Formerly a port city at the center of the country's commerce, Charleston, SC is chock full of museums, Civil War historic landmarks, plantation homes, and gardens. The city itself is lined with historic buildings that showcase Southern architecture, but the real beauty of the city is in the lay of the land. Replete with vibrant coastal terrain, Charleston's golf courses range from links-style to heavily wooded layouts. Some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world can be found in the Lowcountry.
The crowning jewel on the list is the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Its reputation as the nastiest resort course for sheer difficulty has been a rough preconception to shake, but Pete Dye's design is unquestionably great—not just hard. Clocking in at number five in Golf Magazine's Top 100 Courses You Can Play, the Ocean Course kicked open the gates by hosting the 1991 “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup, wowing players and audiences alike with its unrelenting, wind-fueled blend of tidal marshland, grass and scrub covered dunes, and unpredictable undulating greens. Today the course is much fairer, though still undoubtedly tough for most, though it does lull players in with its tranquil Lowcountry terrain. The views of the Atlantic Ocean are a knockout, and several scenes from The Legend of Bagger Vance were also shot there.
Speaking of compelling views, Patriots Point Links is another course with breathtaking scenery. Located just across the historic Charleston bridge, the course is seated along the banks of the Charleston Harbor, which gives way to the panoramic visual splendor of downtown Charleston, Fort Sumter, and the neighboring sea islands. In regards to course architecture, the design is a relatively plain William Byrd creation that debuted in 1980. The closing four holes are particularly special however, especially the 150-yard, island-green 17th, which forms a stretch that's stirring and often swept by winds.