South Carolina's Golf Revolution: New Courses Emerge

South Carolina is currently the epicenter of exciting golf course design, with six new 18-hole courses opening since early 2024 and another five slated for a 2027 debut. Two distinct new designs showcase this architectural diversity.

Old Sawmill, located northwest of Charleston, is Tyler Rae's first solo design. This course embraces its pasture origins with unapologetically stark, muscular features and architectural forms that stand above the surroundings. Strategically integrated creeks and canals create challenging playing areas, with dramatic shaping around greens and unique holes like the drivable par-4 16th.

Anson Point, situated at the southern tip of Palmetto Bluff, is a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design that emphasizes strategic play within dense lowcountry woods. Trees define the strategic space, with drives often needing to hug uncomfortable lines to avoid preserved specimen oaks. The course features smaller, elevated push-up greens that rise toward the rear and drop off the sides.

These contrasting designs, one bold and architectural, the other strategic and nature-integrated, underscore the dynamic innovation happening in South Carolina's golf scene. The state's landscape is proving fertile ground for unique and thought-provoking golf course architecture.