Lowcountry to the Sandhills. · Vol. 01

The Ultimate
South Carolina Golf Trip.

South Carolina is two distinct trips. Charleston / Kiawah Island / Bulls Bay on the Lowcountry coast is the Pete Dye + Tom Fazio side. Aiken's Palmetto and Sage Valley pair with Augusta National across the river. The Grand Strand is the high-volume public-resort end of the catalog.

Above · Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course

ILowcountry Coastal Trip IIAiken and Sandhills Trip IIICharleston Old Bench

Route I of III · Charleston → Hilton Head

The Lowcountry Coastal Trip

Kiawah · Hilton Head

Duration3 days

Total drive145 mi

Tariff$$$

Approx. $3,100 / person, 3 days. Ocean Course green fee ~$430; resort lodging $400-700/night peak season.

Day
1
Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course
Day 1 · Kiawah Resort
Drive 30 min south of Charleston. Stay at the resort. The Ocean Course tee time is the whole reason.
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course
  The Ocean Course, Pete Dye 1991, two PGAs and the 2021 PGA. The wind never quits.
Day
2
Kiawah Island Club - River Course
Day 2 · Kiawah Island Club
Members-only side of the resort, accessible by sponsored play. The contrast with the Ocean Course is striking.
- Kiawah Island Club - River Course
  River Course, Tom Fazio 1995. Marshland and live oaks. Slope 155.
Day
3
Harbour Town Golf Links
Day 3 · Hilton Head
Two hours south. The lighthouse 18th is the most-photographed finishing hole in the country.
- Harbour Town Golf Links
  Harbour Town Golf Links, Pete Dye + Jack Nicklaus 1969, RBC Heritage every April.

Route II of III · Western SC

The Aiken and Sandhills Trip

Sage Valley + Palmetto

Duration3 days

Total drive60 mi

Tariff$$$$

Approx. $4,200 / person, 3 days. Sage Valley is sponsored-play only; Palmetto is the heritage members club next door.

Day
1
Sage Valley Golf Club
Day 1 · Sage Valley
Fly into AGS (Augusta). Drive 30 minutes south to Aiken. Stay at the Willcox.
- Sage Valley Golf Club
  Sage Valley Golf Club, Tom Fazio 2001. Course rating 76.0 / slope 143. The Augusta-adjacent private retreat.
Day
2
Sage Valley Golf Club
Day 2 · Palmetto / Aiken bench
Palmetto Golf Club (Herbert Leeds + Donald Ross). The heritage 1892 layout. Aiken Golf Club (public-resort) is the affordable counterpart.
- Sage Valley Golf Club
  Replay Sage Valley or sponsored play at Palmetto. The two clubs sit minutes apart.
Day
3
Day 3 · Augusta National crossing
Drive back across the Savannah River to Augusta. Bonus aspiration line if you have a Masters connection.
- North Augusta Country Club
  Augusta National (over the GA line). The dream end-of-trip stop.

Route III of III · Charleston Lowcountry

The Charleston Old Bench

Country Club of Charleston + Bulls Bay

Duration3 days

Total drive50 mi

Tariff$$$

Approx. $2,800 / person, 3 days. CC of Charleston and Bulls Bay are member-host; Charleston food scene is the dinner anchor.

Day
1
Country Club of Charleston
Day 1 · Country Club of Charleston
Fly into CHS. Stay downtown. The Country Club of Charleston is Seth Raynor 1925, classical template-hole architecture.
- Country Club of Charleston
  Country Club of Charleston, Seth Raynor 1925. Template holes (Redan, Biarritz, Eden).
Day
2
Bulls Bay Golf Club
Day 2 · Bulls Bay
North of Charleston. Mike Strantz 2002 layout, walking-only, top-100 in America.
- Bulls Bay Golf Club
  Bulls Bay Golf Club, Mike Strantz 2002. The architect's most-loved Lowcountry routing.
Day
3
Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course
Day 3 · Kiawah day trip
Forty minutes south for the Ocean Course if you can grab a tee time. Otherwise stay in Charleston and add the Cooper River bench.
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course
  Kiawah Ocean Course, Pete Dye 1991. The 2021 PGA host.