The arrival of spring brings more daylight, warmer weather and golf courses in full bloom, and that’s doubly the case along South Carolina’s Hammock Coast™, which is home to some of America’s best public layouts.
Thirteen courses call the Hammock Coast home and they will be at their zenith this spring, showcasing the area’s stunning natural beauty and flora and fauna few destinations could hope to match. With the area’s peak season on the horizon, here are five holes that capture the essence of spring golf in Georgetown County, S.C.
● Caledonia’s beauty attracts plenty of attention and the par 3 sixth hole is one of the primary reasons. Playing just 157 yards from the tips, a long, multi-tiered green is flanked by pansy beds that might make Augusta National envious. Make sure your phone is easily accessible because No. 6 is a hole you will want to photograph and refer back to on a cold winter day.
● The 13th at Pawleys Plantation, a par 3 that plays to a peninsula green surrounded by a tidal marsh, doesn’t enjoy floral beauty, but you when are greeted on the tee box by 75-degree weather, a nice breeze and a panoramic view, you will understand why it’s on this list. On a nice spring day, the world is a better place when viewed from this tee box.
● Willbrook’s first hole is one of the area’s most daunting openers, but the challenge is made easier by the scenery along the first tee. The soaring live oak trees, blooming azaleas and assorted other flowers help set the stage for a memorable round.
● One of the Hammock Coast’s most underrated courses, the 12th hole at Tradition Club, an island green par 3, features azaleas that help take the edge off a demanding tee shot. No matter the result of the hole, the drive to the 13th tee, past a wall of azaleas, will put you in a good frame of mind during this memorable stretch.
● True Blue isn’t home to a surplus of flowers, featuring instead a more rugged, native look and it works, especially under blue skies and warm weather. On the par 5 ninth hole, wispy native grasses frame bunkers and overlook an undulating green, creating beautiful spring-time visuals that showcase the top 100 course’s varied appeal.
For more information on Hammock Coast golf, visit HammockCoastSC.com/golf/.