Charleston still making history-in Golf!
Most people think of history when they think of Charleston and with good reason. The original name of the city was “Charles Town”, when the city was founded in 1670 and named for King Charles II. The Civil War began here at Ft. Sumter in 1861 and the quaint downtown area has maintained a large number of historical structures. But there’s a new war going on today in Charleston as golfers from around the globe are waging war on the challenging and diverse golf courses of the area.
Charleston golf is scattered through a series of islands and peninsulas making it one of the more scenic golf venues available anywhere. The most famous is Kiawah Island Resort, located 45 minutes from downtown Charleston and home to 5 golf courses and the treacherous “Ocean Course”, designed by Pete Dye and host to the “Battle of 1991″, also known as the Ryder Cup. Also represented on Kiawah Island are legendary golf course designers Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Clyde Johnston.
The Isle of Palms is conveniently located to downtown Charleston and is home to Wild Dunes, where Tom Fazio designed the Links and Harbor courses, both nationally recognized as great layouts.
There is more great golf in Charleston and a lot of the courses you will want to play are not on a barrier island, but in the city of Charleston and the surrounding area. The highly-acclaimed Arnold Palmer Signature course at RiverTowne Country Club in Mt. Pleasant still offers a limited number of non-member tee times and is a great choice. Charleston National, a Rees Jones design is sculpted out of lowcountry marshland, with the cool ocean breezes creating different playing conditions between the morning and afternoon rounds. 100-year old oaks dripping with Spanish moss and Palmetto palms will make golfers forget they are less than 10 miles from Charleston.
Located on the site of the historic Lexington Plantation, is Dunes West Golf Club, another nationally acclaimed golf facility. Ranked by both Golf magazine and Golf Digest as a “Top Ten Resort Course,” this Arthur Hills design is a must play. Located across the harbor just eight minutes from downtown Charleston, the famous Patriots Point Links offers all golfers resort quality golf. A Lowcountry tradition, this historic course features plush fairways, immaculate greens, unmatched service and breathtaking panoramic views of Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter.
