The best golf courses in South Carolina, USA

Yeamans Hall Club is a renowned private golf course designed by Seth Raynor in 1925 and occupies a historic Lowcountry property near Charleston, South Carolina. The course features classic template holes, strategic bunkering, wide fairways, and a scenic, peaceful setting along the Cooper River. Its elite conditioning and rich history make it one of America’s most respected private clubs.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, designed by Pete and Alice Dye, is one of golf’s most awe-inspiring championship venues, stretching more than 7,800 yards along the windswept South Carolina coast. With ten holes hugging the Atlantic and views from every fairway, the course is a modern American links with raw, natural beauty and a punishing reputation. Host of multiple majors, including the Ryder Cup and PGA Championships, its exposed layout, rolling dunes, and relentless wind make every round a formidable test. Each hole is shaped by the untamed elements, providing not just a sporting challenge but a sensory experience unlike anywhere else in the U.S.

Harbour Town Golf Links, crafted by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus as consultant, is a celebrated resort course hosting the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage. Opened in 1969, it emphasizes precision over power, offering challenging par threes and famous closing holes along Calibogue Sound in the scenic South Carolina Lowcountry.

Old Barnwell, crafted by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant, is a private course inspired by classic English heathland architecture. Set amongst sandy soil, rolling hills, and Carolina pines, its design features strategic bunkering, half-par holes, and firm, fast conditions, offering a nuanced and memorable test close to Aiken, South Carolina.

Congaree Golf Club is an exclusive, world-class private club in the South Carolina Lowcountry, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2017. The course blends links-like features with sandy waste areas and firm playing conditions, set on a historic 18th-century estate and dedicated to a philanthropic mission for youth and golf.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, designed by Mike Strantz and opened in 1994, is a celebrated par-70 public course set on a historic rice plantation in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Renowned for its natural beauty, strategic design, and live oak-lined entrance, it’s consistently ranked among America’s Top 100 public courses. The layout offers variety, challenge, and visual drama throughout.

The River Course at The Kiawah Island Club is a renowned private Tom Fazio design that stretches along the Kiawah River and Bass Pond. Opened in 1995 and renovated in 2006 with regrassed greens and fairways, it features eight holes on the water and others bordered by marsh and maritime forests, offering strategic and visual variety. It is member-only, known for its challenge and pristine conditioning.

The Tree Farm, designed by Tom Doak and Kye Goalby with inspiration and vision from PGA Tour pro Zac Blair, is a private, destination-style club in South Carolina. Blending firm, sand-based terrain with wide playing corridors and a ground-game emphasis, it offers a pure, walking-first golf experience for architecture aficionados and competitive players alike.

Cassique is a private, Tom Watson-designed course on Kiawah Island featuring a Scottish links-inspired layout, wide undulating fairways, and large rolling greens. Opened in 2000, it weaves through maritime forest and marsh where the river meets the Atlantic. Known for its strategic bunkering, coastal winds, and strong challenge, it ranks among the nation’s top residential club courses.

Sage Valley Golf Club, crafted by Tom Fazio and opened in 2001, sits in a tranquil pine forest near Augusta. Renowned for pristine conditioning, dramatic elevation changes, water hazards, and manicured Bermuda greens, the course draws design inspiration from Augusta National and offers a secluded, exclusive experience for members and their guests.

Secession Golf Club, designed by Bruce Devlin, is a caddie-only, walking-only private club set amid South Carolina's Lowcountry marshes. The links-inspired course emphasizes wind, strategic shotmaking, and an unspoiled natural setting with no housing. Fourteen holes border the tidal marsh, delivering challenge and beauty along with pure, uninterrupted golf.

May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course opened in 2004, winding through ancient Lowcountry oak forests and along the scenic May River. With eco-friendly paspalum grass, strategic bunkering, wide fairways, and riverfront holes, the course blends championship challenge with striking beauty. Exclusively for resort guests, it maintains elite conditions and a memorable coastal experience.

Bulls Bay Golf Club is a private, member-only club just north of Charleston, South Carolina, masterfully designed by renowned architect Mike Strantz. The course combines windswept coastal savannahs, centuries-old live oaks, and a distinctive links-inspired design. Known for its strategic layout, dramatic elevation changes, and ever-changing wind conditions, Bulls Bay is celebrated as one of the Lowcountry's premier golf experiences.

Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina, founded in 1892, is one of America’s oldest clubs. Laid out by Herbert Leeds with later input from Donald Ross and Alister MacKenzie, the course is prized for its classic design, fast greens, and walkable parkland layout blending history and southern charm in equal measure.

True Blue Golf Club, designed by Mike Strantz, is a visually striking public course set among South Carolina Lowcountry marshes, live oaks, and pines. Renowned for its bold, wide fairways and massive, undulating greens, the course challenges all skill levels with creative design and memorable shot values. An 18-acre practice facility and welcoming clubhouse complement this top-ranked destination.

Long Cove Club is a celebrated Pete Dye design on Hilton Head Island, offering a pure Lowcountry golf experience across 7,094 yards among centuries-old live oaks and saltwater marshes. Known for its strategic layout and beautiful scenery, this private 18-hole course is acclaimed for both challenge and hospitality, and was renovated in 2018 by Bobby Weed.

TPC Myrtle Beach, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1999, is a former Senior Tour venue offering players a tour-caliber experience with manicured fairways, strategic bunkering, and pristine lowcountry scenery. Rated as one of South Carolina’s top public courses, it boasts PGA Tour-quality facilities and challenging play for all skill levels.

Quixote Club is a newly reborn private golf course in Sumter, South Carolina, designed in 2020 by Kris Spence, with contributions by Jack Nicklaus II. The course offers wide fairways, sculpted bunkers, and fast, firm playing conditions across its 169-acre property, set amid mature oaks. Renowned for creativity and strategic challenge, its minimalist, art-deco clubhouse is a unique regional landmark.