Aiken Golf Club

[jeffwarne]

Formerly Highland Park,Aiken SC
Played there today,played 9 holes there 25 years ago when course was in gross disrepair.This definitely qualifies as one of my top surprises this year.
Their website credits John Inglis with partial design and I saw merchandise in their shop claiming a Donald Ross design.The club dates back to 1912.In 1999 the current owner/operator(Jim McNair)did the current renovation.
Terrific green contours(Pinehurst and NGLA rolled into one),old feel,some great bunkering and sandy waste areas(some mediocre to poor bunkers ..as well)5 unique and excellent par 3s.back to back driveable par 4s.-3 par 5s...
As much fun as I've had in awhile on a golf course.
6000 yards from the tips,par 70(although more like 69 as I hit 9 iron into a par 5.
In good shape,but had an old,rugged look---interesting hazard areas on a course with little water.Native grass/scrub low area marked as hazard,natural clay/sand waste area marked the same.
It's nearby neighbor, Palmetto(One of my favorite courses,where I'm a member)used to have a similar rough and ragged look .A little bit of a Pine Valley look as both courses arelocated in the sand hills of Aiken.Unfortuneately,Palmetto was "discovered "and with its' newfound revenue(and unfortuneately a minor Reestoration) has lost a lot of its' rough edges.It also suffers from its' proximity to Augusta National..

[Jason Tetterton]

I played the course this summer for the first time and I really enjoyed it.  It was a lot of fun.  It may not have the length, but it still required some very nice and well place iron shots both from the tee and into the greens.  Who knew, Aiken was such a golf destination with Aiken Golf Club and Palmetto.

[BCrosby]

Jeff -

Interesting. I am planning a trip to Aiken with my wife this spring and we plan to play the Aiken Golf Club. I was viewing it as way to pass a morning before playing Palmetto in the afternoon.

I will adjust my attitude.

Bob

[TEPaul]

Bob:

I know a lot about Aiken, the place. My Dad's parents put him in the Aiken Boys school when he was about yeh high to a grasshopper. They probably just wanted to get him out of their hair so they could have a a better time. He learned nothing at all in the Aiken Boys School so they hauled him out of there and shipped him off to a boarding school in France which so traumatized him all he learned how to do was become a complete xenophobe for the remainder of his life! From there they enrolled him in Groton where he got a 55 average his first term. Headmaster Peabody hauled Dad into his office and asked him what the 55 average was all about and Dad said: "What's wrong with that, it's better than half?" He actually graduated and went to your alma mater where things really got crazy, but somehow he graduated from there too. In the end Dad blamed everything on Aiken, S.C. but he keep going back to that town from time to time and playing golf there and such with some pretty eccentic friends. In the end he just loved Aiken, S.C. It really had style!

[john_stiles]

Aiken Golf has a great number of interesting holes. There are some rough and tumble par 4s set naturally on the ground, several short driveable par 4s, etc. Number 14 is a wonderful  driveable par 4 with mostly difficult little pitches if you miss the green.  

The opening hole sets the tone for the whole day with a short uphill approach to an interesting green.  Recommend playing each (Palmetto and Aiken) ....

[john_stiles]

forgot to add that the present scorecard (as of a year ago) has the stymie gauge still marked on the card ....

[BCrosby]

Tom -

Back when there was a separate category on college applications for "charm", I suspect your father scored high enough to get himself and three or four of his friends into college.  (I have told my son, however, that they don't give much weight to charm anymore and that HIS 55's are going to be hard to overcome. We are thinking Fernandina Beach State JC. Proximity to Fernandina Beach Municipal is important. )

Aiken is a very interesting place. It was a winter resort for Northeastern bluestockings until the '20's. The Vanderbilt's, the Morgan's, the Paul's - heck, the whole sheebang.

With all the money invested in Aiken on resorts (most have burned and are no more) several very good golf courses were built. A couple by Ross, one by Raynor (NLE) and, of course, one by Leeds. All before 1920.

And that doesn't count the two Ross courses across the river in Augusta.

I'm looking forwad to getting over to Aiken to check things out. I've been to Augusta many times, but never to Aiken.

Bob  

[john_stiles]

The Aiken area and the town certainly has a lot of charm.

The early golf history of the area is well documented in Stand Byrdy's book, "Augusta and Aiken in Golf's Golden Age". The softbound book has many interesing photos of the area golf courses including some marvelous photos of the early days of Augusta National (holes #2, #4, #12, #15).  The two year old book is selling at low prices on eBay.

A favorite sight in going from Aiken GC to Palmetto GC is going down "Whiskey" street and  passing the intersection with "Easy" street.


Bob,

Stopping for dinner at the Olive Oils, next to the Willcox hotel,  about half way (the distance of three long par 5s) between Palmetto GC and Aiken GC certainly tops off a great day of golf.

[BCrosby]

John -

Thanks for the tip. We are staying at the Wilcox[sp?].

Is Aiken dry?

Bob

[john_stiles]

Bob,

Aiken is not dry.

The restoration of the Willcox (two Ls) hotel was very good.  Room rates have dropped in the last year and I hope they find their niche.  The Willcox brochure, which they handed out to anyone, was a hard bound, 8 by 11 inch book or such, about 30 pages in color !

John

[Jason Tetterton]

I'm making the trip to Palmetto and Aiken GC the week after Christmas.  I'd like to pick up another course or two.  I'm coming from Greenville NC (the eastern part of the state).  Does anyone have any suggestions.  Aiken is pretty much the outter limitis of the trip, so I wouldn't be willing to go too much further, unless you guys deem another course worthy of the extra travel.  Thank you for any advice or information.

[Brent Hutto]

For something totally different you could play at Mt. Vintage plantation. It's spread out so much as to be virtually unwalkable and it's a thoroughly modern design but it's a nice routing, usually in great condition and the greens are to die for. It's just on the South Carolina side of the border between North Augusta and Edgefield.

[John_Cullum]

There is a Maples course in Aiken, but I haven't played it. Jeff Warne probably has. Jeff probably knows that area better than anyone else on GCA.

Also, Augusta CC is worth the short trip.

[jeffwarne]

Jason,

Midland Valley(10 minutes max from Palmetto)-it's been about 15 years for me,but it used to be a nice golf course-It's more of a 60's type layout,but it's located in some nice sandhills

[jeffwarne]

Augusta CC is of course worth the trip(one of my favorites despite the multiple redos-I'm prejudiced,I grew up there),but access could be a problem