By Leonard Finkel
In the rankings of the country’s best states for golf, South Carolina regularly checks in high on the list. When one thinks about teeing it up in the Palmetto State, however, usually only the coastal area comes to mind – particularly well-known golf getaways such as Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. People don’t realize that the upstate and non-coastal areas of South Carolina have great golf, too.
“Mountains to Midlands” golf marketing alliance represents a partnership of four regions extending from the center of the state to the extreme northwest tip – the Olde English District along with The Upcountry, Lake Murray Country and the Old 96 District. Mountains to Midlands (M2M) cover a scenic and historic area, where numerous interstate highways make travel easy and the golf courses accessible.
Most of the golf in the Olde English District oldeenglishgolf.com – a land where the golfing Sandhills to the north meet the Lowcountry to the south and east – is situated along the stretch of Interstate 77 from Rock Hill to Columbia, S.C. The OED also extends east to the Tom Jackson-designed Cheraw State Park Course (southcarolinaparks.com/cheraw/cheraw-golf.aspx), built around 309-acre Lake Juniper. Located along the banks of the Pee Dee River, Cheraw previously served as a major shipping port to Charleston and Georgetown and a strategic commercial and military staging area, littered with famous battles and conflicts of allegiance centuries ago.
But the undisputed “capital” of The OED is Rock Hill/York County, located a swift and easy 30 minutes south of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where golfers discover a number of layouts such as Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill, the Fuzzy Zoeller lake and golf community at Edgewater Golf Club and Carolina Lakes – a pristine setting of natural streams and ponds with the Catawba River meandering through it.
Just a bit further south toward Columbia is Cobblestone Park Golf Club in Blythewood – home to the University of South Carolina Gamecock golf teams and a Top 30 Palmetto State stalwart. That takes us to Lake Murray Country lakemurraycountry.com/things-to-do/golf-courses portion of the mountains to Midlands alliance, centered in the state’s capital city, Columbia, and on Lake Murray. Surrounded by three gorgeous rivers, Lake Murray features 650 miles of picturesque shoreline – one reason it was named by Boating Magazine one of the “Top 10 Places to Live and Boat.”
With 33 championship golf courses in the area, not to mention outstanding dining and entertainment, Lake Murray Country is known for other sporting exploits as well. Among the Lake Murray area’s must-play layouts are The Windermere Club, a private (public access is available through Golf Packages of SC), Pete & P.B. Dye-designed facility that will provide a unique and truly memorable experience, along with Oak Hills Golf Club, a Steve Melnyk and Davis Love III masterpiece that has been recognized in Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play.”
Old 96 District sctravelold96.com takes you from north of Augusta along the Georgia border approaching I-85, where just north is the booming Greenville-Spartanburg corridor. Among the most renowned layouts are The Patriot Golf Course at Grand Harbour Golf & Yacht Community, another Davis Love III design on Lake Greenwood voted “Best New Course” in South Carolina in 2004; Mount Vintage Plantation Golf Club, a 27-hole, semi-private facility that Golf Magazine has likened to nearby Augusta National; and The Links at Stoney Point, a picturesque links design situated on Lake Greenwood. Hickory Knob (southcarolinaparks.com/hickoryknob/introduction.aspx) is a Tom Jackson design located in McCormick, S.C., bordering the Georgia State line.
Last but not least, abounding with natural resources and recreational opportunities, The Upcountry upcountrysc.com portion of the M2M alliance includes a number of outstanding golfing experiences.
The Walker Course at Clemson University is the home course of the vaunted Clemson Tiger golf team and offers up a collection of finishing holes along the shores of Lake Hartwell. The Preserve at Verdae is a William Bird design carved out of the Carolina Forest located in mid-town Greenville. The Upcountry also includes the spectacular Blue Ridge Mountains, which frame Woodfin Ridge Golf Club in Inman. Jacob’s Creek winds its way through the golf course that was designed adjacent to scenic Lake Bowen.
Mountains to Midlands c6f.314.myftpupload.com not only allow golfers to either mix and match their golf within the regions or stay within the regions of their choice, this alliance transports golfers to a place where small towns, medium prices and big-name golf course architects blend harmoniously together.
For information or to book your personalized Mountains to Midlands golf and travel package, contact Ricky Saucier at (888) 501-0954, email [email protected] or visit golfpackagesofsc.com for additional details about special offers.
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.