Pawleys Island

Accommodations:

Pawleys Plantation

Location:

Pawleys Island.  Away from the hustle and bustle and crowds of Myrtle Beach, lies Pawleys Plantation. This classic golf resort features luxury, country club accommodations set amid the lowcountry charm of this historic island.   You will be staying in a 2- bedroom villa that features full kitchen with range, refrigerator and microwave, full living area, two baths, screened-in porch and daily maid service.  The package is based on double occupancy for three nights and three rounds of golf.  Includes green fees, cart fees, daily breakfast and taxes.

Pawleys Plantation Golf Club
From the words of designer Jack Nicklaus, “We used what’s there, without forcing or changing what Mother Nature provided”.  The Bear did mess with Mother Nature a little with subtle greens enveloped by sand bunkers, challenging fairways dotted with water and unique obstacles evident on every hole.  There a several tough holes, the most difficult is #2, a 461-yard par 4, featuring out-of-bounds stakes lining the right side of its elevated, narrow fairway. On the other hand #13 is a cute little par 3 measuring 145 yards where the hole is actually a bulkhead to the marsh.  The green is a double green connecting with the 16^th.  This water wonderland was rated by Golf Digest as the 23^rd Best Course in the State.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
The instant you enter the front gate of this Mike Strantz designed course, you know you’re in for something special.  The drive through a tunnel of 150-year old oaks laden with Spanish moss makes you look for Scarlet O’Hara.  This course has more rankings than a 5 star general.  #13 in the state by Golf Digest, #85 in the Top 100 You Can Play selection by GOLF Magazine and #49 by GOLFWEEK on their America’s 100 Best Modern Courses and #17 in Golf & Travel’s Best 40 Public Courses.  It is extremely scenic and home to an abundance of wildlife.  The fairways are wide open and the greens are large and undulating.  Few courses that measure just 6500 yards play as tough as Caledonia. Enjoy the experience.

True Blue Golf Club
After the description of the two prior courses, how do I top them ... with this 1998 design by Mike Strantz.  Ranked #7 in the State, #2 in the Top 25 Golf Courses in the South by GOLF Magazine  and Top 10 Best New Course in America from Golfer Magazine.  This heavily wooded course is billed to have "the Greatest Holes along the Grand Strand."  Dramatic shaping, elevated greens and hand-shaped bunkers make this a truly challenging course for all level of players.  The course itself has quite a bit of elevation change, the cart paths are kept out of sight and play.  It also features six water holes and tree-lined fairways that have plenty of sand to avoid.  #14, a 161-yard, par 3 features a tee box nearly fifty feet above a green that is strategically placed between a huge waste area and potentially-dangerous pot bunker.  You can expect a blend of natural elements of Pine Valley with classic style of Pinehurst #2.  Pretty good company, huh?

Founders Club                                                                                                                                         While you’re on Pawleys Island, you have to play a visit to this new Founders Club, which is a total redesign of the old 1966 Sea Gull Golf Club. After $7 million worth of improvements, you can tip your hat to Thomas Walker, the former head designer for Gary Player Design.  At the Founders Club, Walker said he wanted the finished design to be, "visually stunning but very playable," and he moved lots of dirt to make modifications to every hole. There's a good bit of water here, plus some pot bunkers, but it's the new extensive sandy transitional areas that give the course its distinctive look and defining strategic element. According to head professional and general manager Wayne Weldon, "the soil has an orange tint due to iron deposits and it really helps frame the holes."  After the TPC in Scottsdale, this is the second golf course in the country using Emerald Bermuda. This hybrid strain incorporates the best of both Bermuda and Bentgass and is highly regarded for its ability to withstand heat and hold up in the winter.   The 20,000 square foot putting green is also the tee box for first hole.   You roll a few putts, then step to the front of the putting green and tee off. That’s right, you actually tee off from the putting green. A teeing ground cannot get any better than that!  Watch out for the divot!