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Top 25 Golf Courses in South Carolina

South Carolina has golf destinations including Hilton Head Island, Kiawah Island and Myrtle Beach.

By John Fuller on May 29, 2017

Golf

If someone mentions the top states for golf, South Carolina is often high on the list thanks to destinations such as Hilton Head Island, Kiawah Island and Myrtle Beach. Those venues are certainly spectacular and so are several others. Here are 25 great courses in South Carolina:

Barefoot Resort (Love Course), Myrtle Beach

Carolina native Davis Love III designed this public getaway that features wide fairways and challenging rough, playing 7,000 yards. Barefoot Resort also has Nicklaus, Norman and Fazio 18-hole courses.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Island

The 6,500-yard, par 70 public venue is dotted with oak trees and sand dunes. Golf Digest listed Caledonia among its top 25 Courses in the South, and across the highway is another fine public venue – True Blue.

Colleton River Plantation Club (Dye), Bluffton

This 7,300-yard links-style private course has unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean on 11 of its 18 holes. Golf Magazine hails the Dye layout as one of the top 100 greatest courses in the United States.

Colleton River Plantation Club (Nicklaus), Bluffton

The Jack Nicklaus course spans 7,100 yards and puts a premium on shot making with tight fairways and challenging greens. GolfWeek has named it one of the top 100 residential golf courses in America.

Country Club of Charleston, Charleston

The well-manicured 18-hole course is private and first opened in 1926. It features Bermuda grass fairways and plays 6,600 yards from the longest tees.

Grande Dunes Resort Club, Myrtle Beach

This 18-hole public destination is set on a high bluff overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and is known for its links-style design. It was recently named National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association of America.

Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer), Greenville

Founded in 1905, the private country club offers members two championship courses – Riverside and Chanticleer. The 6,688-yard Chanticleer Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones.

Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island

Famed architect Pete Dye collaborated with Jack Nicklaus to construct this public venue in 1969, and today it spans 7,100 yards. There are no elevated greens or tees – just scenic winding fairways with plenty of trees.

Kiawah Island Club, Cassique Course, Charleston

Cassique was designed by Tom Watson in 2000 as a links-style private venue reminiscent of courses found in Scotland and Ireland. Cassique can be played several different ways depending on weather with ocean winds often a factor.

Kiawah Island Club, River Course, Charleston

Water is in abundance with the Kiawah River lining the north portion of the course and Bass Pond situated to the southeast. Tom Fazio designed the 7,000-yard private course that incorporates natural settings such as marsh savannas and maritime forests.

Long Cove Club, Hilton Head Island

Pete Dye conceived this course that features palm trees and lagoons and measures 7,000 yards. Long Cove is a private club graced with hundreds of oak, pine and magnolia trees.

May River Golf Course at Palmetto Bluffs, Bluffton

May River was designed by Jack Nicklaus and includes a back nine with three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s. This public course is 7,171 yards with several holes touching the wetlands of the May River.

Musgrove Mill Golf Club, Clinton

This is a private course known for its tough layout with different elevations, and you must be member or guest of one to play. Musgrove Mill was designed by Arnold Palmer.

Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken

Palmetto GC is believed to be the second-oldest 18-hole golf course in America, behind only the Chicago Golf Club. Ben Hogan once described holes 3, 4 and 5 at Palmetto as the three best consecutive par 4s that he ever played.

Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club, Pawleys Island

Jack Nicklaus designed this private course and calls it one of his favorites in all of South Carolina. Pawleys Plantation opened in 1988 to play just over 7,000 yards, and is comprised entirely of Bermuda grass.

Sage Valley Golf Club, Graniteville

The Tom Fazio-designed private club opened in 2001 and spans 7,300 yards along rolling hills and a preserved southern pine forest. Sage Valley has three extra holes in case an 18-hole match is tied.

Secession Golf Club, Beaufort

Featuring a Bruce Devlin design, Secession is modeled after Scottish links courses where you can run the ball up to every green. The private club includes 14 holes that line tidal marshes and is especially challenging due to shifting ocean winds and tides.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach

Robert Trent Jones constructed The Dunes in the late 1940s, and today the challenging public attraction measures 7,200 yards. The 18th hole is especially daunting because it is a long par 4 with a pond in front of the green.

The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek, Johns Island

This private club is also an Audubon-certified sanctuary, so the scenery is splendid. Golf Magazine named 18-hole Briar’s Creek as one of the 25 Best Courses You Can Live on in America.

The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island

The 7,300-yard top-notch public course was designed by Pete Dye and has hosted big-time events including the Ryder Cup and PGA Championship. The layout includes aspects of both links and traditional settings, and every green has tricky slopes.

Tidewater Golf Club, Myrtle Beach

This course opened in 1990 and has received accolades over the years from Golf MagazineGolf Digest and GolfWeek. The public venue features tough fairways and greens that challenge all aspects of shot making.

The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Sunset

Jack Nicklaus designed this private golf haven that stretches 7,112 yards and features great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The surrounding residential community of The Reserve recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

TPC of Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet

The 6,950-yard venue is ranked among America’s 100 best public courses by Golf Digest, earning five stars. The venue gives everyday golfers the opportunity to play a course that professionals also enjoy.

Wild Dunes Links Course, Isle of Palms

Wild Dunes is a tough 18-hole test that was designed by Tom Fazio and is his favorite course. One of its many highlights is holes 17 and 18 that play alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

Yeamans Hall Club, Hanahan

A private course that includes some unusual designs including square greens. It opened in 1925, and today measures 6,500 yards and is fully adorned with Bermuda grass.

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