Yeamans Hall Club
Seth Raynor opened Yeamans Hall in 1925 near Charleston, a private par 70 of about 6,540 yards rich in his famous template holes and later restored by Tom Doak. A walkable, timeless classic and one of the great hidden gems of the American South.
Photo via Google, contributed by Noel Hayes.
The verdict
Yeamans Hall is one of the great quiet treasures of American golf. Seth Raynor laid it out in the early 1920s and it opened in 1925, a lowcountry retreat north of Charleston built as a residential club for winter visitors. Raynor died before the course was fully complete, but his template holes, the Redan, the Biarritz, the Eden and others, survive in beautiful condition, and a sympathetic restoration by Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf in the late 1990s returned the course to its classic best.
Our verdict: this is a course every student of golf architecture dreams of playing, a pure expression of the Raynor and Macdonald template school set among live oaks and Spanish moss. It is private and discreet, which only adds to its mystique. For the wider region, see our guide to golf in South Carolina.
Yeamans Hall Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1925
- Designer
- Seth Raynor
- Type
- Private members club
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- About 6,540 yds
- Access
- Members and guests
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Yeamans Hall Club and leading course databases: Seth Raynor, opened 1925, par 70, about 6,540 yards; the course was later restored by Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf. Reported par and yardage vary slightly by source and tee. Yeamans Hall is a private members club and does not offer public daily fee play, so there is no published visitor green fee; access is by member invitation. Always confirm access arrangements directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The joy of Yeamans Hall is the template holes. Raynor and his mentor Charles Blair Macdonald built their reputations adapting the great strategic holes of the British Isles to American ground, and Yeamans Hall is one of the finest surviving collections. The Redan asks for a running shot to a tilted green, the Biarritz demands a precise long iron across the famous swale, and the Eden and Short holes test nerve and touch. Each is instantly recognizable to the architecture enthusiast.
What ties it together is the setting and the scale. The course is short by modern measure but never feels it, defended by its bold greens, its bunkering and the lowcountry land. The restoration recaptured the crisp geometry and large putting surfaces Raynor intended, and the walk among the live oaks is as much a pleasure as the golf. It is a course of ideas rather than length.
On a Charleston golf trip Yeamans Hall is the classic private prize, and it pairs naturally with the coast's seaside golf at the Wild Dunes Links Course on Isle of Palms and the championship links feel of the Ocean Course at Kiawah.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; there is no public daily fee play, and the practical route for a visitor is to play as the guest of a member |
| Green fee | No published visitor green fee; guest play is arranged through a member, so confirm any fee and policy directly |
| Handicap and dress | A traditional members club dress code applies; check with your host on dress, handicap expectations and guest policy in advance |
| On the day | Walk the course if you can, study each template hole, and use the ground game the Raynor greens invite |
| Getting there | In Hanahan, about 20 minutes north of downtown Charleston and Charleston International Airport |
| Best months | Fall through spring is prime in the Charleston lowcountry, with warm, humid summers |
Access details verified June 2026 from Yeamans Hall Club and leading databases. As a private club, policies are set by the membership and can change; always confirm access arrangements directly before planning a visit.
Where to stay nearby
Visitors playing Yeamans Hall as a member's guest almost always base themselves in Charleston, one of the most charming cities in the South, where the lodging runs from historic downtown hotels to coastal resorts on the surrounding islands. Charleston makes a superb base for a golf and city break, with the club a short drive north.
The Charleston area rewards an unhurried itinerary, so anchor a few nights in the city and let Yeamans Hall be the highlight if you can arrange access, then add the seaside golf of the Wild Dunes Links Course on Isle of Palms.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Charleston.
Build a South Carolina golf trip
Yeamans Hall is the classic Seth Raynor prize we love to build a Charleston trip around when access can be arranged, and we plan the rest of the week to match, with tee times and lodging booked for you. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Yeamans Hall Club questions
Who designed Yeamans Hall Club and when did it open?
Yeamans Hall Club was designed by Seth Raynor and opened in 1925 near Charleston in Hanahan, South Carolina, a classic example of his template hole style.
What is the par and length of Yeamans Hall?
Yeamans Hall plays as a par 70 of about 6,540 yards, a walkable Raynor template course set in the Charleston lowcountry that was sympathetically restored by Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf.
Can the public play Yeamans Hall Club?
No. Yeamans Hall is a private members club and is not open to public daily fee play. The practical route for a visitor is to play as the guest of a member.
What makes Yeamans Hall distinctive?
Yeamans Hall is one of the finest surviving Seth Raynor courses, full of his template holes such as the Redan, Biarritz and Eden, set among live oaks in the Charleston lowcountry.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; Yeamans Hall is a private members club and access policies are to be confirmed with the club. Last reviewed June 2026.