Golf in South Carolina
One of the great golf states in America, with more than 350 courses spread from the carnival of the Grand Strand to the Lowcountry elegance of Kiawah and Hilton Head. The Ocean Course, Harbour Town and the Dunes Club lead a field that runs three rounds a day deep. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, Matthew Johnson, via Google
Why golf in South Carolina
No American state packs more golf into one warm, walkable coastline. South Carolina runs more than 350 courses along a single stretch of Atlantic shore, and it offers three very different trips on the same calendar: the Grand Strand around Myrtle Beach, the most concentrated golf destination in the country with a town built around the game; the Lowcountry around Charleston and Kiawah, where the Ocean Course anchors resort golf of real pedigree beside one of America's most beautiful cities; and Hilton Head, a manicured island of refined resort courses led by Harbour Town. Whatever the brief, from a value packed buddies week to a marquee pilgrimage, the state delivers.
The headline courses are world famous. Pete and Alice Dye's Ocean Course at Kiawah staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships and is booked for the PGA again in 2031. Pete Dye's Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head, with its lighthouse finish, has hosted the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every year since 1969. And the Robert Trent Jones Senior Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, with its famous Waterloo thirteenth, has been the grande dame of the Grand Strand since 1948. Below them sits a deep field of resort and daily fee courses that makes a multi round day easy and a week irresistible.
The regions
The Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach
More than 90 courses along 60 miles of coast, the most concentrated golf in America, led by the Dunes Club, Caledonia, True Blue and TPC Myrtle Beach. The home of value, volume and the great American buddies trip.
Charleston and Kiawah
The Lowcountry at its finest, where the Ocean Course and the Kiawah resort courses meet historic Charleston, Wild Dunes and Seabrook. Marquee golf in a city worth the trip on its own.
Hilton Head and the Lowcountry
A manicured barrier island of refined resort golf, Harbour Town, Heron Point, Atlantic Dunes and Palmetto Dunes, plus the private gems Long Cove and Colleton River. Quality over quantity in a quieter setting.
The courses that matter
The Ocean Course
The best and most famous course in the state, a brutal, beautiful seaside test with more oceanfront holes than any course in the Northern Hemisphere. It staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and hosts the PGA again in 2031.
Harbour Town Golf Links
The most famous resort course on Hilton Head, a tight, tree lined Pete Dye design that finishes alongside Calibogue Sound under the candy striped lighthouse. Home of the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every year since 1969 and a true bucket list round.
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
The grande dame of the Grand Strand, a Robert Trent Jones Senior classic whose par 5 thirteenth, the Waterloo, doglegs dramatically around a lake. Strategic, historic and still one of the best and most demanding rounds in Myrtle Beach.
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club
Mike Strantz's beloved Lowcountry course down at Pawleys Island, an oak avenue entrance, marsh and a celebrated clubhouse on the water. Beautiful, characterful and a perennial favourite, the signature round of the south Strand.
True Blue
Caledonia's bigger, bolder sibling across the road, another wild and scenic Mike Strantz design with sprawling sandy waste areas and huge greens. A dramatic, fun and demanding round that pairs perfectly with Caledonia for a Pawleys day.
Heron Point by Pete Dye
Pete Dye's complete rebuild of the old Sea Marsh course at Sea Pines, a tougher, more strategic test alongside Harbour Town and Atlantic Dunes. The best value of the marquee Sea Pines courses and a fine complement to Harbour Town.
Atlantic Dunes by Davis Love III
A 2016 redesign of Sea Pines' original Ocean course by Davis Love III, with a more open, links influenced feel and exposed dunes. The newest of the Sea Pines trio and an enjoyable, scenic round near the beach.
TPC Myrtle Beach
The Grand Strand's PGA Tour pedigree course, a Tom Fazio design that hosted the Senior Tour Championship and remains one of the best conditioned and most respected layouts in Myrtle Beach. A polished step up from the daily fee field.
Wild Dunes, Links Course
Tom Fazio's debut solo design, a classic seaside course on Isle of Palms near Charleston that finishes with two holes along the Atlantic dunes. The closest top resort golf to the city and a Lowcountry favourite for decades.
Long Cove Club
A Pete Dye private gem on Hilton Head, routed through lagoons and live oaks and consistently ranked among the very best courses in South Carolina. Members and guests only, the connoisseur's choice on the island.
Palmetto Dunes, Robert Trent Jones
The most popular of the three Palmetto Dunes resort courses, a Robert Trent Jones Senior layout with the only oceanfront hole on Hilton Head, the famous lagoon lined tenth. Accessible, scenic and a reliable resort round.
The Reserve at Pawleys Island
A Greg Norman design at the quiet southern end of the Strand, routed through Lowcountry forest and along the Waccamaw River. A calm, classy round that rounds out a south Strand stay alongside Caledonia and True Blue.
Designers, opening years and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
See the best United States courses ranked Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| March to May, September to November | Warm, settled, firm, lower humidity | Prime South Carolina golf, book the marquee courses early |
| June to August | Hot and humid with afternoon storms | Workable at dawn, lower rates, watch the heat |
| December to February | Mild and quiet, occasional cold snap | The cheapest, calmest time to play the coast |
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in September, so build a little flexibility into a late summer trip.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Ocean Course | Around US$500 to US$700 | Peak season, resort guests get priority and better rates |
| Harbour Town | Around US$400 to US$650 | Peak season, lower for Sea Pines resort guests and in packages |
| Hilton Head and Charleston resort golf | Around US$150 to US$300 | Heron Point, Atlantic Dunes, Palmetto Dunes, Wild Dunes in season |
| Myrtle Beach good courses | Around US$60 to US$160 | Caledonia, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach; far less in packages |
| A week, all in | Around US$2,500 to US$6,000 per person | Coastal golf, hotels, a hire car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2025 to 2026 seasons, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
South Carolina golf spreads along the coast, so where you fly depends on the trip. Myrtle Beach International serves the Grand Strand directly, Charleston International is the gateway to Kiawah and the Lowcountry, and Hilton Head is reached via its own small airport or, more often, Savannah just over the Georgia line. The three regions sit roughly two to three hours apart by car along the coast, close enough to combine on a longer trip, and a hire car is essential everywhere to move between courses and resorts.
Where to stay
Match the base to the goal. For the Grand Strand, the golf packages out of Myrtle Beach and the quieter south end at Pawleys Island put dozens of courses within reach. For the marquee golf, stay inside the gates at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort for Ocean Course priority, or in historic downtown Charleston for the food and the harbour courses. For Hilton Head, Sea Pines puts you beside Harbour Town. Many groups split a week between two regions, balancing value golf with a marquee stay. Let one planner balance it.
Plan your South Carolina golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
South Carolina golf questions
What is the best golf course in South Carolina?
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, the Pete and Alice Dye design that staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, is the best and most famous course in South Carolina, and it is set to host the PGA again in 2031. Close behind are Pete Dye's Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head, home of the RBC Heritage, and the Robert Trent Jones Senior Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach. Together they anchor one of the deepest golf states in America.
Where should you base a South Carolina golf trip?
It depends on the trip. Base in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand for the most golf and the best value, with more than 90 courses and easy stay and play packages. Base around Charleston and Kiawah for the marquee experience, the Ocean Course and Lowcountry elegance. Base on Hilton Head for refined island resort golf around Harbour Town. Many groups split a week between two of the three, as they sit along the same stretch of coast.
How much does a South Carolina golf trip cost in 2026?
It ranges widely by region. Myrtle Beach is the best value, with good courses indicatively from around 60 to 160 dollars and packages that lower it further. Hilton Head resort courses run roughly 150 to 300 dollars, and the marquee rounds are the most expensive in the state: Harbour Town around 400 to 650 dollars and the Ocean Course around 500 to 700 dollars in peak season. A week of South Carolina golf with hotels and a car typically lands between 2,500 and 6,000 dollars per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
New course openings, Ocean Course tee time windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.