To many in the know, it just made sense that one of the country's most historic cities traces its golf roots to the mid-1700s, when ships sailing into Charleston Harbor regularly listed "golf sticks and balls" on their manifests. In fact, Charleston has been called the birthplace of golf in America. The South Carolina Golf Club - now chartered as the Country Club of Charleston - was founded in 1786 and has been recognized by no less an authority than GOLF Magazine as the nation's first golf club.
However, the nation's first golf club did not enjoy the nation's first golf course. In fact, the South Carolina Golf Club had no course at all. The club, which met at Williams' coffeehouse, played its favorite game on the public area known as Harleston Green, sharing the space with horses, carriages, children at play and everyday folk.
For many years while its coastal neighbors to the north and south, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, developed into two of the best-known golf destinations in the country, the old port city of Charleston was content to attract scads of visitors to its historic sites, broad beaches, fine dining and boutique shopping. Public golf offerings in the Charleston area could be counted on one hand. Hotel properties in Charleston hardly catered to golfers. They didn't need to because rooms were filled with history-seekers, sightseers, convention-goers and the like. If you were coming to Charleston to play golf, you went directly to the golf resorts. Charleston's hospitality industry has since realized the need to court the traveling golfer. Nearly 200 years after the Country Club of Charleston was founded Charleston plunged into the golf world with both feet.
Tom Fazio, the game's acknowledged pre-eminent architect, carved an oceanfront gem from a pristine stretch of Isle of Palms dunes called Wild Dunes Links. Suddenly, the Charleston area was at the center of golf's spotlight. The date was 1980 - fall of that year, to be exact - when Wild Dunes debuted to rave reviews, and captured the imagination of all close to the sport. Players hailed it; critics praised it. Almost immediately, scenes of Wild Dunes graced magazine covers and book jackets, and the course vaulted into everyone's "top 100" list.
Very soon, other courses that would rival Wild Dunes Links sprang up throughout the Lowcountry. And while the area's entries on the National Historic Register continued to outnumber its golf courses, it was obvious that Charleston - unlike some other golf destinations - was going after quality, not quantity.
With three resort properties serving as cornerstones, the Charleston area now offers more than two dozen golf courses, the great majority of which are open to outside play. As the competition increases, so does the quality of the individual offerings. Three area courses have earned "Top 100" status from various national publications, and several of golf's governing bodies have staged important national and international championships at Lowcountry fairways. Greater Charleston is ranked in the top 40 international golf destinations by Golf Digest. The Osprey Point Course on Kiawah is ranked tenth in the USA by Golf For Woman July/August 2006 edition.
During the last two decades, Charleston area golf courses have hosted a Ryder Cup Match, two World Cup events and the inaugural Warburg Cup Matches, along with two USGA national championships and the Carolinas PGA Championship. The Daniel Island Club course (7,093-yard, par-72 layout), another Fazio creation, has already been selected as a site for U.S. Open qualifying. The recently opened Ralston Creek Golf Course, (7,446-yard, par-72 layout) designed by Rees Jones, will be the host site of the inaugural Palmetto Pride Classic October 16th-22nd, 2006. The Daniel Island Club is home to a comprehensive golf school led by former PGA professional Ron Cerrudo. The school features an expansive practice area, video swing analysis technology and a team of professional instructors.
Charleston area golfers can now test their skills against the likes of Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones and his younger son, Rees, Gary Player, Arthur Hills and others, all of whom have crafted layouts from the Lowcountry landscape. Even the "King" himself, Arnold Palmer, added his signature to the list with the RiverTowne Country Club, located east of the Cooper. With 13 holes on scenic marshland overlooking Horlbeck Creek and the Wando River, RiverTowne is a stand-alone, daily-fee course that rivals any of the resort offerings.
For a growing number of golfers, a vacation with more of a town-and-country flair has appeal. From the heart of the historic district, the commute to any of the area's courses, including the resorts, is computed in minutes, not hours. By staying "in town," the golfer is free to select a different course each day or return to a favorite, based on availability, choosing from the area's entire list of offerings. Hotels and resorts now offer golf packages and regularly make tee-time reservations as part of their concierge service. Nongolfers - be they spouses, children or other traveling companions -have, at their disposal, all the attractions and entertainment options that make Charleston one of America's most popular destinations.
Of course, when sunset signals an end to the day's golf and sightseeing, there is the dining and nightlife that is uniquely Charleston for everyone to enjoy.
For a guide to golf courses in Charleston, click here.
A warm and charming South Carolina real estate community intertwined with a lush and diverse landscape. It's a place where nature is respected, and small-town life is cherished. It’s Everything Lowcountry. If you are looking for a true Southern town, quaint in design but with immediate access to a vibrant community, you'll find it at The Ponds.
Award-winning builders of over 200 of the highest quality homes and neighborhoods along the coast of South Carolina. Leading the development of Poplar Grove, a conservation community in Charleston, situated on 6,000 acres of marshland, woods, canals, ponds, open waterways, and nature trails. Bring us your vision, we'll build your masterpiece.
Kiawah Bohicket Real Estate is a new company in name only. Our agents are some of the most established in the area, with a competitive advantage on Kiawah, Wadmalaw and John's Island. That advantage stems from the fact that most of us live and work here. So we know who is looking to buy or sell, often before the listings reach the market.
However, the nation's first golf club did not enjoy the nation's first golf course. In fact, the South Carolina Golf Club had no course at all. The club, which met at Williams' coffeehouse, played its favorite game on the public area known as Harleston Green, sharing the space with horses, carriages, children at play and everyday folk. 
Tom Fazio, the game's acknowledged pre-eminent architect, carved an oceanfront gem from a pristine stretch of Isle of Palms dunes called Wild Dunes Links. Suddenly, the Charleston area was at the center of golf's spotlight. The date was 1980 - fall of that year, to be exact - when Wild Dunes debuted to rave reviews, and captured the imagination of all close to the sport. Players hailed it; critics praised it. Almost immediately, scenes of Wild Dunes graced magazine covers and book jackets, and the course vaulted into everyone's "top 100" list.
With three resort properties serving as cornerstones, the Charleston area now offers more than two dozen golf courses, the great majority of which are open to outside play. As the competition increases, so does the quality of the individual offerings. Three area courses have earned "Top 100" status from various national publications, and several of golf's governing bodies have staged important national and international championships at Lowcountry fairways. Greater Charleston is ranked in the top 40 international golf destinations by Golf Digest. The Osprey Point Course on Kiawah is ranked tenth in the USA by Golf For Woman July/August 2006 edition. 
Charleston area golfers can now test their skills against the likes of Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones and his younger son, Rees, Gary Player, Arthur Hills and others, all of whom have crafted layouts from the Lowcountry landscape. Even the "King" himself, Arnold Palmer, added his signature to the list with the RiverTowne Country Club, located east of the Cooper. With 13 holes on scenic marshland overlooking Horlbeck Creek and the Wando River, RiverTowne is a stand-alone, daily-fee course that rivals any of the resort offerings.
A warm and charming South Carolina real estate community intertwined with a lush and diverse landscape. It's a place where nature is respected, and small-town life is cherished. It’s Everything Lowcountry. If you are looking for a true Southern town, quaint in design but with immediate access to a vibrant community, you'll find it at The Ponds.
Award-winning builders of over 200 of the highest quality homes and neighborhoods along the coast of South Carolina. Leading the development of Poplar Grove, a conservation community in Charleston, situated on 6,000 acres of marshland, woods, canals, ponds, open waterways, and nature trails. Bring us your vision, we'll build your masterpiece. 
Kiawah Bohicket Real Estate is a new company in name only. Our agents are some of the most established in the area, with a competitive advantage on Kiawah, Wadmalaw and John's Island. That advantage stems from the fact that most of us live and work here. So we know who is looking to buy or sell, often before the listings reach the market.
