State of Play: South Carolina Leads List of Premier Public-Access Golf Courses

Various accounts of the history of golf suggest that the term greens fee, the amount paid in order to access a particular golf course, was born in the state of South Carolina.

Remnants of the Old South still linger throughout the Palmetto State, in the form of confederate flags and exclusive country clubs with little or no diversity, whether it be racial or economic, in the make-up of their memberships. But somewhere between the formation of South Carolina's first golf club, South Carolina Golf Club which utilized "Harleston Green" in downtown Charleston, in 1876 and today, the state has developed a reputation as a prime destination for public-access golf.

That reputation was affirmed when Golf Digest released the newest edition of its "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses," which will appear in the magazine's May issue.

Eleven South Carolina golf courses secured a spot on the prestigious list, which is published biennially. California was second best with nine courses making the list. Florida and neighboring North Carolina followed with five each.

"I'm not surprised by that," said Hilton Head Island-based golf course architect Clyde Johnston, who has designed numerous courses throughout the state. "First of all, South Carolina is ranked 6^th in the country for the number of courses per person. We love our golf. Second, we have three big resort/retirement areas with Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head. And third, the state has attracted many of the best golf course architects who want to work here and be associated with other top quality golf courses."

As Johnston intimated, Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head each make significant contributions to South Carolina's golfing appeal. At first glance, all three destinations offer similar benefits; quality golf courses, moderate climates and stunning scenery. But each location is easily distinguishable from the others.

Charleston is the only true city among the bunch, offering golfers who descend on nearby Kiawah Island, a refuge to escape seclusion by experiencing its magnificent architecture, visiting its fascinating museums and dining in its world-class restaurants.

"We're known across the country as more than just a golf resort," said Michael Vegis, public relations manager for the Kiawah Island Resort. "We're also one of the top 10 beaches in the country. Compared to other major golf resorts like Sea Island, Pinehurst and Bandon, we're the only one to have a town nearby, with the exception of Pebble Beach. Charleston is only 21 miles away and we hang our hat on being able to offer more than just golf."

While it's true that Kiawah Island Resort is much more than a golf resort, its claim to fame is its superb golf courses, including 1991 Ryder Cup host The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. The Ocean Course was South Carolina's highest-rated course, topping the list at No. 4. Kiawah Island also had another course make the cut, Turtle Point at No. 48.

Since the '91 "War by the Shore," as that particular Ryder Cup was dubbed by the media, elevated Charleston's stature on the nationwide golf scene, the club has matched its amenities to the golf experience by building a new majestic clubhouse and improving restaurant facilities.

The Ocean Course will again test the world's best golfers when the 2012 PGA Championship comes to Kiawah Island.

"Having a national golf championship always brings good exposure to the area," said Johnston. "The Ocean Course is also a great venue for any golf championship. It's one of the most challenging courses I've ever played, even when the wind wasn't blowing. I just hope that the players get to experience different weather conditions during the tournament."

Weather was definitely a factor when Boo Weekley became the champion of the 39^th Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head's Harbour Town Golf Links in 2007, when the tournament needed a Monday finish to determine its winner because of gusting winds that knocked down trees and halted play on a number of occasions.

Harbour Town is to Hilton Head what The Ocean Course is to Kiawah. The Pete Dye design put the barrier island on the map as a major, must-visit golf destination.

"It was Robert Trent Jones' predilection for building up from ground level, and producing big tees, fairways and greens at Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head that spurred Pete Dye to go in the opposite direction at Harbour Town," said Savannah-based golf writer and author of a new book chronicling Dye's golf courses, Joel Zuckerman in an interview with GolfClubAtlas.com. "He carved the course out of the ground instead of building it up, and used tiny tees and greens, just to be totally different. It was Harbour Town as much as any other early Dye course that sent him on his way to widespread acclaim."

The course annually hosts a PGA Tour event, the Verizon Heritage, which has been a local holiday since it debuted Thanksgiving weekend in 1969. The inaugural winner Arnold Palmer lauded Harbour Town as the "return of the thinking man's course." It remains that way to this day, a classic layout that challenges the best golfers in the world by requiring accuracy and patience.

Sports Director for the Sea Pines Resort, Cary Corbitt, says that the amount of exposure the Heritage brings to Hilton Head Island is invaluable.

"It's absolutely huge," Corbitt said. "You can't really put a number on it. Between the Golf Channel and CBS we're on television for up to six hours a day. The viewers see beautiful pictures of the golf course, the announcers talk about the accolades it's earned and the quality of the course, plus the player comments about the area and course conditioning. It's hard to put a dollar value on. We're extremely fortunate."

Families who travel to Hilton Head can choose from dozens of recreational activities including biking, swimming, boating, fishing and shopping. Year after year PGA Tour players rave about how relaxing and family-friendly it is. The island itself and nearby Bluffton contain more than two dozen quality golf courses.

"When it came time for me to start my own business in 1987, I couldn't think of another place I'd rather live," said Johnston, who designed Old South and Island West, both located in Bluffton. "Plus I thought it sounded pretty good that I was a golf course architect from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina."

Harbour Town Golf Links was ranked No. 13, while the nearby May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff was ranked No. 22.

The majority of the South Carolina golf courses mentioned in Golf Digest's rankings belonged to "The Golf Capital of the World," Myrtle Beach, home to more than 100 quality golf courses.

Seven of the eleven courses are on the Grand Strand. They are, The Heritage Club in Pawley's Island (No. 33), the Dunes Golf & Beach Club (No. 38), Tidewater Golf Course & Plantation in North Myrtle Beach (No. 41), Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (No. 66), the Resort Club at Grande Dunes (No. 77) and a pair of courses at Barefoot Resort and Golf Club, the Fazio layout at No. 96 and the Dye course at No. 99.

"Myrtle Beach is indeed a golfer's paradise with the wide selection of courses in the area," said Johnston, whose Myrtle Beach designs include Heather Glen Golf Links, Wachesaw East, Glen Dornoch, Wicked Stick and Shaftesbury Glen. "They have something for everyone from short to long and easy and hard. And, most of them are open to the public."

"Let's face it, Myrtle Beach has five times as many golf courses, but much of its appeal has to do with the nightlife element," Zuckerman said. "Many a foursome can't wait to get out of their own house so they can spend every night in the Doll House. But both of these South Carolina destinations have succeeded because, each in their own way, they offer much to do outside the confines of the courses themselves."

Combined Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head Island cover almost the entire coastline of South Carolina, and when it comes to a variety of golf courses and a varied vacation experience, they've got that covered too.

"It's really a whole broad spectrum," said Vegis. "If you want to eat a lot, golf and drink beer in a really relaxing and casual environment, head to Myrtle Beach. If you want a family-dominated destination, there's Hilton Head. And if you really want to go all out, with a high-end resort come to Kiawah."

"I love playing golf just about everywhere, but South Carolina is special," said Johnston, whose home course is the private Spanish Wells in Hilton Head. "First, it's home and second, we have such a wide variety of terrain and vegetation from the coast to the mountains. That makes for an assortment of different golf courses with varied temperments."

There are more than 380 golf courses in South Carolina according to The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

According to industry sources, golf generates $180 million annually in South Carolina, produces 31,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $2.3 billion.

For information specific to golfers, visit www.SouthCarolinaGolf.com. The state's official general tourism site is located at www.DiscoverSouthCarolina.com.

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