Harbor at Wild Dunes Golf Links

Wild Dunes Harbor Course, while less popular than its more celebrated sister, the Links Course, should have been an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, it was not.

It started with the parking. All I can say is, "Unbelievable." It took a good 20 minutes to find a place to park. We just kept driving and driving until finally a random woman noticed we were searching, and she pointed out a spot, ran over to it, and held it for us until we could navigate the never-ending maze of narrow/one-way streets. Just ridiculous.

Next was the clubhouse staff, which acted like neither my wife nor I mattered. The only thing that could take their attention away from their own conversation was my credit card. At a resort course, I expect better. The cart staff and starter were nice enough, but that first face when you walk in the door needs to be more than somebody who simply takes your money.

Finally, the course. In a word, it was weird. The tiniest greens I've ever seen. One of them on the short par-4 10th was probably smaller than my living room. Another on the par-3 11th was no more than 6 or 7 paces wide ... I missed the green left and had a 12-foot putt from the fringe to a flag that was centered (see the photo). And the course was so soft. It hadn't rained all that much, yet all my drives left huge pitch marks and stayed within 18 inches of where they landed. The course is very narrow, which isn't a bad thing except that the longest holes played into the prevailing wind. And finally, the mile-long drive between the 4th and 5th holes. We almost got lost. Add all this to no driving range and the world's smallest putting green, and it doesn't feel all that resort-like.

All in all, I was glad when the round was over. Honestly, I just can't recommend this course. There are so many better choices in the Charleston area.

Parking is a joke. Allow plenty of time.

Course is narrow but a Fazio Fair. Interesting.

We enjoyedi

Fun layout. Very scenic. There is one green to tee ride of about a half mile. Ample fairways. Many holes are very challenging on the approach. Sand bunkers are mediocre. Lots of gravel and course sand. We played after a heavy rain and the course was soaked but had drained well. Unless you can carry the ball over 230-240, move up. The 4 pars are very long from the white tees. There is plenty of challenge from Gold. Review by two seniors.

Course tip from staff was "hit it straight" ... and they were right. Great layout and condition of course. Some holes along Inter-coastal Waterway. Challenging but fair. Tight is the best description as offline shots have good chance to find a hazard (water, marsh). Some greens are really small (shorter Par 3's especially). Friendly staff. Was high of low 50's with 10+ MPH winds so not many playing, thus we got around in 3.5 hrs. No driving range (can go to sister course (Links) to hit balls). I'd play again cause who doesn't like to test their ability to hit good shots!

The 6,359-yard, par-70 Harbor Course--a 1985-vintage unofficial collaboration between Tom Fazio and the late, great Mike Strantz-- has numerous holes with views of the Intracoastal Waterway, including the stretch from holes 9-11, which are right on the water. In fact, water or marshland come into play on every hole of the Harbor Course, and as such, can be either a straight-hitter's paradise or a wayward golfer's nightmare.

If you're a visitor from the Midwest who's used to playing more open tracks, the Harbor Course might seem quite penal for crooked hitters, with lots of hazards and OB on almost every hole, either on the tee, at the green, or, more often, from tee to green. (And some in the rough – once my ball ended up a couple feet in front of the business end of a medium-sized alligator.)

The Harbor Course is tighter than its sister-course, The Links,, but it's still a worthwhile experience, as long as you have enough golf balls in your bag. There's a nice mix of long (>460 yards) and short (<350 yards) par 4s. The long holes have fairly well-defined bail-out areas. (Aside from the 382-yard 6th, where the tee shot is semi-blind over a marsh.)

Greens on The Harbor Course are scheduled to be expanded by Fazio's Firm, but as of yet are still tiny – difficult to hit and quick as lightning. The stretch of holes, 9-11 along the Intracoastal, is really lovely and very fun and will probably be the holes you remember most. Course knowledge is critical here, as there are cross-hazards, hidden water, and tricky winds.

The Harbor Course at Wild Dunes Resort is a quintessential low-country test:: fast, firm greens, lush palm trees full of exotic birds, and plenty of water hazards full of gators (do NOT stick your hand into the ponds to retrieve balls!). Rates run from $95-$185 (with cart), depending on time of day/week and whether or not you're staying at the resort. The low end of this range is very reasonable; the high end is a bit of a stretch.

Course was beautiful staff was great highly requimend

Overall a good golf experience - I would recommend it to a friend. However, I played the Wild Dunes Links Course the following day and, if playing at Wild Dunes, would play the Links over the Harbor course hands-down (even though it is has a some higher fee).

The Harbor Course has a nightmare parking situation (it shares a small lot with the big hotel, tennis center and the beach) and if you don't know that in advance you better show up real early for your tee time. Also, there is no driving range.

As for the course, it is busy and has heavy traffic - like a reasonably priced, public course. Regardless, the course is in pretty good condition. The greens still evidenced aeration within the past month and showed heavy use, but overall rolled true and clean.

The layout is unique and is the first course I recall playing whose turn wasn't near the clubhouse or any other amenities (a halfway house). Given this, it would have been nice to have a beverage cart at some point (which we did not see at all).

To a man, the staff was friendly and helpful and made us feel welcome.

The pace of play was too slow for us - with a fair amount of waiting - however, we were a twosome and there were a lot of foursomes and we finished in about 4 hours, so the pace wasn't slow, just slower than we would have liked.

Bottom Line: A busy course but in as good of shape as you could expect for a heavily used public course. Layout was interesting with numerous pretty and unique holes. The downside is the lack of parking and no range. Overall, a good value (although I recommend the LInks Course just 2 miles down the road).

Nice course. Got to play with a couple of locals. Helped. Play was a little slow. I't play it again. Stay right of the 150 marker on 17.

For a reasonably short course, it's pretty challenging. Greens rolled out pure at a quick pace but not unreasonable. Fairways were lush and rough was nicely cut and not too punishing. Grounds under repair areas were few and well marked. Staff was friendly and true to the Southern charm you would expect. Definitely recommend and will play this course again!

This one of two courses on Isle of Palms managed by the Wild DunesResort. Both are overpriced for what you get, especially the Harbor Course. My wife and I played this tight and challenging course this morning after checking out from the hotel. It should have been more enjoyable, but our expectations were dashed once we discovered that there is no driving range and that many holes were under repair, had temporary tee boxes, or had unmarked tee boxes. Perhaps it was too early in the season, but we should have be given a heads-up about conditions when we reserved our tee time and certainly once we checked in. For the quality of conditions, we should have received a discount or other spiff. Nothing was offered, even after my wife tripped in an unrepaired, hard-to-see pothole in the middle orf the cart path just past the tee boxes at hole #15. She fell hard onto the rough asphalt, twisted her ankle, tore her pants, and bloodied her knee. We had to quit for the day and the rest of our stay. We are severely disappointed in this course and its management.

Narrow fairways and water can penalize off shots, but the course was beautiful and well-maintained. Would highly recommend

Great experience at Harbor. Course played as advertised. Great greens, many tough holes. Harbor will test your game, especially from the tees.

Perfect 75 degree February day, great golf course, all employees were friendly, welcoming and helpful. Course was absolutely beautiful and challenging. Fairways and Greens in excellent shape.

Course was in excellent condition, other than being chilly it was a great day.

What a great course!! It is narrow and the greens are small so be prepared to have to hit it straight. The fairways and greens were in excellent shape. We had really foggy weather which added to the challenge - I can only imagine who beautiful it is when it’s sunny outside

Teeing ground on every hole was uneven and beat up. Overseeded greeens were very slow, grainy and did not have full coverage...bumpy as well. Course is very tight, penalty both right and left on most holes. Golf course has six par three holes which made it pretty monotonous. Bunkers were very inconsistent, some soft and some like concrete. The green surrounds were either firm/tight or had Bermuda rough. Hard to believe they can call this is a resort golf course and not get out their checkbooks and invest in their maintenance budget to provide guests with a better experience. No plans to return

I read the other reviews so I already knew there wasn't a driving range and that the fairways were tight and challenging. That being said - what a pretty course! Fun, interesting, excellent pace of play (3.5 hours). Interesting wildlife and birds. Target golf to be sure and some holes kicked my butt, but I'd play again soon!