Nearly 40 years after completing Harbour Town Golf Links, the course that catapulted Pete Dye's career, the octogenarian returned to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to make over Heron Point, Harbour Town's sister course at the Sea Pines Resort. In addition to a new design, Heron Point, which re-opened in September, has a fresh name; the course, originally designed by George Cobb in 1964, was known as Sea Marsh.

With its narrow, tree-lined corridors and tiny greens, Heron Point will remind players of Harbour Town in parts, while some holes are reminiscent of Long Cove, another Dye gem on Hilton Head that uses contouring and angles to great effect.

At Heron Point, Dye also made hazards more significant, adding lagoons and creating more definition. "It's a great combination of holes out here," Dye says. "We think a lot of the holes will have more shot value than they did before, all the way around."

While there undoubtedly will be some comparisons between Heron Point and its previous iteration, there is really none to be made, according to those most familiar with the re-do.

"There is no resemblance to the former course," says Cory Corbitt, Sea Pines' director of golf. "It is no different than taking a virgin piece of land and sculpting a new golf course."

The $9 million renovation has resulted in a 7,103-yard layout that comes close to matching Harbour Town in terms of difficulty. The new layout gives Sea Pines a formidable 36-hole combination that will delight and challenge players of all levels.

At Heron Point, several holes have a high risk-reward ratio, including, as at Harbour Town, on the closing hole (pictured)—a mini version of yet another Dye classic: the 18th at TPC Sawgrass' Players Stadium course.