[Andy Hughes]

Does anyone know anything about the 2 courses at Fripp Island?  The quality/enjoyment level, the history etc? Anyone have any pictures they'd care to share?  I understand the older course is a George Cobb. He designed 2 courses near me that I enjoy (and don't have the ocean) so I have somewhat high hopes for that one.

[Gary Daughters]

Andy,

It's probably been 15 years, but I played both courses at Fripp over several days and enjoyed each.  The newer of the two, I believe, is one of Davis Love's earliest designs and it was pretty impressive.  It wanders through some oaks and bleeds out into a marsh.  It has a short par 4 within sight of the clubhouse that caught my pre-GCA-attuned eye as a nice little puzzle.  The older course, back then, had a sandy, linksy sort of turf and ends at the beach.  It's the windier of the two.  I found both courses to be great fun.

[Brent Hutto]

I'll pretty much second Gary's take. The routing of the Love course (Ocean Creek) makes for a lovely walk and there are some fun hole. The ground is typical Lowcountry filled-in rice paddy but they put in plenty of drainage and it plays OK. The turf is nicer at Ocean Point and if I'm not mistaken that course has been converted to Paspalum in recent years. Drains pretty well but you play almost every shot with condos staring at you. The one drop-shot hole off a huge (by Lowcountry standard) hill or mound, toward the ocean, is the high point of Ocean Point figuratively and literally. Way more room to play at Ocean Creek, it's typical beach-course-tight at Ocean Point.

All of my impressions are for three trips about 8-10 years ago so things may have changed somewhat. I liked the 'Point but the guys I went down there with always preferred the 'Creek strongly. The resort used to also own "SC National" or "Cat Island" which is between Fripp and the Beaufort on the mainland. I think that course is no longer part of the resort but it was our favorite of the three. It's a older-style routing (maybe George Cobb?) and has more interesting shots and angles and I seem to recall maybe slightly more contoured greens although that's not saying much. Good turf and pretty good conditioning. You might check it out going or coming.

[ward peyronnin]

Jeff Brauer has redone a course on Cat Island I believe they have rechristened The Sanctuary I recall and it is a very good layout . When i last played the greens were exceedingly slow and not enjoyable bbut maybe they have fixed. The food is good too

[Matt MacIver]

I played Ocean Creek a few weeks ago.  I recall that it is a DL3/Cowley design, likely their first.  I enjoyed the course and thought it was in great overall condition, esp. for August.  The course is short at something like 6600 from the tips, and even at that length I doubt the back tees get much play.  In fact the back tee boxes on a few holes were miniscule with lots of over-growth, almost too much to play over (#12 I think). 

I will disagree with the comment about wide fairways though.  I've never been accused of being able to keep it in play and lost several balls to the deep forestation too many times (too many gators to go chasin' after them.  Two greens were heavily fortified by water, not unfair just tough.  Overall I enjoyed the round, and like those above heard that Ocean Point was more link-sy and potentially open. 

[Brent Hutto]

My memory from back when I last visited Fripp must be seriously off if Ocean Point has more room for wild shots than Ocean Creek. Thats entirely possible, I've seen a lot of golf courses since then. But neither is exactly wide open.

I think my memory may be influenced by being more intimiated by houses (condos) and roads and such than by water. There is certainly tons of water in play at Ocean Creek and perhaps the fairways aren't as wide as I remember.

[Andy Hughes]

Thanks for the comments guys, appreciate it.  I plan to visit in early October.

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