South Carolina has over 360 golf courses to play. It’s a fantastic place to tour and test skill levels against top-quality layouts. Selecting the 10 best golf courses in South Carolina is a tricky task though.
This task has been eased with a collaboration with TheGrint, our favorite mobile app that helps golfers track their handicap and stats. They have collected golf course reviews from millions of real golf rounds from real golfers.
Ranking in order 1 to 10
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort | The Ocean
- Sea Pines Resort | Harbour Town Golf Links
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Osprey Point
- Sea Pines Country Club
- The Dunes Beach and Golf Club
- DeBordieu Country Club
- Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
- Daniel Island Club | Beresford Creek
- Bulls Bay Golf Club
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Cougar Point
1. Kiawah Island Golf Resort | The Ocean
- Site Link
- Location: Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 7,016 meters off the Tips and 5,669 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
5 tees options available.
Signature Hole – The 202-meter par 3 17th is the signature hole.
A forced carry over a water hazard to the green.
Railroad ties flank the green, and the bail-out area is to the left.
One of the toughest holes on the back 9.
A walking course only, this Pete Dye design is one of his best.
The 2 nines are very different as the front plays through a marsh area, with limited trees.
The back 9 runs through natural dunes and is the tougher of the two.
The raised greens open up the spectacular sea views, but also provide a stern test of the short game.
Rated as one of the most difficult courses in the USA and the sea breeze plays its part.
2. Sea Pines Resort | Harbour Town Golf Links
- Site Link
- Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 71
- Length: 6,489 meters off the Tips and 4,647 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
5 tees options available.
Signature Hole – The 431-meter par 4 18th is the signature hole and is rated as one of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour.
It plays to a generous fairway that tightens up closer to the green.
The short cut is down the left with the 2nd having to carry marshland.
The bailout is right but a difficult up and down awaits.
A demanding course that requires precision, strategy, and patience throughout the layout.
A shot-makers dream and the adventurous player can attack on certain holes, but mis-hits are penal.
Strong, swirling winds complicate finding the tree-lined tight fairways.
Bring the best short game or expect some big numbers.
3. Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Osprey Point
- Site Link
- Location: Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,336 meters off the Tips and 5,112 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 204-meter par 3 11th is the signature hole and is an intimidating tee shot.
It plays to the green over a forced carry and framed by tall trees and a water hazard.
Hit your best shot and hope!
A feature of the layout is the mix of risk and reward par 5s together with the long and short par 4s.
The attacking player will have fun negotiating and conquering the course.
Generous fairways offer playability to all skill levels provided the correct tees are used.
Water hazards lurk throughout and the difficult greens add spice to the round.
4. Sea Pines Country Club
- Site Link
- Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina,
- Par: 72
- Length: 5,835 meters off the Tips and 4,840 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 378-meter par 4 18th is the signature hole that sweeps to the right from the tee.
Marshland cuts into the fairway on the left and a bunker guards the right.
A picturesque finishing hole with the clubhouse in the background.
A stunning layout that winds through tall tree-lined fairways.
The lagoon is ever-present through the course, with added hazards creating the difficulty.
Doglegs, pristine bunkers, grass bunkers, waste areas, and the over-hanging trees need to be avoided to keep a good card.
5. The Dunes Beach and Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,577 meters off the Tips and 5,293 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 539-meter par 5 13th is the signature hole and is a genuine 3-shotter.
The hole curls to the right around Singleton Lake and then plays uphill to an undulating, bunker-protected green.
Make par and match the pros!
The dune style links is set in beautiful gentle rolling terrain but is a great challenge to all skill levels.
Water hazards aplenty, marshlands, elevated contoured greens, and white sand bunkers are the par protectors.
The wind swirls through the layout and can play its part in destroying the scorecard.
If that isn’t enough trouble, the “beware the alligator” signs will get the player’s attention.
Stay away from the water!
6. DeBordieu Country Club
- Site Link
- Location: Georgetown, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,428 meters off the Tips and 5,315 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – My choice of signature hole is the 177-meter par 3 14th.
A large pond protects the green on the left and an oak tree fringe hangs over the front.
The green is small and a false front must be cleared.
Straight is good!
A Pete Dye links-style layout that is tough and interesting.
From the 1st hole, the challenge starts and there are no easy holes throughout the layout.
Water lurks everywhere and the mounds and well-placed bunkers tighten the nerves.
Long par 4s and 3s and the sea breeze increase the difficulty.
A terrific closing stretch with the par 5 18th waiting to add a big number to the card.
The 19th beckons to settle the nerves.
7. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
- Site Link
- Location: Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 70
- Length: 5,965 meters off the Tips and 5,219 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
3 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 379-meter par 4 14th is the signature hole and is as good a par 4 as anywhere in the world.
Water runs down the left side from tee to green, so play for the right side fairway.
It offers a longer 2nd, but making 4 is better than 6 for the players who dare go left.
Caledonia golf course is a course that shot-makers dream about.
The narrow, tree-lined fairways, with strategically placed bunkers on the many doglegs, call for a cool head and patience.
Water lurks everywhere and a few forced carries, large waste-type bunkers, and the trees will add big numbers to the card if not negotiated.
If the driver doesn’t work on the day, expect a long day at the office.
A must-play course.
8. Daniel Island Club | Beresford Creek
- Site Link
- Location: Daniel Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,577 meters off the Tips and 5,298 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 181-meter par 3 17th is my choice of signature hole.
A diagonal inlet must be carried to hit the green, which provides a few challenges with the putter.
It’s all about distance control.
Daniel Island Club hosts 2 18-hole golf courses.
The older Beresford Creek layout is long and tough.
The course is bordered by waterways, creeks, and marshes demanding accuracy on every shot.
The front 9 is the easier side, but then the pressure hots up on the back 9.
Tough, lengthy par 4s, a stunning par 3, and then the final hole are collectively scorecard destroyers if played badly.
Bring the A game with all the skill.
9. Bulls Bay Golf Club
- Site Link
- Location: Awendaw, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,601 meters off the Tips and 5,580 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
4 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 156-meter par 3 12th is my choice of signature hole.
Although not long, the semi-island green requires an accurate, distance-controlled iron.
Good club selection will keep the ball dry!
The gently rolling terrain set in dunes and natural grasses is a links course at its best.
It overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Bulls Bay which provide the coastal wind that changes every hole daily, depending on the direction and velocity.
Knock-down shots, punches, and pitch and roll approaches test the skill level of even the best players.
The strategy must be to keep the ball in play and avoid big numbers.
Exciting to say the least!
10. Kiawah Island Golf Resort | Cougar Point
- Site Link
- Location: Johns Island, South Carolina.
- Par: 72
- Length: 6,229 meters off the Tips and 4,401 meters off the Front.
PLAYER RATING
6 tee options available.
Signature Hole – The 165-meter par 3 6th is the signature hole.
It plays over water or marsh depending on the tide influence on the Kiawah River.
The green is deep but fairly narrow with a bailout area short and right.
An intimidating shot for all levels.
Gary Player was the original designer and he revamped and eased the difficulty 20 years later.
It is still challenging and although shortish, accuracy is your friend.
The tall tree-lined fairways are generous, but the back 9 is a genuine test of distance control.
Risk and reward holes offer opportunities to attack the course, with water used extensively to add to the excitement and fun.
Other courses outside the top 10
1. Ocean Point Golf Links | Ocean Point
- Site Link
- Location: Fripp Island, South Carolina.
PLAYER RATING
Ocean Point is set on the sea and is a shot-makers delight.
Adaptation to the wind, with punches, low-boring tee shots, and chip-and-roll approaches to the green has to be the strategy employed to keep the scorecard neat.
2. Wild Dunes | Links Course
- Site Link
- Location: Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
PLAYER RATING
Wild Dunes facility hosts 2 18-hole courses and the Links Course is a real challenge to all that play here.
The seaside setting may be a distraction, but taking on this beautiful layout is a must.
Be a man!
3. The Walker Golf Course At Clemson University
- Site Link
- Location: Clemson, South Carolina.
PLAYER RATING
A course designed for all skill levels to play and have fun.
The finishing holes running along Hartwell Lake shores are exciting but testing.
Take in the views if the golf is suspect.
Final Thoughts
To play golf in South Carolina has to be a “bucket list” wish.
The fantastic courses and settings are world-class and should be taken advantage of anytime the opportunity arises.
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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
