Prime-time players shoot for the end of March and April.

Harbour Town Golf Links is by far the best course to play on a Hilton Head golf vacation, but many people are surprised to find that the course conditions are sometimes, frankly, poor.

It's a classic case of being a victim of one’s own success. As one of the few PGA Tour venues playable by the public, Harbour Town is busy year-round and all the cart and foot traffic, divots and ball marks sometimes take a serious toll on the turf.

In my experience, the best time to play the course from a conditioning standpoint is (big surprise) just prior to and following the PGA Tour event, which is usually held during the second week in April. The course closes completely for one week prior to the event and opens back up the day after.

That makes prime time the end of March and April. Granted, securing a tee time during these periods can be tough and you may be forced to expand your window. Just don’t expand it to the few days after Memorial Day or the first week in August when the course is usually aerified. You may also want to avoid the first two weeks in October, when overseeding takes place.

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