Striking Visuals, Exceptional Design Make Caledonia a “Must Play”

When golfers gather in Myrtle Beach as they so often do, including the recent World Amateur Handicap Championship , inquiries chasing the question of favorite courses in what is often referred to as the "Golf Capital of the World" are often met with a mixed bag of responses, but in most cases the sweet sounding name of Caledonia is uttered in short order.

The name itself has an almost regal feel to it, leading those who have yet to experience the place to believe that it would be wise to do so. 

While the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is a relatively new course, having only opened January 1994, and has no history of hosting PGA Tour events or welcoming famous amateur golfers on their way to immortality, the land the course occupies has a great story to tell and it all starts with the name.

It was a Scotsman who called the historic plantation that, at one time, stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the rice fields of the western edge of the Waccamaw River, Caledonia. Caledonia is a Roman name for Scotland, recognized as the birthplace of golf, and is still poetically used as such.

Myrtle Beach is home to more than 100 courses, but if any warrants the distinction as a "Must Play" its Caledonia.

Located in Pawleys Island, S.C., on the southern end of the Grand Strand, Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is a classic Lowcountry course that has been bombarded with awards and accolades since its opening less than 15 years ago.

As it has been for the better part of a decade, Caledonia was recently ranked in Golf Magazine's "Top 100 You Can Play" and named one of "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" by Golf Digest.

Built upon the site of a working southern rice plantation, Caledonia is known for its exceptional design and incredible natural beauty. The course was built while preserving as much of the land's innate beauty as possible. The charming atmosphere of warmth and hospitality gives each golfer who plays Caledonia a feeling of the old South.

Designed by the late Mike Strantz , Caledonia is as much a work of art as it is an architectural masterpiece. Known for his "visually audacious" designs as Golf Digest put it, Strantz built a challenging yet welcoming layout complete with sandy waste areas, severely undulating greens and fairways and blind shots intent on concealing the trouble ahead. Caledonia was the first solo effort for Strantz, who lost his battle with cancer in June 2005 at the age of 50.

Playing just 6,526 yards from the black tees, Caledonia demands accuracy, imagination and a delicate touch, and generates tough angles and approaches without going to spectacular lengths. The course is rated at 70.9 from the tips and is sloped at 132.

Caledonia is eye-catching from start to finish, but the most stunning visuals can be seen upon entering the club and as you finish your round.

The stately entrance way is an impressive avenue of live oaks leading to the antebellum-styled clubhouse. These 150 year-old trees, laden with Spanish moss, led to old King's Highway as it made its way along the coast in the 1700s.

The picturesque 18^th hole borders the Plantation's old rice field, and requires a precise tee shot that sets up a difficult second shot: a forced carry onto a green that is bordered by the clubhouse.

The 18^th is just one of two holes at Caledonia that play alongside the beautiful rice fields from the old plantation. Elevations along the course also offer stunning views of the Waccamaw River and beyond.

Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is a member of the Waccamaw Golf Trail. For more information on the course, visit www.fishclub.com/caledonia or call 1 (800) 483-6800.