Designer: Seth Raynor (1925), John LaFoy (1991, Restoration), Brian Silva (2006, Restoration), Kyle Franz (2018, Restoration)
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
History: Originally founded in 1900, the Country Club of Charleston’s current course was designed by Seth Raynor in 1925. The course was thoughtfully restored by architects John LaFoy, Brian Silva, and Kyle Franz in recent years and still feels very much like a Raynor design. Host of the esteemed Azalea Invitational since 1946, Charleston also hosted the 2013 U.S Women’s Amateur and 2019 U.S. Women’s Open won by Lee Jeong-eun. It is considered one of the better clubs in the golf-rich state of South Carolina, earning the following awards:
- #150 Best Classic Course in America – Golfweek (2025)
- #13 Best Course in South Carolina – Golf Digest (2025)
- #8 Best Course in South Carolina – Golf Magazine (2024)
- #19 Best Course in South Carolina – Top100golfcourses.com (2025)
Conditions: 8/10, Despite playing in very soft conditions after a big rainstorm, Charleston was still in excellent condition with speedy greens.
Value: N/A, This is a private course.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Blue 71 6790 72.8 141
Blue/White 71 6546 71.6 138
White 71 6367 71.0 133
White/Gold 71 6131 69.7 130
Gold 71 5931 69.0 126
Gold/Red 71 5600 67.5 122
Red 72 5150 69.9 128
Hole Descriptions: Seth Raynor is nearly universally beloved for his template holes, but there are critics who think designing the same templates on every course is unimaginative and repetitive. I certainly fall in the loving Raynor camp and think a course like Country Club of Charleston demonstrates the power of templates. While any architect could design a wonderful course on a property such as Fishers Island, it takes a very skilled one to build an excellent course on a property as flat and swampy as Charleston. Raynor did exactly this twice in the area (Yeamans Hall) and the Country Club of Charleston is a fantastically routed, memorable course with plenty of fun templates and geometric bunkers greatly enhancing the visuals. I am a huge fan of the course overall but the back nine is particularly strong and worthy of praise. This is a course that is underrated in a very golf-strong state and is a place I’d love to play every day.
CC of Charleston opens with a 416 yard straightaway par 4. While on the longer side, this hole features a generous fairway lined by sporadic trees and bunkers on either side between 225 and 250 yards. This large, bunkerless green is shaped like a square with slopes along its edges and a flatter back portion.
At 359 yards, the 2nd hole is a shorter par 4 with excellent bunkering. This hole again plays straightaway and requires a brief forced carry over water on the teeshot. Crossbunkers flank the fairway on either side at 250 yards and additional small bunkers dot a narrower fairway further up. While the golfer has options here, I recommend laying up short of the crossbunkers to a comfortable number. This diagonal green features a small false front and is lined by deep bunkers short, right, and long.
The 3rd hole is Charleston’s Eden template as an 163 yard par 3. This is a particularly good Eden with an elevated, wide, undulating green defended by nearly 360 degrees of deep bunkers. A pair of crossbunkers about 50 yards short of the green isn’t really in play but serves as an attractive visual illusion.
The 4th hole is probably the most difficult par 4 on the front as a 384 yard slight dogleg left. This is another extremely well-bunkered hole with a pair of giant crossbunkers dominating the left between 180 and 240 yards and another right bunker at 265 yards. This fairway is narrower and also lined by trees on either side. Those who find the fairway will have an approach to an elevated green defended by a false front and bunkers left, long, and right.
The 5th hole is a straightaway, reachable 489 yard par 5 playing towards the corner of the property. This fairway is again well-bunkered, with a large right crossbunker for much of the landing area and a left wastebunker at 270 yards. Additional crossbunkers run sequentially down the fairway in the lay-up zone. This long green sits at the base of the James Island Expressway and overall slopes back-to-front with several tiers. Additional bunkers line this green on either side.
At 204 yards, the 6th hole is the longest par 3 on the course playing over a swampland to a raised, bunkerless green. Steep slopes of tight lies surround this green, which slopes back-to-front on its first half with a flatter back portion. While a very tough hole relative to par, I don’t agree a par 3 should own the number 1 handicap.
The 7th is my favorite hole on the front side as a 354 yard dogleg right par 4. With beautiful trees and the Wappoo Creek lining the right the entire way, this hole slides to the right around 220 yards with four bunkers down the left in the landing area. This green is a beautiful “Maiden”, with two back plateaus divided by a vertical swale and bunkers on either side.
The 8th hole is a 381 yard par 4 with a generous fairway lined by thick trees down the left and water down the right the entire way. This green features lots of internal undulations and is defended by bunkers left and short.
The 9th hole is Charleston’s “Long” template as a 535 yard dogleg left par 5 that plays slightly uphill. This hole turns left around 220 yards with a hidden water hazard and bunker on the inside corner of the dogleg. From here, it plays relatively straightforward with a single right crossbunker about 110 yards short of the green to avoid on the lay-up. This large green is on the flatter side lined by two bunkers on either side.
As mentioned above, Charleston’s back nine is fantastic and begins with the excellent 365 yard par 4 10th. This cool dogleg left plays directly on the river and turns left around 185 yards with two bunkers on the inside corner of the dogleg. This large, undulating green sits right on the water and is defended by two beautiful “Alps” bunkers short, requiring an aerial approach.
Charleston’s most famous hole is the 165 yard par 3 11th, one of the most severe Redans you’ll find anywhere. Playing slightly downhill, this one-shotter features a narrow, diagonal green built up on a plateau. This first third of this green is essentially a false front, with perhaps the most severe back-to-front slope I’ve ever seen on a green. The back portion of the green is a typical reverse Redan, sloping towards the front right corner. A deep bunker flanks the right side of the green, but the worst miss is long left, where a narrow bunker and near impossible chip await. Ben Hogan made bogey here and famously said “Your greens are beautiful, but what you need for that eleventh hole is about five sticks of dynamite.”
At 326 yards, the 12th hole is the shortest par 4 on the course but plays a bit tighter with trees lining both sides of the fairway. The defining feature of this hole is a giant, deep bunker just short left of a green that slopes generally back-to-front. Steep slopes and a bunker right also defend the putting surface.
The 13th and 14th holes are dueling medium-length par fours running parallel to each other in different directions. The 13th is the longer of the two, playing 356 yards slightly downhill to a very generous fairway that narrows around 240 yards with a large right crossbunker. Two deep bunkers line this green left and long and the putting surface slopes towards the edges along the back and back-to-front on its first half.
The 14th hole is a very attractive straightaway 333 yard par 4 playing slightly uphill. Two giant bunkers run across this fairway shortly in front of the teebox but are more there for intimidation than actually in play. A midline bunker dots this fairway around 235 yards while additional crossbunkers line either side at 290 yards near the green. This tremendous green generally slopes back-to-front with a severe false front, large right plateau, and additional bunkers flanking it on either side.
The 15th is another standout hole and the best par 5 on the course at 485 yards. This beautiful hole plays straightaway with a left crossbunker at 175 yards and two large bunkers on either side around 250 yards. The most interesting feature of this hole is a wall of fescue/rough that runs across the fairway about 130 yards short of the green. I’m not sure the backstory behind this, but it is certainly unique and cool. Numerous bunkers line either side of the fairway after this en route towards a back-to-front sloped green lined by bunkers left, long, and right.
The 16th is another fantastic hole as a 436 yard par 4. Playing straightaway, this hole features sequential crossbunkers on either side beginning down the left at 170 yards. While the teeshot is entertaining, a fascinating Lion’s Mouth green is what makes this hole stand out. Running severely back-to-front and wrapping around a deep middle bunker, this green is also lined by bunkers on either side.
Charleston’s penultimate hole is its shortest as an 154 yard “Short” template. A very attractive one-shotter, this back-to-front sloped island green is surrounded by a moat of bunker for nearly 360 degrees. It’s a nice breather between two beastly par fours.
At 462 yards, the closing hole is the longest par 4 on the course and runs slightly uphill towards the clubhouse. Although probably the least interesting hole on the back nine, there’s no denying this is a strong and very tough finisher. This fairway runs straightaway and is quite generous with crossbunkers down the left at 245 yards and right at 300 yards. This green is large and overall fairly flat besides a false front and slopes along its edges. Bunkers defend it left, long, and short right.
General Comments: The Country Club of Charleston is a true country club with a beautiful clubhouse, tennis courts, large pool, and strong practice facilities. It is a very pleasant and easy walk and we pretty much had the course to ourselves.
Verdict: A wonderfully fun Seth Raynor layout featuring numerous templates and gorgeous bunkering, the Country Club of Charleston is a low-country charmer and boasts one of the best back nines anywhere. This is a great member’s course and a place I highly recommend.
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