ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. -- Don't let the yardage on the card fool you. The 6,359-yard Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort challenges everybody.
It doesn't matter how straight you hit it. You need straighter on this narrow and scenic Tom Fazio design, which was altered after Hurricane Hugo rolled through Charleston in 1989.
Water and marshlands encroach on virtually every hole. Long stretches of the golf course wind through the condos and neighborhoods of the resort, but the escape from civilization is spectacular. Holes 9-11 -- a strong par 5, short par 4 and par 3 combination -- run right along the Intracoastal Waterway. No. 16, a par 3, and no. 17, an intimidating par 4 that might be the hardest hole in Charleston, require tee shots over the waterway. Waiting to hit while a yacht passes by isn't uncommon.
Golf Advisor user Titleistpro7, a 0-4 handicap, gave the Harbor Course five stars. He wrote: "This course challenged my game! Layout was fantastic with difficulty, I recommend getting a yardage book to know where to hit off the tee box! This course is gorgeous.
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The par-5 ninth hole of the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort plays along the Intracoastal Waterway. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Water running down the entire left side of the first fairway introduces the narrow challenges of the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, S.C. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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The par-4 fourth hole on the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort plays long as it bends right toward the green. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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The 162-yard seventh hole of the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort ends at a tiny green surrounded by trouble. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Golfers can attempt to drive the 321-yard 10th hole on the Harbor golf course at Wild Dunes Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Make sure you take enough club to carry the large front bunker on the par-3 11th hole of the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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When the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort hits the Intracoastal Waterway on the back nine, the scenery takes over the round. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Tee shots on the par-3 16th hole of the Tom Fazio-designed Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort play over the Intracoastal Waterway. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Playing the scenic 17th hole of the Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort is alone worth the price of admission. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
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Shadows hide the flag on the 18th hole of the Tom Fazio-designed Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston, S.C. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
