Mountains, swamps, beaches and more golf than you could ever fit into one trip? That’s South Carolina. Here variety is not just an advantage; it’s what matters. Because the weather is pleasant year-round on the state’s 350 golf courses, golf never really takes a break here, which means you don’t have to either.
Best Golf Courses in South Carolina
1. The Ocean Course
Kiawah Island
There are many reasons why Ocean course Kiawah Island Golf Resort is ranked among the best in South Carolina, including the facility’s chef. And the experience starts long before you reach the first tee. The drive to Kiawah Island showcases classic Lowcountry beauty: glistening swamps, towering egrets, and glimpses of multi-million dollar mansions peeking through the branches of towering oaks.
But once on the trail the real magic begins. True to its name, The Ocean Course meets all expectations, with more holes on the coast than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere, with ten holes directly along the Atlantic Ocean. Firm fairways, ocean breezes that make you reconsider your club choice with every shot, and views that make you pause and think. It’s bold, beautiful and exactly what you came for.
2. Yeamans Hall Club
Hanahan
Designed in 1925 by Seth Raynor, Yeamans Hall is quietly one of the best golf courses in South Carolina. Extremely private and remarkably faithful to its original layout, it has survived almost a century with minimal changes. The biggest adjustment came in the late 1990s, when Tom Doak reconstructed the greens to restore Raynor’s bold vision.
Located just a short drive from downtown Charleston, Yeamans Hall feels like a world apart. Oak-lined roads, guarded gates and sweeping marsh views set the stage for a round that feels less like a game and more like a step back in time.
3. Congaree Golf Club
Ridgeland
Congaree Golf Club may be somewhat new to the South Carolina golf scene, but it has already earned a reputation as one of the most notable courses in the country. Opened less than a decade ago, it shares the sense of exclusivity of Yeamans Hall, although Congaree goes even further. The club has only two official members (the owners) and operates on a unique invitation-only model. The guests will become ‘ambassadors’ and support the Congaree Foundation, which funds education and golf opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Located on the grounds of an 18th-century rice plantation, the Tom Fazio-designed course combines Lowcountry natural beauty with design sophistication. The firm, fast fairways, Melbourne-style bunkering and impeccable condition have led many to call it one of Fazio’s best works – and one of the most meaningful.
4. Harbor Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island
Harbourwn is the heartbeat of Sea Pines Resort and has redefined what “resort golf” could be. It also proved that you don’t need height to provide a true test of skill. Every April, the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage brings the best of the game to a course where bombs and gouges give way to patience and precision – all under the watchful eye of Harbor Town’s iconic lighthouse.
Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus designed a course that rewards thinking about muscles. Fairways run between pines and oaks, the doglegs bend just so, and the coastal breeze never lets you completely relax. By the time you reach the 18th, with Calibogue Sound sparkling beside you, it’s easy to understand why golfers travel from far and wide to play this one.
5. Country Club of Charleston
Charleston
When the nearby Yeamans Hall whispers Raynor’s genius, the Country Club of Charleston it screams. Located on the historic McLeod Plantation along the Ashley River, this 1925 layout by Seth Raynor features more of his classic “template” holes such as the 11th (an inverted Redan) and the 16th (“Lion’s Mouth”) that golf architects and historians call among his best. The front nine rolls along the Lowcountry swamps and estuary, then the back nine drops into mature forests, giving you two different moods in one lap.
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