Charleston, South Carolina

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By Chuck Z

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  • 8 Replies
  1. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Golf in Charleston dates back to 1786 when they played golf downtown on the Harleston Green and the first golf club in American was established. This golf club would eventually become the Country Club of Charleston which is now located on James Island along with the City of Charleston Municipal Golf Course. Seth Raynor designed the Country Club as well and Yeamans Hall in the late 1920's and many cherish his designed courses. The muni was not designed by Mr Raynor but some of the original holes were taken from some of his designs. Over the years very little has changed and the old girl was in need of a face lift. The greens were the original Bermuda and with around 55,000 rounds a year on her, it was punching and over seeding every year, a lot of maintenance on a city budget, land our superintendent did an outstanding job. So in February 2020 the course was closed for a complete update with new hardy greens and fairways, redesigned, better drainage, and deeper bunkers, and of course more strategically placed sand traps. Life oaks and pine traps had overtaken some of them around the greens. Bigger ponds have been added for better drainage and larger, faster greens have been added. The designer of the greens used a lot of Mr Raynor's ideas in the new greens, thumb print, horseshoe, flat top that drop off into sand traps, hard to explain, but very interesting. The old rating was 71.0, slope 128 and the new is 72.7, slope 131. I find that the old girl has gone from an easy walk in the park to a very good test of your skills that may require more than four clubs in your bag. The muni host numerous City Championship tournaments and I feel that the fields will be fuller in the future with this course that now requires a lot of course management. The back nine from eleven thru fifteen has been opened up with large ponds and is a sight to behold. If the wind is blowing on number 14, good luck. I promise you, it will test you skills and hope that when in Charleston. Ya'll stop by and see us on your way down to Kiawah Island, you pass right by us on Maybank Hwy. Cheers.

  2. Erich F

    Erich F
    NY

    Hi Chuck:

    I have spent a bit of time in Charleston as my folks moved down there about 25 years ago. They were on Seabrook so that is where I always played. Unfortunately they are both gone so my main reason for visiting that beautiful area has gone as well, but I do love it and will return. Look forward to playing the course when I get there.
  3. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    Thanks for the update. On our way to the TT at Kiawah, we drove into the parking lot and back. It looked like a muni that did 55,000 rounds. With new grass strains and redone bunkers, need to take a look next time we are in Low (God's) Country and try to get in a round.
  4. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    They have sprigged the fairways and greens and a few of the holes, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 still are not fully grown in and according to the head pro they are hoping for continued warm weather to increase their maturity. It will be at least eighteen months before the greens will be receptive to shots. When I took my tour I asked the pro about how they would receive shots and he said they would be a bit hard until they matured. She will be something else, but with any newly renovated course, it takes time to mature. Rain has delayed the renovation many days this year. After all June thru November is Hurricane season in the lowcountry. And now we are approaching the Greek alphabet with names. I can hardly wait to play the course, and according the my PT, I should be able to be back by at least Christmas unless my MRI shows any further issues this Saturday and my neurosurgeon needs to get involved with my back, again. That would be a very nice Christmas present. And Don, same small parking lot. Does a lot of kids programs and you never know who might pop up. Hootie and the Blowfish, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray......Darius live Mt Pleasant about a half mile from me, Colbert's sister lives close to the muni and Bill Murray lives in the area........they have a great Monday night blitz of some of the best players in the area and the City Championship Series bring the best of the Tri-county area, including college players from the College of Charleston and Charleston Southern University. With this face lift even better players will be entering the tournaments. No handicap tournaments here. We are very excited.
  5. Paul C

    Paul C
    Beech Mountain, NC

    I had the pleasure of playing at the Country Club of Charleston in April 2019 while they were in the process of preparing for the Women's US Open. It is a wonderful layout, one that I could play regularly and not get tired of. The greens rolled as smoothly as any place I've been with a lot of subtle breaks that would take a few rounds to become accustomed to. It is a great layout for sure.
  6. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Don, would you know by driving into the parking lot at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course that they play 150,000 rounds a year on both of their golf courses? Again The City of Charleston Municipal Golf Course was built in 1929 and it gets a lot of play because locals and guest from out of town like the course and can be played under four hours, for a reasonable price. We have our groups of business professionals who show daily to play their matches and games. I play in one of those groups known as the Rascals II. Retired business owners, judges, lawyers, council members, managers, professors, etc. play there because we enjoy the fellowship and the food. You came by in October probably during our transition time. They punch all the greens during October and over seed with Rye grass for the winter. Our previous grass does go dormant as the temperatures drop. With the new types of bermuda grasses on the fairways and greens no need for that in the future. Sorry that you got such a bad impression of our little home away from home. No worries, we love her and it is a great place for the kids of Charleston to learn to love this great game and us old timers to continue enjoying. And hopefully if you do drop by you might change your mind. We are a friendly bunch at the muni and you will not have a hard time getting a match, if you can get a tee time. Cheers.
  7. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    I didn't get a bad impression - just neutral. Muni is not a negative term. Older courses, even private clubs like Winged Foot until Gil Hanse redid the course, have maintenance issues with tree over-growth. Our local muni's tend to need some drainage work and the bunkers need rebuilding as the local soil bleeds into the sand. I'm glad to hear that a great deal of effort was done to renew your course. I play our local courses as well as a private club, but I wouldn't call them destination places. My private club that Steve Stricker calls home also is in process of improvements with a hope of a "TPC Madison" designation in the next year or 2.

    Golf courses in general have had reduced maintenance since at least 2008 and maybe since the over-building of courses in the 1990's. I'll rate a muni with dead spots on the greens and muddy/flat bunkers as "meh", but will downgrade a destination site in similar condition. Public or muni courses with crabgrass on the greens and dandelions in the fairways will be referred to as cow pastures. Maybe a benefit from COVID will be more rounds in the next few years so more many can be used to better maintain courses.
  8. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    When you live in an area that has a lot of southern magnolia's and live oaks, there are strong local mandates regarding the trimming and cutting down of those trees. Live oaks are the holy grail and nothing grows underneath them. I do not rate a course on it's first appearance from a parking lot. I love to find old school golf courses and prefer public and municipal when vacationing. They are the salt of the golf industry. When I played in Ireland we took what was presented us and had a great time. They play golf over there and do not worry about a bit of wrong grass here and there. Most good golfers can play the ball tee to green, on any course, but the really good golfers look for courses, old, new, private, public, municipal, with great greens. There is where the cream rises, as we say down here. It is golf, not Better Homes and Garden. Most golfers in the US here are so darn spoiled. I am an 11 handicapper and I just like to play golf. With respect, just a point of view. When you come down, I'll make sure there is a critter or two out there to make sure there are no dandelions or crabgrass to ruin your game. Ha.....ha......you must might see a gator or two with all the new lakes......FJ products available in pro shop........
  9. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military
    Chuck said......" It is golf, not Better Homes and Garden. Most golfers in the US here are so darn spoiled. I am an 11 handicapper and I just like to play golf. With respect, just a point of view. "

    On the money Chuck

    Deno

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