CaddieTrail Guide
South Carolina is anchored by the Ocean Course at Kiawah — host of the 2021 PGA Championship — and backed by Congaree, Yeamans Hall, and Harbour Town. From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, this trail spans the full range of South Carolina golf.
South Carolina punches well above its weight, anchored by the Ocean Course at Kiawah — host of the 2021 PGA Championship and one of the most demanding courses in the world. Congaree and Yeamans Hall bring Golden Age gravitas, while The Tree Farm and Old Barnwell represent the new guard of private exclusivity. Harbour Town remains a PGA Tour institution. From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, this trail spans the full range of South Carolina golf.
#1 on trail
The Ocean Course at Kiawah IslandKiawah Island, South Carolina
Pete and Alice Dye's 1991 design stretches along 2.5 miles of Atlantic coastline, exposing all 18 holes to ocean winds. Host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and 2021 PGA Championship.
#2 on trail
Congaree Golf ClubRidgeland, South Carolina
Tom Fazio-designed private layout carved through South Carolina lowcountry pine and hardwood, opened 2017. Host of the PGA Tour's CJ Cup since 2022 on sandy, fast-draining terrain.
#3 on trail
Yeamans Hall ClubCharleston, South Carolina
Seth Raynor's 1925 masterwork outside Charleston delivers his trademark template holes — Redan, Biarritz, Eden — on rolling lowcountry terrain. One of the Southeast's most coveted private rounds.
#4 on trail
The Tree FarmBatesburg, South Carolina
A private 18-hole layout in Batesburg, SC, The Tree Farm plays through dense wooded terrain that demands accuracy off the tee. Tight fairways and tree-lined corridors define the challenge here. Hmm, that's over 160 characters. Let me tighten it: **Private 18-hole course in Batesburg, SC. Wooded terrain puts a premium on accuracy, with tree-lined fairways that penalize errant drives throughout the round.**
#5 on trail
Old Barnwell Golf ClubAiken, South Carolina
Private 18-hole layout in Aiken, SC designed by Brian Schneider & Blake Conant. Opened 2023, making it one of the Southeast's newest serious-golf destinations.
#6 on trail
Harbour Town Golf LinksHilton Head Island, South Carolina
Pete Dye crafted this 1969 Hilton Head layout with Jack Nicklaus serving as design consultant, built around tree-lined fairways, small greens, and the iconic 18th beside the lighthouse. Host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage annually.
South Carolina's five highest-ranked publicly accessible courses — every one of them fully bookable, no member sponsorship required. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island sits atop the list, host of the 1991 Ryder Cup "War by the Shore" and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, with Pete and Alice Dye's design raised so that all eighteen holes catch the Atlantic. Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines, the PGA Tour's annual RBC Heritage venue since 1969, was Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus's collaboration that launched both architectural careers. Jack Nicklaus's May River at Palmetto Bluff winds through Bluffton's Lowcountry marshland and 300-year-old live oaks. The trail closes with the Pawleys Island pair from the late Mike Strantz: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, his first solo design, with its iconic live oak entrance and dramatic 18th finishing over water to the clubhouse, and True Blue Golf Club across the road, his fourth signature course, with sweeping waste areas and oversized greens that turn each round into shotmaking theater. The geographic spread, from Kiawah and Hilton Head in the Lowcountry to the Grand Strand sand barrens of Pawleys Island, makes this a true pursuit.
#1 on trail
The Ocean Course at Kiawah IslandKiawah Island, South Carolina
Pete and Alice Dye's 1991 design stretches along 2.5 miles of Atlantic coastline, exposing all 18 holes to ocean winds. Host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and 2021 PGA Championship.
#2 on trail
Harbour Town Golf LinksHilton Head Island, South Carolina
Pete Dye crafted this 1969 Hilton Head layout with Jack Nicklaus serving as design consultant, built around tree-lined fairways, small greens, and the iconic 18th beside the lighthouse. Host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage annually.
#3 on trail
Palmetto Bluff (May River Course)Bluffton, South Carolina
Jack Nicklaus design routed through South Carolina's Lowcountry marshes and live oak canopy along the May River. Resort access via Montage Palmetto Bluff.
#4 on trail
Caledonia Golf & Fish ClubPawleys Island, South Carolina
Michael Strantz carved this Pawleys Island public track through ancient rice fields and towering oaks in 1994. Dramatic elevation changes and forced carries define the routing.
Ten courses across the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry — Yeamans Hall, Secession Golf Club, Chechessee Creek Club, Kiawah Island Club Cassique, Kiawah Island Club River Course, and Sea Island Plantation are private; The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Harbour Town, May River at Palmetto Bluff, and Sea Island Seaside are publicly accessible resort courses. Yeamans Hall and Secession are among the most exclusive and least-seen private clubs in the South. The public courses provide a strong accessible foundation. Geographic concentration along the coast makes logistics manageable once the private access hurdles are cleared.
#1 on trail
The Ocean Course at Kiawah IslandKiawah Island, South Carolina
Pete and Alice Dye's 1991 design stretches along 2.5 miles of Atlantic coastline, exposing all 18 holes to ocean winds. Host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and 2021 PGA Championship.
#2 on trail
Yeamans Hall ClubCharleston, South Carolina
Seth Raynor's 1925 masterwork outside Charleston delivers his trademark template holes — Redan, Biarritz, Eden — on rolling lowcountry terrain. One of the Southeast's most coveted private rounds.
#3 on trail
Harbour Town Golf LinksHilton Head Island, South Carolina
Pete Dye crafted this 1969 Hilton Head layout with Jack Nicklaus serving as design consultant, built around tree-lined fairways, small greens, and the iconic 18th beside the lighthouse. Host of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage annually.
#4 on trail
Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course)St. Simons Island, Georgia
Colt & Alison's 1929 Coastal Georgia layout, refined by Fazio, plays along salt marshes with persistent sea winds shaping every approach. Resort access via Sea Island.
#5 on trail
Palmetto Bluff (May River Course)Bluffton, South Carolina
Jack Nicklaus design routed through South Carolina's Lowcountry marshes and live oak canopy along the May River. Resort access via Montage Palmetto Bluff.
#6 on trail
Sea Island Golf Club (Plantation Course)St. Simons Island, Georgia
**Note:** While no architect or year claims were present to verify, I did flag one potential issue for your awareness: the description calls the course "Private," but multiple sources confirm the Plantation Course is accessible to resort guests — not exclusively private. If you'd like that corrected, the opening line could be revised to: *"Resort and member 18-hole layout on St. Simons Island, Georgia."*
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