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South Carolina
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.
Caledonia Beats Mother Nature...and Me
The turf on Pawleys Island, SC, golf courses took a beating this winter. Bermuda grass and its variants do not like to sit for more than a few hours under a sheet of ice, but that is precisely what...
The Granddaddy Shows Its Charm, Age and Blemishes
In an area loaded with golf courses, only one can be the oldest…and the most historic. On the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, Pine Lakes International, otherwise known as “The Granddaddy,” holds both...
Myrtle Beach Golf: Back in Business
Rounds of golf played last year on Myrtle Beach’s nearly 100 courses were up year to year for the first time in more than a decade. Even before the Great Recession, rounds began to drop in 2005, the...
December Golf on the SC Coast...and Other Thoughts
Weather on the golf courses this week in Pawleys Island, SC, reminds me of the climate changes during a June round of golf in St. Andrews. Back in 2009, I endured a little bit of everything on the...
Best Places in America Award puts Greenwood, SC, on the Map
Little Greenwood, SC, has hit the big time. The American Planning Association has named the lakeside town one of the Best Places in America. I was impressed when I visited Greenwood, population about...
Assisted living on a golf course beside a university
Greenville, SC, ranks high on the list of best Southeastern cities in which to live. During our visits, we found values in golf community real estate across a wide range, from the ultra reasonably...
Well-Rounded Life: Golf, yes, but culture too south of Myrtle Beach
A round of golf, especially if well played, can be an uplifting experience, and many of us consider a nicely laid out and manicured golf course a work of art. But if you are a golfer and a lover of...
Memorable Memorial for Mike Strantz
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is arguably the best golf course of the 100+ that line the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, which stretches from Brunswick County in North Carolina and its northernmost point...
The Shape of Golf Real Estate in...Pawleys Plantation
Things are moving fast in the golf communities of the Southeast. Prices are rising in many of them and inventory has dropped as confidence in the economy encourages many working couples to invest...
Carolinas State Golf Panels Publish 2017 Rankings
This is the time of year that the North Carolina and South Carolina Golf Ratings Panels count up the votes of their members and publish the lists of the best courses in their respective states....
The Best 18 Holes in Myrtle Beach, Arguably
I was one of more than 120 members of the South Carolina Golf Rating Panel asked late last year to identify the best par 3s, 4s and 5s among the 100 golf courses open to play for all golfers along...
Dataw Island Prices Skyrocket; Community Earns Top SC Award
Dataw Island is finally getting noticed -– by experts on planned communities and by retirees who know a bargain when they see one. I had a feeling Dataw’s time had come when, after my second visit...