golf courses on the PGA Tour. It is consistently ranked among top courses in the world by publications such as Golf Digest, Golfweek and Travel & Leisure magazine. Here is a hole-by-hole description of the course, which has hosted the Heritage since 1969.

HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS
11 Lighthouse Lane, Hilton Head Island
Par: 36/35 — 71
Yardage: 3540/3561 — 7101

Photo by Arno Dimmling

JOHN BROWN ADDS EAGLE'S POINTE, CRESCENT POINTE TO HIS PORTFOLIO

Since his 2011 purchase of Pinecrest Golf Club and subsequent acquisition of Is land West soon thereafter, John Brown has made an indelible mark on the Hilton Head/Bluffton golf industry in a very short period of time.

His most recent move, however, has absolutely changed the landscape of golf membership in the region. Brown, the co-founder and president of Brown Golf Management, assumed ownership of popular Bluffton sister courses Eagle’s Pointe and Crescent Pointe on Aug. 1 through a venture-capitalist partnership, greatly increasing the company’s profile in the region’s vital golf industry.

In fact, not only does the purchase create a foursome of Lowcountry layouts to offer its growing membership base and its daily-fee players, it makes Brown Golf the second largest golf course operator in the Hilton Head region behind only Heritage Golf, which has six island facilities.

Lead instructor Hank Haney has parted ways with the International Junior Golf Academy and has been replaced by Kevin Smeltz. Haney, the former swing coach of Tiger Woods, has been affiliated with the academy since 2007. The academy features a staff of golf instructors, mental trainers, college placement advisors and fitness coaches who train nearly 150 junior golfers from more than 25 countries across six continents. Smeltz was an instructor at The David Leadbetter Academy and has worked with many professional golfers including Camilo Villegas, D.A. Points and Charles Howell III. The Greenville native will be based in Hilton Head when not traveling to work with professionals on tour. A common complaint students made about Haney was the lack of time he spent at the academy.

Beaufort native Mark Anderson finished eighth on the Web.com Tour earnings list after the final event of the season, earning his PGA Tour card for 2013-14. The top 25 players on the developmental Web.com Tour earn PGA Tour playing privileges. The University of South Carolina graduate has made 29 career starts on the PGA Tour. His best finish was T9 at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in 2012. Anderson joined the Web.com Tour in 2010. In his rookie year, he recorded three Top 10 finishes. In 2011, he had four Top 10s and earned his PGA Tour card for 2012. He failed to make the top 200 in the FedEx Cup standings, losing his card for 2013.

Van Der Meer Tennis has been instructing new players since 1979, raising their level of play in significant amounts. For juniors, a multitude of clinics, camps and lessons are provided; Van Der Meer will even host the South Carolina State Junior Championships in November. There are opportunities for adults as well, for they have access to similar clinics and programs.

Ranked among the top 50 tennis resorts in the entire United States by Tennis Magazine, Van Der Meer Shipyard possesses 20 courts, seven hard courts and 13 Har-Tru (green clay) cours. Despite the quality of this center, it has not hosted a professional competition since the Tennis Grand Prix in 1983. Yet, due to a cancelation, Van Deer Meer Shipyard has been granted an opportunity to host such an event once more.

EVENT IN SEA PINES RESORT AIMS TO EDUCATE, ENGAGE AND INSPIRE THE LOCAL GOLF COMMUNITY ON THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

Many look at the tremendously popular sport of golf and perceive only a needless drain on the economy, with money uselessly spent on maintenance and development of courses. Experience Green recognizes this idea as a common misconception. They understand that, in reality, the golfing industry provides green habitat for wildlife, increases neighboring property value, and offers members of the nearby community opportunities to grow closer together.

LOCO MOTION PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF LOWCOUNTRY

Laura Morgan is the founder of Carolina Cup – a 501c3 non-profit public charity solely dedicated to funding breast cancer education, treatment, and clinical research – and the driving force behind Hilton Head’s fundraising event LoCo Motion. Since 2009, Carolina Cups and LoCo Motion have been passionately dedicated to spreading knowledge and creating hope in the fight against breast cancer. The first two years of LoCo Motion have shown outstanding economic feedback, making the 2013 event look extremely promising.