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Promoting excellence in South Carolina golf
course design and operations
through competitive rankings, education and public advocacy. |
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"Best You Can Play In
Fresh faces in the third-edition of the panel's biennial rankings are Heron Point at The Sea Pines Resort, the new Founders Club at Pawleys Island, the fully renovated Furman Golf Club in Greenville, the gently refreshed Tournament Players Club at Myrtle Beach and Glen Dornoch, a Grand Strand favorite which hugs the Intracoastal Waterway. Heron Point actually opened late 2007 and debuted at No. 25 on the SC Golf Panel's 2008 ranking of the "50 Best Courses In SC." The course is an entirely new design that was constructed by course architect Pete Dye on the footprint of Sea Pine's old Sea Marsh course. Characteristically, Dye plays with perception using dips and hollows between landing areas and greens to suggest elevation changes that really don't exist. As Sea Pines' director of sports and golf operations, Cary Corbitt said when the course opened: "Pete doesn't like it when you miss the green and a mound shoots your ball back toward the green. He believes that if you miss the green you should not be rewarded; some type of challenge should be presented." Much the same could be said of architect Kris Spence's work at the Furman University course. Many greens now feature penal false fronts and run-offs to the side. Tough as they might be though, the challenge and excitement that comes with the chip, putt or bump-and-run is likely to win more friends than not. Spence specializes in restoring Donald Ross courses and while Furman is not one of those, it now boasts some similarities with the false fronts and premium on hitting to the correct portion of a fairway often found on Ross designs. In an economy that has brought new course construction to a virtual standstill, it is easy to see the new "old look" Furman claiming a long-term place on the list of the "Best You Can Play." Another "newcomer" to this year's list, TPC at Myrtle Beach, is actually an old hand. The Tom Fazio design was featured in the first "Best You Can Play" ranking by the panel… but was absent from the second. This coincided with a change of ownership and course closure while the greens were switched to Mini Verde bermudagrass. The course is the first on the Grand Strand with Mini Verde and its return to the "Best You Can Play" rankings represents a stamp of approval for the grass. There is also something "old" about another newcomer to the list, The Founders Club at Pawleys Island, even though it only opened last year. Like Dye's work at Heron Point, the Thomas Walker-design is a clever and resourceful reworking of the property that used to belong to Sea Gull Golf Club, a course which opened in 1965 and was one of the first in the area. The new course boasts some dramatic bunkering and plenty of sanded waste areas which serve to keep some wayward shots in play, while still adding to the test. Towards the northern end of Myrtle Beach, Glen Dornoch is a product of Hilton Head-based architect Clyde Johnston and has had its devoted fans since opening in 1996. Golf panel members were reminded why when they visited the course last August. For some it was a re-acquaintance with an old friend and they were clearly happy to be back in touch. "It's one thing to consider the caliber of courses that made the list this year," says panel executive director, Michael Whitaker. "But when you consider the quality of some of those that didn't quite squeeze in, I think that tells you just as much about how spoiled we are for great golf in South Carolina." The South Carolina Golf Panel comprises about 125 members and exists to promote excellence in South Carolina golf course design and operations through competitive rankings, education and public advocacy. For more information on the group visit their website at scgolfpanel.org. The
"Best You Can Play" Public Access Courses in * New
to the list of the Best You Can Play MIDLANDS Country
Club of South Carolina Mount
Vintage Plantation & Golf Club *The
Furman Golf Club The
Walker Course at Clemson University
Kiawah
Island Resort - The Ocean Course Kiawah
Island Resort - Osprey Point Course Kiawah
Island Resort - Turtle Point Course RiverTowne
Country Club Wild
Dunes Resort - Links Course Daufuskie
Island Resort - Melrose Course May
River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff Palmetto
Dunes Resort - Arthur Hills Course The
Sea Pines Resort - Harbour Town Golf Links *The
Sea Pines Resort - Heron Point by Pete Dye
Barefoot
Resort - Love Course Barefoot
Resort - Dye Course Barefoot
Resort - Fazio Course Caledonia
Golf and Fish Club Glen
Dornoch Waterway Golf Links Grande
Dunes - Resort Course Heathland
at Legends Resort King's
North at Myrtle Beach National Pawleys
Plantation Golf and Country Club Prestwick
Golf & Country Club The
Dunes Golf and Beach Club *The
Founders Club of Pawleys Island The
Heritage Club Tidewater
Golf Club and Plantation *TPC
of Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach True
Blue Plantation Background On SC Golf Course Ratings Panel Overview The
South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel is composed of
golf enthusiasts representing a diverse range of occupations, handicaps
and backgrounds. These individuals have been charged with the task
of identifying the best that Objective and Purpose The
objective of the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel is
to promote excellence in SC golf course design and operations through
competitive rankings, education and public advocacy. The Panel serves
as an ambassador for golf in 1)
2) The Best Courses You Can Play – Bi-annually (in odd-numbered years) the Panel releases a listing of the best non-private courses in the state. Every resort, public access, and daily-fee course is eligible for this elite listing. How We Rate Them In determining their ratings panelists consider the following criteria:
Structure The Panel consists of a maximum of 125 members, 8 of which serve as Regional Directors. Twenty-five percent of the panel represents each of the following geographical regions: The Upstate, The Midlands, The Lowcountry, and The Grand Strand. Twenty percent of the panel are women. The governing body of the Panel is its Board of Directors, consisting of the eight Regional Directors plus two at-large members. Categories of Membership · Golf Industry – individuals who have a direct connection to the golf industry. · Players & Coaches – individuals who excel at playing or coaching the game · Media – individuals who report on golf for one or more media outlets. · Business & Industry – individuals who utilize golf within the business community. For more information on the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel contact its Executive Director, Michael Whitaker, via email at mikew@scgolfpanel.org. # # # |