Tag: Kiawah Island Resort

Top 10 Golf Resorts: South Carolina 2023-2024

Harbour Town Golf Links, Sea Pines Resort, SC

Of all the states in the country, South Carolina has the highest percentage of public courses receiving a GolfDay Rating of 90 or higher (Excellent), and a very large number received a rating over 80 (very good), so it’s certainly no surprise that some of the best golf resorts in the country can be found in SC as well.

The Resorts below are listed by their GolfDay Rating, and we have included links for course description, accommodations and golf academy (if available). A link to the Resort website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio dominate the landscape at the premier golf destinations in South Carolina. Dye and Nicklaus collaborated to create the iconic Harbour Town Links at Sea Island Resort, and each contributed their signature to the spectacular courses at Kiawah Island—Pete Dye with the Ocean Course and Jack with Turtle Point.  Nicklaus also laid out the wonderful track at Montage-Palmetto (May River.)

Tom Fazio contributed his architectural genius at Kiawah with Osprey Point, designed one of the terrific courses at Barefoot Resort, and both courses at Wild Dunes Golf Links.

Davis Love III has also continued to burnish his reputation among the top modern day course architects with his work at Sea Pines Resort (Atlantic Dunes), Barefoot Resort and Fripp Island Resort (Ocean Creek)  

The GolfDay Resort rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), the variety of courses located at the property, updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest and Golfweek, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews, as well as the quality of accommodations and level of service.

Click Top 10 South Carolina Resorts for a map overview of the resort locations (hover over a flag and the resort name will come up, and click for details).                                            

Kiawah Island Golf Resort
  1. Kiawah Island Golf Resort/Kiawah Island, SC
    • Holes: 90 (5-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Alice Dye/Gary Player/Clyde Johnston/Tom Fazio/Jack Nicklaus
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Ocean:                    79.1/155
    • Cougar Point:         72.7/134
    • Oak Point:              72.1/137
    • Osprey Point:         73.6/140
    • Turtle Point:           73.0/134
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Ranges with Targets, Chipping and Putting Greens at each course. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100, Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
  •  
The Sea Pines Resort
  1. The Sea Pines Resort/Hilton Head Island, SC
    • Holes: 54 (3-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus/George Cobb/Clyde Johnston/Davis Love III/Scot Sherman
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Harbour Town Links:            79.5/152
    • Heron Point:                        74.8/140
    • Atlantic Dunes:                    74.3/143
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Ranges with Targets (Harbour Town and Heron Point/Ocean), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers. Range Balls and Fore Caddie (Harbour Town) included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200, Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
Barefoot Resort & Golf
  1. Barefoot Resort & Golf/North Myrtle Beach, SC
    • Holes: 72 (4-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
    • Course Architects: Greg Norman/Tad Burnett/Davis Love III/Tom Fazio/Pete Dye Moreau/David Gill/Mike DeVries
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Norman:     74.2/141
    • Love:          74.9/141
    • Fazio:         73.4/144
    • Dye:           76.0/143
    • Practice Facilities: Lighted and Covered Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Dyer and Greg Norman Golf Academies.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 100
    • Location
Legends Resort
  1. Legends Resort/Myrtle Beach SC
    • Holes: 54
    • Course Architects: Tom Doak/P. B. Dye
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Parkland:               74.3/144
    • Moorland:              73.6/143
    • Heathland:              73.3/143
    • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy/Junior Golf
    • Golf Packages
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.8
    • Location
May River Golf Club
  1. May River Golf Club/Bluffton, SC
  2. Montage-Palmetto Bluff
    • Holes: 18
    • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.8/141
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Wedge Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (6). ProV1 Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Description
    • Accommodations
    • Photos
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100-Public, Golf Digest SC Top 45, Golfweek SC Top 15-Public
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
    • Location
Fripp Island Club
  1. Fripp Island Club/St. Helena Island, SC
  2. Fripp Island Golf & Beach resort/Seascape Hospitality
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architect: George Cobb/John LaFoy/Davis Love III/Paul Cowley
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Ocean Point:          74.0/140
    • Ocean Creek:         72.1/139
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Creek). Irons Only Grass Driving Range with Putting Green (Point).
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Packages
    • GolfDay Rating: 94.4
    • Location
Grande Dunes Resort Club
  1. Grande Dunes Resort Club/Myrtle Beach, SC
  2. Marina Inn
Wild Dunes Golf Links
  1. Wild Dunes Golf Links/Isle of Palms, SC
  2. Destination Hotels
    • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
    • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    • Links:         72.1/138
    • Harbor:       71.1/139
    • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (flight restricted balls), Putting and Chipping Greens (Links Course). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Packages
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
    • Location
Wachesaw Plantation East
  1. Wachesaw Plantation East/Myrtle Beach, SC
  2. Patton Hospitality
Palmetto Dunes
  1. Palmetto Dunes/Hilton Head Island, SC
    • Holes: 54
    • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/George Fazio/Roger Rulewich/John Harvey
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Jones:                    74.8/141
    • Hills:                      73.5/139
    • Fazio:                     74.2/145
    • Practice Facilities: Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Hills/Fazio)/Driving Range with Bunker and Toptracer Technology (Jones).
    • Course Descriptions
    • Accommodations
    • Golf Academy
    • GolfDay Rating: 88
    • Location
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The PGA Championship-Phil Mickelson

PGA Championship, Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort SC

Congrats, Phil!

Watching Phil Mickelson stroll up the 18th hole at Kiawah Island with a two-shot lead over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen was almost surreal. I think many of us “Phil fanatics” kept pinching ourselves during those final moments thinking it was a dream. The idea of Phil, at fifty plus, holding off the imposing figure of Brooks Koepka to win the PGA Championship, seemed like an impossibility. Like Ali when he fought George Forman—there would be flashes of brilliance and plenty of determination, but sooner or later the big one would land. I kept thinking about the 2014 PGA Championship, 2015 Masters, and 2016 Open Championships where Phil fought his heart out, put up strong performances with great thrills, but ultimately came up just short. Not this time though, as Phil found an even deeper level of resolve to deliver a historic win for the ages, just as Mohamed Ali did back in 1974. It was a remarkable day, and most certainly the high point of Phil’s fantastic career. And do we dare get our hopes up for that elusive U.S. Open title? You bet we do!

Phil’s Fanatics 

Early in his career, Phil Mickelson garnered the nickname “Phil the Thrill” because he had a seemingly endless number of shots in his arsenal, and was willing pull them out of his bag at any time, regardless of risk, almost always with unlikely and eye-popping success. Since he broke out on tour in 1991, and won the Northern Telecom Open as an Amateur, everyone knew that this young lefty was going to provide us with a ton of excitement. Phil immediately captured the hearts of golf fans with his fan friendly, warm persona, along with his aggressive style of play. That style of play cost Phil quite a few tournaments, including a number of major championships, but that just endeared him to the golfing public even more. Eventually Phil’s following of loyalists became known as the “Phil fanatics.” No matter how poorly Phil might be playing, these fans never left his side. Well, the Phil fanatics were out in full force for Lefty last week at the PGA Championship. They cheered and hollered for him all week, and assembled around the 18th green to share the moment with their hero. Not since Arnie’s Army has a player generated that kind of love and excitement from golf fans—and richly deserved.

The Thrills Keep Coming

Phil’s last major victory came all the way back at the 2013 Open Championship, and there have been a number of highs and lows since then. A dry spell in 2014 and 2015 saw Mickelson drop his longtime swing coach, Butch Harman, and hire Andrew Getson. Getson revitalized Phil’s game, and their partnership resulted in 6 top 5 finishes in the 2016 season, including 3 runner-up’s—but unfortunately no victories. 2017 proved to be another winless season for Phil, now 47 years old with many believing that his days of winning on tour were behind him. But lo and behold, Phil reached into his bag of magic and surprised us all by winning the WGC Mexico Championship in 2018. It was an unbelievable victory, as he took down Justin Thomas in a thrilling playoff and proved that Lefty was not done quite yet. And then in 2019, Phil won again, capturing his fifth AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, only to struggle for the remainder of the year, failing to record a single top ten. The 2020 season proved to be another disappointment for Lefty, with only two top 5 finishes in the shortened season. And going into the PGA Championship this year, Phil hadn’t placed among the top 20 in a single event, most recently a disastrous finish at the Wells Fargo where he opened with a 64, only to follow that up with a 75 and a pair of 76’s. While most of the golf world viewed it as yet another sign that Phil was done, his fanatics (and most importantly Phil himself), saw only the brilliant 64, and continued to believe. Well, he’s done it again—shocking the world when everybody counted him out. Congratulations Phil, this was truly an epic performance. You can bet that Phil’s faithful flock will have swelled to record numbers for the Open at Torrey Pines next month, and win or lose, you know he will be giving it everything he’s got. A seventh major? Don’t count him out.