From the mountains to the coast and everywhere in between, South Carolina has some 362 golf courses—250 of them accessible to the public. Do the math: A dedicated player could visit a different course every weekend for almost five years before crossing them all off the list. But unless your name is Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey (see “Playing to win”), your friends and family probably won’t appreciate that level of dedication to the game.
Fortunately for S.C. golfers, some of the very best courses in the state are conveniently located just a few strokes away from other great attractions—beaches, resorts, state parks and entertainment venues—that will keep the non-playing members of your entourage happily entertained while you work on your game
Yes, you can have it all. Here are seven golf getaways the whole family can enjoy.
Edisto Beach
The Plantation Course at Edisto
An hour south of Charleston, Edisto Beach is a quiet, family-style retreat known for its old-style wood-frame beach homes, wildlife and the beautiful, but unforgiving, Plantation Course. Built along the Edisto River in 1974, the course underwent a major renovation in 2006 at the hand of architect Tom Jackson, who turned it into a shot-maker’s delight—and a hacker’s nightmare.
At a mere 6,190 yards from the back tees, the demanding par-71 brings water into play on 14 holes, and ancient hardwoods loom along the narrow fairways on every shot. “You’ve got to say it’s tight, no question,” says Leland Vaughan, the club’s general manager and a regular player. “We don’t tell people they need to carry extra balls, but we do say they might want to check the display of ‘experienced’ balls in the pro shop.”
Alternative course: About halfway between Edisto and Charleston, The Links at Stono Ferry is a nice change of pace. The 6,701-yard, par-72 design plays along the banks of the Stono River and has more room for error than the tight Plantation Course.
For the non-golfers: Wyndham Ridge Resort, a collection of new villas overlooking the Plantation Course’s fairways, offers easy access to the beach and the island’s quaint eateries and shops. There’s fishing from the Edisto Pavilion pier and nature trails to explore at Edisto Beach State Park on the island’s north end. Nightlife is pretty nonexistent, but then, that’s not why you’re here, is it?
-Plantation Course at Edisto Beach, (843) 869-1111
-Edisto Beach State Park, (843) 869-2756
McCormick
Hickory Knob State Park
If you’re vacationing on a budget, it’s hard to go wrong at Hickory Knob, South Carolina’s only “resort state park.” There’s plenty for non-golfers to do while you perfect your game on the 6,560-yard, par-72 course built by Tom Jackson along the shore of Lake Strom Thurmond.
The fairways follow the topography, winding through old-growth forests after starting—and finishing—with lakeside holes. Jackson’s favorite is the par-4 18th, with water all down the left side and also in play on the approach. “You get a feeling on that hole of what we were trying to create,” he says.
And you can’t beat the price. Top fees are $35 on weekends, $30 on weekdays—including cart—earning it a “Great Value” recommendation from Golf Digest. “To me, it’s a wonderful setting, if you like fishing, hiking, water sports—and golf,” says Jackson, who also designed Cheraw State Park Golf Course. “It’s just a good family destination.”
Alternative courses: Five minutes away is Savannah Lakes Village Resort, with two 18-hole courses, Tara and Monticello, both about 7,000 yards and built along the water.
For the non-golfers: While you’re aiming for the green, your entourage can take aim at clay pigeons on the skeet shooting range, enjoy the pool, go biking on the trails or fishing on the lake. The park has 18 cabins and a 78-room lodge available at budget prices, plus a restaurant with a nightly dinner buffet, so there’s no reason to leave the grounds. If you feel like exploring outside the park, the quaint downtowns of nearby cities like McCormick, Greenwood, Abbeville, Edgefield and Calhoun Falls are just a short drive away.
-Hickory Knob State Park Golf Course, (866) 369-9331
-Hickory Knob State Resort Park, (864) 391-2450 or (800) 491-1764
Charleston/Mount Pleasant
Ocean Course, Kiawah Island
The world’s best professional golfers will face-off on Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course next August in the 2012 PGA Championship, and since the course is already in tournament condition, Palmetto State golfers have a unique opportunity to play a challenging, world-class venue at its prime.
The Ocean Course has been updated by architect Pete Dye and is now a full 7,606 yards. Upgrades include the par-3 14th hole, now 240 yards from its new back tee—the course’s highest point. The dramatic 18th, rerouted from its original line, now doglegs toward the ocean on the approach, offering a magnificent backdrop to a player’s final full shot.
Built specifically as an East Coast site for the Ryder Cup, the Ocean Course has been ranked as South Carolina’s best in countless magazine and website polls. There’s no doubt it’s also the most picturesque, with most of its wind-swept holes offering views of the Atlantic. Thank Pete’s wife Alice for that; it was her idea to build up the fairways to assure ocean sight lines. Sandy waste areas, marshes and dunes make this the closest thing to true links golf east of Oregon or west of Ireland.
“It’s one of the most unique golf courses in this country and in the world,” says Roger Warren, Kiawah Resort’s president and past PGA of America boss. “Pete’s design forces players to hit certain spots on the fairway and on the greens, and he changes angles on every hole,” which brings the wind into play on all shots.
Alternative courses: Kiawah also has courses by Tom Fazio (Osprey Point), Jack Nicklaus (Turtle Point) and Gary Player (Cougar Point). The Isle of Palms is home to Wild Dunes Resort and its two Fazio layouts, the Links and the Harbor courses. In nearby Mount Pleasant, look for Dunes West, Charleston National and RiverTowne, which hosted an LPGA tournament.
For the non-golfers: Few cities in the U.S. have more tradition and history than nearby Charleston. Nongolfers can spend the day shopping, sightseeing and touring museums in the waterfront Battery district, marvel at the marine life in the S.C. Aquarium or hop on a ferry boat for a tour of Fort Sumter National Park.
-Kiawah Island Resort, (800) 576-1570
-Charleston Visitors Bureau, (843) 853-8000
Scenic Highway 11
Cherokee Valley Golf Club
If the spouse wants to take a romantic leaf-peeping trip along Scenic Highway 11 this fall, say yes—and pack your clubs, because the road to fall foliage also takes you to some of the state’s top off-the-beaten-path courses. Cherokee Valley Golf Club, near Tigerville, is a prime example. Built by P.B. Dye (son of world-famed architect Pete Dye), the course plays across sweeping, mountainous landscapes, with Champion Bermuda greens that are rated some of the Upstate’s best. And the prices ($39 every day, $29 for seniors) make it an outstanding value as well.
For those looking to improve their game, the course also is home to the Cherokee Valley Golf Academy, headed by Dave Maga, former national director for the Golf Digest Schools and a contributing instructor for the Golf Channel, and Brian Gordner, a PGA-certified teaching professional.
“We can put an individual or a couple on video with our four-camera V1 coaching system and download all that onto a DVD for them to take home,” Gordner says. “Or they can get a quick lesson and we’ll give them a nice swing thought to take out onto the golf course. I get goose bumps when we’re able to help people hit shots they’ve never been able to before.”
Alternative courses: Scenic Links O’ Tryon near Campobello, voted “Best in the Upstate” by Golfweek magazine, has a Scottish flavor in its use of water, hills and steep drops. Also worthy are River Falls Plantation in Duncan and the Walker Course at Clemson University, with its finishing trio of holes along Lake Hartwell.
For the non-golfers: Starting near the Georgia state line and heading east toward North Carolina, Scenic Highway 11 (also known as the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway) offers a leisurely ride through the beautiful forests and craggy peaks of the Blue Ridge foothills. Two of the best viewing points for fall foliage are in Table Rock and Caesars Head state parks. Admission to these parks is just $2, saving you plenty of money for green fees.
-Cherokee Valley Golf Club, (800) 531-3634 or (877) 484-6376
-Table Rock State Park and Caesars Head State Park, (864) 878-9813 (Table Rock) or (864) 836-6115 (Caesars Head)
Hilton Head Island/Beaufort
Harbour Town Golf Links
If Hilton Head Island’s picturesque Harbour Town Golf Links—notably the par-4 18th hole with its fairway along Calibogue Sound and the famous lighthouse as a backdrop—doesn’t inspire you, then it’s time to sell your clubs.
Built in 1968 by a young Pete Dye, the course has hosted the Heritage every year since 1969 and become one of the most-recognized courses in the world, thanks to televised coverage of South Carolina’s only regular PGA Tour event. Today, players from around the world happily line up to pay $250 or more for a go at this challenging, must-play site, which as a public resort is open to players year-round.
“Playing-wise, it’s about the placement of the golf ball, not just hitting it far,” says Cary Corbitt, Sea Pines’ director of sports and operations. But the biggest challenge may be staying focused on the game, and not being distracted by the natural beauty. “Even when the course is closed for maintenance, people want to walk around and see it. It’s a destination in itself.”
Alternative courses: In 2007, Dye renovated Sea Pines’ Marsh Course, converting it into Heron Point by Pete Dye, a course that’s almost as challenging as Harbour Town. In nearby Bluffton, May River Resort at Palmetto Bluff is a relatively new Jack Nicklaus design that has earned raves from golfers in the know.
For the non-golfers: Hilton Head’s beautiful beaches, bike paths, restaurants, resorts and shopping make it an ideal year-round destination for non-golfers, too. If you’re planning a trip this fall, don’t miss the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6. The celebration of vintage and cutting-edge cars (including Palmetto Electric Cooperative’s Chevy Volt) features multiple events including a vintage fashion show, public art exhibition and driving tours of the Lowcountry. (Look for complete coverage of the festival in the October issue of South Carolina Living.) Nearby Beaufort offers its historic downtown along the river, convenient access to sport fishing, plus great places to eat.
-Harbour Town Golf Links and Heron Point by Pete Dye, (866) 561-8802
-Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau, (800) 523-3373
-Beaufort Visitor and Convention Bureau, (843) 525-8500 or (800) 638-3525
-Hilton Head Motoring Festival and Concours d’Elegance, (843) 785-7469
Aiken
Aiken Golf Club
Most golfers know that Augusta National was created in the 1930s by the legendary Bobby Jones as a winter retreat for wealthy “Yankees,” but few realize Aiken, just 20 miles east, was the South’s original destination for golfers.
As far back as 1912, wealthy Northeasterners would travel by train to play the in-town course at the Highland Park Hotel. Now called the Aiken Golf Club, the course was built by a protégé of the famed Donald Ross, and playing it is like a trip back in time. It’s less than 6,000 yards long but with Ross-style pushup greens and Pinehurst-like fairways that lure errant shots like magnets.
“The difficulty comes in getting players to rein in their egos,” says owner and head pro Jim McNair Jr., who oversaw a $1 million restoration in the late 1990s. “This course is about strategy, positioning off the tee, and accuracy.”
Golfweek ranks Aiken GC as the state’s 10th-best “course you can play,” and for history buffs, McNair maintains a treasure trove of historic memorabilia, including documentation that shows Aiken as the first club in the nation to establish women’s tees.
“We’ve found our niche in Aiken: the little course hidden away downtown,” McNair says.
Alternative courses: Aiken’s roster of enjoyable modern courses includes Midland Valley, designed by Ellis Maples; Cedar Creek, a rolling, tree-lined Arthur Hills product; and Houndslake, with 27 holes by Joe Lee. In nearby North Augusta, try Mount Vintage, former site of an LPGA tournament, and the River Club, designed by Jim (brother of Tom) Fazio.
For the non-golfers: Aiken is prime horse country, and the whole family can experience that equestrian tradition Oct. 29 at the Aiken Fall Steeplechase. Part of the proceeds go to support Hitchcock Woods, the country’s largest urban forest. With 70 miles of bridle paths that are also open to joggers, hikers and dog-walkers, the park is a great year-round attraction. Aiken’s downtown features first-rate restaurants, shopping and historic attractions, including Hopelands Gardens—a 14-acre walled park that’s perfect for a quiet, relaxed break from a day of golfing.
-Aiken Golf Club, (803) 649-6029
-Aiken County Visitor Center, (803) 642-7557
-Aiken Steeplechase Association, (803) 648-9641
Myrtle Beach & the Grand Strand
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club
Golf Town USA has more than 100 public courses cutting across all price ranges, so picking a single Myrtle Beach golf course as “the best” is well-nigh impossible. But playing The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is a great way to start that impossible task.
Built by the late Robert Trent Jones in 1947, The Dunes is everything championship beachfront golf should be. Blustery breezes off the Atlantic Ocean are a constant factor, as are ancient oaks, sand bunkers, water, marshes and Jones’ large, elevated greens.
The hole everyone remembers is the par-5 13th, known as "Waterloo,” which wraps around Lake Singleton (cut a corner if you dare) and finishes at a mounded, two-tiered green. And it could’ve been tougher—Jones wanted to put the green right up against the water.
Dennis Nicholl, head professional at the course since 2007, says the entire course demands a player’s best game. “There are a lot of live oaks, so if you’re in the rough, you might have to hit a shot that ‘cuts’ 20 yards,” he said. “You have to position yourself around the course, plan your way around it.”
Alternative courses: For another challenge, there’s the Grand Strand’s only five-star (by Golf Digest) course, Tournament Players Club of Myrtle Beach, the home course for PGA Tour superstar Dustin Johnson. The south end of the strand features the Waccamaw Golf Trail, and the gems of that group are Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue, both designed by the late Mike Strantz, an artist turned architect who “painted” courses with sand, grass, marshes and hardwoods. Locals say True Blue is the difficult "sister,” Caledonia the pretty one, but both are ranked among the nation’s best. To the north, Pines Lakes, aka “The Granddaddy,” is the oldest course on the Strand, though thoroughly modern after a renovation.
North Myrtle Beach can boast Tidewater, a gorgeous course on the Intracoastal Waterway, and Glen Dornoch, with hints of Scottish links golf. Don’t overlook resort combinations such as Barefoot Resort, with courses by Pete Dye, Greg Norman, Davis Love III and Tom Fazio.
For the non-golfers: Any destination stretching along 50 miles of beachfront is, by definition, a great family-vacation place. From water sports, to amusement parks to countless tourist venues, one fact is clear: If you can’t find a blend of family and golf fun in Myrtle Beach, you can’t find it anywhere.
-The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, (843) 449-5236
-Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, (843) 626-7444 or (800) 356-3016
-North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, (843) 281-2662
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Making the rounds Read more
Bonus destinations in Rock Hill, Santee Cooper Country and the Pee Dee Read more
A complete directory of all courses listed Read more
Tommy Gainey: Playing to win Read more
WEB EXTRA: Clubhouse confessions Read more