Dec. 1, 2004
By Joel Zuckerman
GolfWeb Travel Correspondent

Contrary to popular belief, Charleston, S.C.'s golf scene does in fact extend beyond Kiawah Island.

Kiawah Island is the 500-pound golf gorilla of the region, no doubt. The beautiful barrier island southeast of the city, posh resort that it's become in recent decades, sets Charleston's golf standard to the world at large. Besides the five resort and two private courses set through the maritime forests and marshes of this 10-mile long oasis, there is the enduring legacy of the 1991 Ryder Cup matches at the flagship Ocean Course, the most closely contested and contentious in the event's history.

But avid players can swing a stick on all points of the compass, never setting foot on Kiawah, and have a full volume golf vacation. Here's a small sampling of some of the other golf charms of Charleston:

• RiverTowne is in the same vicinity, and offers daily-fee players one of the staunchest challenges in greater Charleston. This is Arnold Palmer’s first foray in the area, and much like the King in his prime, RiverTowne is handsome, muscular and intimidating. The Wando River and Horlbeck Creek are either in sight or in play on 13 different holes, and the omnipresent marshes, grasslands and lagoons will conspire to keep all but the finest players completing their round with a different ball than they began with. This is one of the newest venues in town, and undoubtedly one of the most talked-about as well.

• The Links at Stono Ferry is south of the city in the sleepy town of Hollywood. You won’t see any celebrities here, just some dazzling golf holes on the inward nine, close by the Intracoastal Waterway. The Battle at Stono Ferry was fought on these grounds in 1779. 210 years later architect Ron Garl created a pleasing 6,600 yard track that winds through the pines before heading towards the water. It’s a quality golf experience and history lesson concurrently, as a series of commemorative markers on the grounds provide insight into the intense skirmish between British and American forces in the Revolutionary War.

• Charleston National is a uniquely beautiful Rees Jones gem north of the city in suburban Mount Pleasant. Originally slated as an exclusive private venue, the profound impact of 1989's Hurricane Hugo scuttled the ambitions of the original developer. Now this 7,100 yard nature walk is available to all comers. The closing holes, set among untold acres of golden marshland bisected by wooden bridges, are among the most distinctive in the region.

• Shadowmoss Plantation is a Russell Breeden design just 10 minutes away, offering a unique money-back guarantee. If you aren’t enjoying your round or the course conditions for any reason, stop into the clubhouse at the turn for a full refund. It’s a bold offer to be sure, yet one that’s rarely taken advantage of. Visitors love the Bermuda greens, considered some of the best in the city. They also love the challenge of a tree-lined course that twice played host to the South Carolina Open.

• Seabrook Island is adjacent to Kiawah, and offers visitors 36 holes of memorable golf. Both courses top out at 6,700 yards and change, but are well named, and offer distinct experiences. Ocean Winds is a Willard Byrd design that creeps near the Atlantic, and is buffeted by an ever present breeze. Robert Trent Jones contributed Crooked Oaks, which snakes its way through marsh land, thick forest and centuries old, moss covered oak trees.

• Wild Dunes is another island resort of note, located north of the city on Isle of Palms. Two Tom Fazio courses are on property, though the Links is the marquee name and the Harbor is the understudy. The former made quite a bit of noise upon its debut some 25 years ago with some stunning ocean side finishers. The “little brother” came along five years later. While it’s encroaching hazards make for an incredible challenge and it concludes with a pair of ultra-difficult par 4s, its petite length (a par 70 of 6360 yards) and ultra-narrow corridors will frustrate all but the most solid ball strikers.

• Daniel Island is a private island community, and one of the most compelling addresses in greater Charleston. There’s a parkland Tom Fazio gem in place called Beresford Creek, with a Rees Jones effort called Ralston Creek set to debut later this year. The original course, like the island itself is roomy, with wide playing corridors and generous greens. Hazards are mostly on the periphery, with few forced carries needed. The newer course winds in and out of Lowcountry settings of marsh and wetlands, and features green complexes that are a bit smaller than those of its “older brother.”

• Bulls Bay is undoubtedly the most unique venue in town. This private club north of the city in Awendaw has a clubhouse lording over the property a full 75 feet above sea level. Merely a hillock in most parts of the world, here where the topography is normally a tabletop, Bulls Bay affords a sensibility that doesn’t exist elsewhere. The Mike Strantz design is wide open off of the tee, and playing down from the elevated tees and hitting up to the elevated greens that surround the clubhouse is a singular experience in Charleston.

• Briar’s Creek is more than simply a private club. This is a bona-fide golf retreat, and the membership has two commonalities: They are deep-pocketed and rarely on site. When they do jet in to their Johns Island oasis, they enjoy one of the finest and most tranquil creations in the Rees Jones oeuvre. This is an understated nature walk set on a generous 300-plus acre property. There are numerous forced carries from tee to fairway, but thankfully only a couple from fairway to green. It’s remote and natural locale makes it not only a bird sanctuary, but also a sanctuary from the everyday stresses of its uniformly high-powered membership.