A Letter from Larry Movshin, CSA Board Chairman
The 2020 Heritage Tournament and the COVID-19 Pandemic
June 16, 2020
It’s Heritage Week in Sea Pines, but this is a Heritage “unlike any other.” It’s being played in June, with the strongest field of top ranked golfers, and there will be no public access to the Harbour Town Golf course. More importantly, we remain in the throes of COVID-19, the most serious pandemic any of us have ever experienced. I’m therefore writing today to talk about the steps CSA, the Heritage Classic Foundation and the PGA TOUR are taking to protect our property owners and the Tour from any security problems,
and
to discuss the steps we all can take to minimize the risk of virus spread.
Unlike last week’s tournament at Colonial Golf Club, which is virtually self-contained with few homes on the course, Harbour Town Golf Links is bordered by homes and villas on virtually every fairway and many tees and greens. Access to roads in and around the course by vehicle are restricted to those with hangtags. However, you are still able to access the Harbour Town area by walking or biking on our leisure trails into the area (but you may not stop anywhere along the course itself) or by utilizing the Park and Ride Shuttle from Lot 1 on Greenwood Drive with direct drop off at the Harbour Town Circle near the shops.
As homeowners along the course know, the Tour has roped off the boundaries of the course to keep all spectators away from play. In addition, standing, stopping, and sitting along leisure paths within the tournament zone is not permitted. Tournament marshals and CSA-led security teams will be along those ropes to keep spectators out (and respectfully quiet). PLEASE make sure that you and your guests respect those boundaries; do NOT make any attempt to go onto the course during play.
No less important, while the number of reported COVID-19 cases in the Hilton Head Zip Codes (including 29928) has increased, I don’t believe those numbers are rapidly rising in Sea Pines
because
our property owners and guests are generally quite attentive to CDC guidelines on social distancing and masking in crowds.
If you live on the course and are hosting others to watch from your yards, PLEASE do not let down your guard during the tournament!
You might consider limiting the guest list to a size that can be accommodated with appropriate social distancing, and encouraging your guests to wear masks in closer quarters. And I hope those who may be renting their homes or villas will urge their tenants to do the same. I am sure that none of us want to see the number of COVID-19 cases in our community spike because Sea Piners used the Heritage as an excuse to ignore health experts and “party hearty”! Given the great television exposure that Sea Pines (and homes around the course) will get during the week, homeowners along the course can demonstrate how
responsible
citizens can enjoy watching the golf tournament while remaining diligent followers of a healthy, protective environment by practicing social distancing!
Harbour Town, Sea Pines Center and South Beach will all be open during the tournament. Anticipating that these areas may be crowded this week, CSA and the Beaufort County Sheriff have extra security forces in these locations to ensure that they remain calm and without incident. It is also possible that some folks will try to get a view of the golf tournament by trespassing onto neighboring homesites along the course line.
If you see uninvited persons on your or your neighbors’ private property during tournament hours, please call Sea Pines Security immediately at (843) 671-7170 to report the issue.
Sea Pines is always a very special place during Heritage Week. While it won’t be the “normal” tournament given the circumstances, let’s enjoy the opportunity to have some of the world’s most talented golfers in our midst in a safe
and
healthy environment.
Best regards,
