Golf
Dunes Club, Caledonia Make Golf Digest’s Top 100 Rankings
The Grand Strand has long boasted some of the best golf courses in the country, and it once again has the accolades to back up that claim.
Golf Digest released its biennial rankings of “America's Top 100 Golf Courses” in its February 2015 issue and a pair of local links made the list. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach is ranked 50th, while Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is No. 73.
“Myrtle Beach has more outstanding golf courses than any destination in the country, and having two layouts ranked among Americaís top 100 public courses is further affirmation of that quality,” said Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday President Bill Golden.
Further supporting the Grand Strand golf scene's standing around the nation and world is the fact that the two Top 100 selections are among the area's oldest and newest golf courses. The Dunes Club was the second course built in Myrtle Beach, which helped fuel the Grand Strand's growth to more than 100 layouts within a 60-mile radius.
The classic Robert Trent Jones design opened in 1948 and quickly put Myrtle Beach on the golf map. Its scenic, oceanfront location leads golfers through the woodlands and wetlands of the South Carolina Lowcountry for a truly unique golf experience. The Dunes Club drew new visitors to the area to test their skills on the layout and helped transform Myrtle Beach from a sleepy seaside community to an elite golf destination.
The Dunes Club also brought national tournaments and attention to the area, including the Senior PGA Tour Championship, the U.S. Women's Open and the PGA Professionals National Championship. The masterfully designed course and the diverse landscape made a name for The Dunes Club among golfers who like a true test of golf in a scenic setting, including the famed No. 13 Waterloo – a tricky par 5 that plays over Lake Singleton.
Nearly a half century later, Caledonia opened to rave reviews in nearby Pawleys Island in 1994. Built on a former rice and indigo plantation in the Lowcountry marshlands, this layout was the first solo design of renowned architect Mike Strantz, who often referred to Caledonia as his first masterpiece. Those who have played it agree.
Guests enter on a road that winds through a line of ancient live oak trees draped with Spanish moss before arriving at the beautiful antebellum-style clubhouse. The scenery harkens back to the Colonial era of the Carolina coast, including the Southern charm and hospitality that helped put Caledonia on the list. The layout is a challenge for golfers of all skill levels, utilizing the natural terrain to create a tough but fun test.
Golf Digest uses a team of evaluators to rate the courses on its in list using seven criteria: Shot Values, Resistance to Scoring, Design Variety, Memorability, Aesthetics, Conditioning and Ambience. Both courses improved upon their previous ranking, with Caledonia jumping from 97th to 75rd and The Dunes Club climbing from 52nd to 50th.
