For generations, many South Carolinians have lived in the "upstate" region and owned vacation homes at the beach, a trip of no more than 3 1/2 hours from even the farthest regions of the state. In fact, Pawleys Island, just south of Myrtle Beach, claims to be America's first beach resort. Whether it is or isn't, Pawleys is just one of many golf happy areas of South Carolina, led by its neighbor immediately to the north, Myrtle Beach, which even after some pruning in the golf course ranks, can still boast about 100 layouts in the area. Farther down the coast, in the Low Country, Kiawah Island (10 golf courses within 12 miles or so) can boast of arguable the best in the state, the fabled Ocean Course by Pete Dye. But don't ignore upstate, where Greenville, a sophisticated burgh can lay claim to top 5 Chanticleer, one of Greenville Country Club's two outstanding tracks. We could go on about South Carolina golf (and reference Bluffton, Beaufort, Aiken, Columbia and other areas); we encourage you to go see for yourself.
The tee shot from the dike at the 13th at Jack Nicklaus' Pawleys Plantation course is all carry to a green smaller than the famed 17th at TPC Sawgrass. However, #17 at Pawleys is tougher. Brandon Tucker...
From the Haig Point golf course, you can see Hilton Head Island across the Calibogue Sound. I received an email yesterday from a real estate agency in South Carolina. It included a listing for a...
The par 3 17th at Pawleys Plantation plays from the dike over the marsh to a green that is only about 40 feet deep. It is tough enough when the wind doesn't blow. The quality of the turf at Pawleys...
DeBordieu is the premier community at the south end of Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand, featuring a Pete Dye golf course and private oceanfront beach that is losing sand. Residents of DeBordieu Colony,...
The tree on #9 at Pawleys Plantation is dead center of the fairway. Dye has his bulkheads, Fazio his funneled fairways and hidden cart paths and Palmer those bunkers on steroids. Jack Nicklaus has...
The Cottages at Cherokee Valley feature dramatic wraparound porches for the best views of the 16th green and 17th tee. The interior layouts mimic those of the cottages at Augusta National. Details will make...
From tee to green, conditions at the Fazio-designed Thornblade Club are immaculate. The final round of the BMW Charity tournament in the Greenville, SC, area will be played today on the Tom Fazio...
The par 3 14th hole at True Blue is indicative of many of the other holes on the Mike Strantz course, with sand, and lots of it. Photo by Elliot deBear. The vaunted Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is...
The pines, the doglegs, the swirling fairways all hint at a design conscious of the charms of Augusta National, just 20 minutes away from Aiken and Mount Vintage Plantation. After the Masters ends...
The par 5 12th hole at Founders features a hill that splits the fairway and contains a few nasty little bunkers. The green is in the distance at left with two spyglass bunkers in front. Sea Gull...
The first hole at Mount Vintage gives a taste of the rest of the course and the Aiken area's terrain. The first golf community I ever visited for review purposes, more than three years ago, was the...
The Reserve at Litchfield Beach is one of three private courses on the South Strand of Myrtle Beach. On my first visit to Myrtle Beach in 1971, a college friend and I paid $99 each for an...