How the Heritage Tournament changed South Carolina

Last month’s announcement that the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will become part of the PGA TOUR Championship Series beginning in 2028 is tremendous news.

Moreover, I believe it represents something considerably larger.
It’s a milestone in a remarkable story about Hilton Head Island, Charles Fraser’s vision and the important role golf has played in South Carolina’s economic transformation.

When the development of Sea Pines began in the 1950s and ’60s, Hilton Head was just a random barrier island. Yet Fraser’s vision was different. He understood that preserving its natural beauty, combining it with exceptional recreation and creating an appealing quality of life could itself have genuine economic value.

Golf became a crucial part of that vision.

Fraser’s gamble began when Harbour Town Golf Links was barely complete, and he convinced the PGA TOUR to try Hilton Head for the first Heritage Classic in 1969. Arnold Palmer won, national media took notice, and suddenly millions of golf fans were being introduced to a place few had ever heard of.

They liked what they saw.

Year after year, television viewers not only watched great golf but also saw live oaks, Calibogue Sound, the Harbour Town Lighthouse and a distinctive Lowcountry lifestyle. The tournament became an extraordinary annual showcase for Hilton Head Island and South Carolina.

Today, the tournament generates an estimated $134.9 million in economic activity annually and reaches a global audience.
Hilton Head’s success spilled into other coastal areas such as Myrtle Beach, Kiawah and other golfing destinations. Visitors filled hotels and restaurants. Many returned. They purchased second homes and condos.

Others retired or relocated to South Carolina. They spawned new businesses in construction, health care, banking, insurance, hospitality, retail and professional services. They brought retirement income, investment capital and new entrepreneurial experience into South Carolina communities.

Today, we can put remarkable numbers behind that story. A South Carolina Department of PRT study estimates golf’s statewide economic impact at $3.6 billion annually, supporting more than 30,000 jobs and $1.7 billion in wages and income. Visiting golfers alone spent approximately $1.2 billion away from the golf course.

South Carolina Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt noted that our state’s “relationship between economic development and quality of life is intertwined.”

Indeed, our experience with golf illustrates that point particularly well.

Golf did not create South Carolina’s economic growth. It certainly is part of the mix with our ports, business climate, educational institutions and critical recruitment of major employers.

tournament helped change how people outside South Carolina saw us. It helped establish our state as a desirable place not simply to visit but to live, retire, invest and conduct business.

Now, nearly six decades after Arnold Palmer putted out on the 18th green, the PGA TOUR has elevated the original Heritage Classic into its new Championship Series.

Charles Fraser understood something before most of us did: “economic development is often about creating places where people want to be.”

South Carolina and Hilton Head Island have benefited enormously from that idea.

Jeff Bradley is the representative for District 123 in the State House of Representatives.

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