Lowcountry South Carolina — Golf Travel Guide (2026)
South Carolina's Lowcountry is one of golf's most romantic settings — live oaks draped in Spanish moss, salt marshes teeming with wildlife, and iconic courses like Harbour Town Golf Links where Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus created a masterpiece.
Overview
The South Carolina coast offers two distinct golf corridors. Hilton Head Island and the surrounding Lowcountry deliver refined, upscale resort golf anchored by Harbour Town and private gems like May River and Colleton River. Two hours north, the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand is America's most concentrated golf destination with 80+ courses offering outstanding value. Mike Strantz's Caledonia and True Blue in Pawleys Island are the Grand Strand's crown jewels. Together, these two regions offer a South Carolina golf trip that covers luxury, value, history, and architectural variety.
Best Time to Visit
March through May and September through November. Spring brings azalea and dogwood blooms across the Lowcountry. Fall offers warm temperatures with less humidity. Summer is playable but hot and humid. Winter is mild with the lowest rates.
Getting There
For Hilton Head: fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), 45 minutes away. For Myrtle Beach: fly directly into Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Combining both requires a 4-hour drive via I-95.
Where to Stay
On Hilton Head, Sea Pines Resort puts you closest to Harbour Town. Palmetto Dunes offers a central island location with its own courses. In Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island is the quieter, more upscale base near Caledonia and True Blue. North Myrtle Beach has the most lodging options and nightlife.
Top Courses to Play
Hilton Head, South Carolina · Pete Dye & Jack Nicklaus (1969) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,099 yards
Home of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town is one of the most iconic courses in America. Pete Dye's tight, tree-lined layout demands precision over power, and the lighthouse finish at the 18th green on Calibogue Sound is one of golf's most recognizable images.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Mike Strantz (1994) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 6,526 yards
Widely regarded as the crown jewel of Myrtle Beach golf, Caledonia is a Mike Strantz masterpiece routed through a former rice plantation along the Waccamaw River. The avenue of live oaks leading to the antebellum-style clubhouse sets the tone for one of America's most beautiful golf experiences.
Hilton Head, South Carolina · Jack Nicklaus (1999) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,168 yards
One of the finest private courses in the Lowcountry, Colleton River's Nicklaus Course winds through stunning marsh and river settings on the mainland adjacent to Hilton Head. Jack Nicklaus routed the layout to maximize views of the Colleton River and surrounding wetlands.
Hilton Head, South Carolina · Jack Nicklaus (2004) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,171 yards
Part of the Montage Palmetto Bluff resort, May River is a Jack Nicklaus design that plays through ancient live oaks, Spanish moss, and along the May River in Bluffton. The course is considered one of the finest in the Lowcountry, with an intimate, secluded atmosphere.
Hilton Head, South Carolina · Rees Jones (1986) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,016 yards
Located on Daufuskie Island accessible only by ferry, Haig Point offers one of the most secluded private golf experiences on the East Coast. The Rees Jones design plays through maritime forest and along the Intracoastal Waterway with views toward Savannah.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Mike Strantz (1998) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,126 yards
The bold, dramatic sibling of neighboring Caledonia, True Blue is another Mike Strantz creation that plays through marshland and maritime forest. Massive waste bunkers, forced carries, and wildly creative green complexes make every hole an adventure.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1948) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,165 yards
The oldest and most prestigious club on the Grand Strand, Dunes Golf & Beach Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that hosted PGA Tour events for decades. The famous "Waterloo" par-5 13th — a dramatic dogleg around Lake Singleton — is one of the most iconic holes on the East Coast.
Hilton Head, South Carolina · Davis Love III (2015) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,781 yards
A complete Davis Love III reimagining of the old Ocean Course at Sea Pines, Atlantic Dunes embraces a natural, links-inspired aesthetic with sandy waste areas, dune ridges, and ocean breezes. The redesign was acclaimed as one of the best renovations in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
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