Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, SC
Russell Kirk / Golflinksphotography.com
For for every major course that made up the GOLF ranking in 2020-21 of the top 100 courses in the United States, dozens of other must-see courses have been left out – including at least a handful in your home state. Some of these designs only lost a Top 100 nomination, others ended in lower positions in the ranking, but everyone is worth their time. To shed light on the best courses in each state, we have divided the complete results of our vote on the 100 best courses on state-by-state lists. Here’s a closer look South Carolina.
Golf in South Carolina in numbers:
Number of courses and classification in the USA: 355 (17) *
Number of golfers per capita: 18 *
Average public field fees: $$$ de $$$ *
Average daily temperature and rating: 62.4 (8)
Annual rainfall and rating: 49.8 in. (11)
* Source: National Golf Foundation
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South Carolina’s Best Golf Courses (2020/2021)
1. Kiawah Island – Oceanic Course (Kiawah Island) [1, 2, 3, P]
The mix of tidal marshes, dunes with undergrowth tops, live oaks and the soft sound of the Atlantic in each hole make this one of the most memorable gaming experiences in the south. Although the camp is only 30 years old, it already has an illustrious history of hosting famous events, nothing more than the dramatic 1991 Ryder Cup “War by the Shore”. Much more short grass has been added around the green complexes since then and the design is now more thought-provoking than terrifying. Look for four of your plateau greens, namely those on the 2nd, 3rd, 11th and 14th, to have a big say about who wins the 2021 PGA Championship.
Book a game of golf on the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island.
2. Yeamans Hall (Hanahan) [1]
Combining the classic design of Seth Raynor with the coastal topography of South Carolina, Yeamans presents an enchanting walk through Redan, Biarritz and holes in the road woven through swamps and magnificent live oaks. Over the years, the original wonder of the countryside has disappeared as the bunkers grew and the green complexes diminished. But a two-decade renovation based on Raynor’s original property maps – discovered in the attic of the clubhouse – has restored this golden age masterpiece to its original shine.
3. Congaree (Ridgeland) [1]
The number of par-4s in a course generally exceeds par-5s and par-3s and, as such, contributes a lot to define the quality of a course. The better the reach of these holes, the better the course. From two of Fazio’s best two-shot shorts of all time (the 3rd and 15th) to two of his best features (the 6th and 11th), this design stands out. Immerse yourself in the club’s desire for the fastest and firmest playing surfaces possible and the field will flourish.
4. Harbor Town (Hilton Head Island) [1, 3, P]
Professionals weren’t sure what to do with Harbor Town when they came across it in the early 1970s. Unlike so many other fields being built in that period, this Nicklaus and Dye project was not as dependent on length as it was to have unique green shapes which, in turn, were protected by all types of hazards, including railway sleepers on the 13th green. The prominent holes are abundant, including the V-shaped green in the short 9th and the final 13-inch stretch. Even 50 years after their construction, these exemplary holes remain as attractive and interesting as anything that modern architecture has to offer.
Book a game of golf in Harbor Town.
The 18th hole at Harbor Town Golf Links.
Courtesy photo
5. Palmetto GC (Aiken) [1]
One of the great beginnings of the game with a series of two different pitchers taking the player far from the Stanford White club. Each green is so good, and no surprise why: Alister MacKenzie gave them a hand when he was working at nearby Augusta. Choosing favorite holes is difficult due to the excellent restoration by Gil Hanse. Two of the best, however, are the 7th one-shot, with its green shelf reminding many of the 6th at Royal Dornoch, and the par 5 14th, which falls downhill in the most attractive way imaginable. The submission is also fascinating, with some short par 4 in the final four. This works in Prestwick, Scotland, and it works here too.
6. Long Cove (Hilton Head Island)
7. Charleston DC (Charleston)
8. Chechessee Creek (Okatie)
9. Sage Valley (Graniteville)
10. May River – Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton) [3]
11. Secession (Beaufort)
12. Old Tabby Links (Okatie)
13. The Dunes (Myrtle Beach)
14. Kiawah Island – Cassique (Kiawah Island)
15. Caledonia (Pawleys Island) [3, P]
Book a tee time in Caledonia.
16. Kiawah Island – Rio (Kiawah Island)
17. Greenville – Chanticleer (Greenville)
18. Musgrove Mill (Clinton)
19. Legends – Heathlands (Myrtle Beach) [P]
Book a tee time at Legends.
20. Briar’s Creek (Johns Island)
SYMBOL GUIDE
1 = Top 100 GOLF course in the USA
2 = Top 100 GOLF Course in the World
3 = GOLF Top 100 Resort
P = Resort / public golf course
Ed. Note: some courses have been omitted from our ratings because they have not received enough votes.
Course highlight: The Dunes Golf and Beach Club (Myrtle Beach, SC), ranked 13th in South Carolina. Opened in 1948, this is one of the first large camps built after World War II and remains one of the best in the state more than 70 years later. Robert Trent Jones Sr. received a rolling field surprisingly and his route capitalizes on the ground. Still, the project is best known for its use of water hazards, including the front lake at par 5 4, accessible and at par 5 13, which curves around Lake Singleton. Rees Jones further helped the course when he relocated his father’s 11th green well to the right, creating an angry par 4 with a green that jutted out into the swamp. The course was redesigned in 2013 and features some of the firmer playing surfaces in Bermuda in the southeast. – Evaluator of the GOLF’s 100 best courses
Palmetto in Aiken, SC
Larry Lambrecht
How we rate the best golf courses in America
For the newly launched US 2020-21 list, each panelist received a list of 489 courses. Beside this list of courses there were 11 “buckets” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course in the top three in the country, they checked this box. If they believed the course was between numbers 4-10 in the USA, they would check this box, followed by 11-25, 26-50 and so on.
Panel members were also free to write on courses they felt should have been included on the ballot (we had less than a handful of those additions in the US vote).
Points were awarded to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide your aggregate score by the number of votes. From these point counts, courses are classified accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Because? Because it invariably produces widely praised results. Like the game itself, there is no need to complicate things unnecessarily.
To learn more about how we evaluate courses, click or tap here.
Meet our course evaluators
We empower and hold responsible a group of 97 well-traveled and connected golfers / aficionados, each capable of expressing their own sense of design excellence at the highest level. The group is experienced and experienced – we look for evaluators who know what’s out there, what’s changing and what’s going on. And from judging posts on four continents, our panelists are positioned to place courses from different regions around the world in the right context, one of the main reasons why the ratings in the GOLF 100 best courses are the most appreciated in the game.
Other rating vehicles employ thousands of appraisers. Our less is more approach creates a more meaningful and thoughtful list. Think about it: when you plan a golf trip, do you call all the golfers you know? No. You contact a handful of people whose opinions you value most.
Meet our full team of panelists here.
