Top 10 Golf Courses Near Pawleys Island

Opened in 1994, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is located on a property with historical significance. This golf course used to be one of the largest rice plantations in Georgetown County, but now it serves as a hot spot for serious golfers. Noted for its scenery and challenging design, Caledonia has won many awards, including landing #27 in Golf Magazine’s 2014 “Top 100 You Can Play” and Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.” This 6,526-yard, par-70 course was designed by golf architect legend Mike Strantz, and features Bermuda greens, tree hazards, slopes, and more.

The Founders Club in Pawleys Island is a newer course in the area, opening in 2008 and taking the place of the retro Sea Gull Golf Club. This 7,007-yard course is semi-private and presents golfers with isolated tee boxes, water hazards, slopes, extensive bunkers, sandy waste areas, and tight fairways. Founders Club has beautiful scenery that shows off the Lowcounty wetlands, trees, and wildlife. Test your skills on the 14th hole, which is a par-4, 449-yard Pinehurst-inspired dogleg with pine hazards, and a back-to-front sloping green, surrounded by deep bunkers.

The award-winning Heritage Club course in Pawleys Island is repeatedly ranked as one of Golf Digest’s 100 greatest public courses in North America. This 7,1118-yard course was designed by the revered Dan Maples, and features some of the best foliage of the south: oaks, crepe myrtles, azaleas, and magnolias. At Heritage Club, golfers can expect pot bunkers, water hazards, and ridged greens, and more. This course also features what is considered one of the most difficult holes on the Grand Strand: the 228-yard, par-3 13th, which has a water carry to a ridged green with pot bunkers.

Litchfield Country Club is special for many reasons; not only was it the first course built in the Pawleys Island area, but it was also one of the original 8 courses built along the Grand Strand. Litchfield Country Club opened in 1966 and is still thriving today, providing golfers with scenic beauty and the history of the original rice plantation design. Designed by Willard Byrd, this course is a 6,692-yard, par-72 challenge which focuses on precision shot making instead of power swinging. This course is home to hazards and challenges like tree-lined fairways, doglegs, sloping greens, bunkers, and more.

This Jack Nicklaus Signature Course opened in 1988 in Pawleys Island, and has been wowing golfers ever since. Not only does this course highlight the beauty of the Lowcountry with views of saltwater marshes, pine forests, and lakes, but Pawleys Plantation also presents golfers with the challenge of balancing power and precision. This semi-private course also provides many challenges for players, including water hazards, traps, split fairways, tree lines, mounds, and more. Pawleys Plantation is also part of the award-winning Waccamaw Golf Trail, and has been recognized as one of Jack Nicklaus’ top courses.

The River Club is a Tom Jackson Signature course, and it was named the River Club for a great reason: on 14 out of 18 holes, there is water. Opened in 1985, this 6,677-yard course is quite challenging, with a myriad of water hazards, bunkers, traps, and more. Because of this, players must choose their clubs wisely when approaching certain holes with hazards. This semi-private course has also won many accolades, including being ranked 4.5 stars by Golf Digest.

The renowned Greg Norman designed The Reserve Golf Club in Pawleys Island, which says a lot about the quality of this course. Opened in 1988, this 350-acre course uses the natural beauty of the Lowcounty surroundings in its design. Norman not only kept the natural surroundings in mind while creating this course, but he also kept the golfers in mind. He didn’t want to make the course too difficult to play, but rather, aimed to make the course challenging and fun to play for golfers of all skill levels. On top of challenging holes, The Reserve is also home to one of the largest driving ranges along the Grand Strand.

Tradition Club is no stranger to positive attention and awards. In fact, when the course opened in 1996, it was nominated for Best New Public Course by Golf Digest, and, just two years later, Golf For Women gave Tradition Club its award for Top Fairways. Part of the Waccamaw Trail courses, Tradition Club is a par-72, 6,875-yard course that is well known for its great conditions as well as natural beauty. Golfers can expect to test their skills here with challenges like tree-lined fairways, bunkers, water hazards, and more environmental hazards. Playing the course at Tradition Club can be great for golfers of any skill level, as the holes here call for shot-making skills, power, and the use of many different clubs.

True Blue, a sister course to Caledonia, opened back in 1988 and was once considered one of the Grand Strand’s hardest courses. However, today, True Blue has softened their layout making play easier and faster for golfers of different skill levels. True Blue is definitely worth playing, as it is a beautiful course designed by Mike Stranz, and still presents golfers with challenges to help them develop better golf skills. Some of the challenges found on the course at True Blue include expansive fairways, elevation changes, bunkers, undulating greens, and much more.

Willbrook Plantation Golf Club opened in 1988 and has always been raved about by golfers, especially women. Part of the Waccamaw Golf Trail family, Willbrook Plantation has been recognized for its Dan Maples design, and has won awards such as being placed on Golf for Women’s Top 25 places to play, as well as a 4.5 star rating from Golf Digest. This 6,722-yard course provides players with gorgeous natural scenery as well as challenging holes. Here, golfers will find a beautiful island green, tree hazards, elevated greens, water hazards, and other challenges that will test your skills.