[Carl Nichols]

Anyone have any insights into this course, ranked by Golf Digest as the 10th best course in South Carolina?

[Brian Ross]

Carl,

It's the prototypical coastal SC offering.  Rees Jones course in a great setting on Johns Island (close to Kiawah), well manicured, lots of forced marsh carries, HUGE amoeba bunkers (lots of em), decent enough set of greens.  Luckily, it's not afflicted with homes all over the place like many of the courses down here.

For the money, there is zero chance I would consider joining here over places like Yeamans Hall, CCoC, Bulls Bay or either of the Kiawah privates.  It would not make my Top 10 in SC, for certain.

[Bruce Wellmon]

I enjoyed it. However, the group you compared it to is stiff competition.

[John Shimp]

Nice facility. But feels like you play the same hole over and over. Frced carry over a marsh not really in play. 

As a golf course 10 ranking in sc is ia massive Over rate.  Just not that interesting despite being a nice, new, expensive club..  I would rank it 8th in the Charleston area including the kiawah area behind the ocean course, yhc, cc of chasn, the 2 privates on kiawah, turtle point, and bulls bay.  I would guess it would come in around 25th  in the state in my view.

[Brian Ross]

Bruce,

I too enjoyed it and would play it again, but Top 10 in state is, as John states, massively overrated.  All I know is if I had a spare $50,000 laying around and was looking for a club to join in the area, this place wouldn't be at the top of my list. 

[Mark Pritchett]

Pretty good set of Par 3's and I really liked the closing hole, just a great Par 5.  Nice place to spend a day for sure. 

[Michael Whitaker]

Bruce,

I too enjoyed it and would play it again, but Top 10 in state is, as John states, massively overrated.  All I know is if I had a spare $50,000 laying around and was looking for a club to join in the area, this place wouldn't be at the top of my list.  

Might take you a bit more than 50K... I think it's more like 100.

[rjsimper]

Nice to see Rees include a driveable par 4 on this layout - very very nice place. I enjoyed my time there. Par 3s are indeed excellent and the finish is stern.

[Brian Ross]

Might take you a bit more than 50K... I think it's more like 100.

$45k initiation fee for non-refundable young-professional (under 51) membership.  $100k for refundable fee (90% back)...

[Bruce Wellmon]

For the money, there is zero chance I would consider joining here

All I know is if I had a spare $50,000 laying around and was looking for a club to join in the area, this place wouldn't be at the top of my list. 

I'm certain your invitation is coming soon.

[Brian Ross]

I'm certain your invitation is coming soon.

I keep checking the mail, but nothing! Hope they have the correct address! 

[Rob_Waldron]

I have always enjoyed the conditioning, setting, and challenge provided by the course. Not to mention the hospitality provided by the staff. I have had discussions with Rees Jones about the course he indicated the land existing topography provided great natural settings for golf holes. I played the course not long after it opened and it appeared that the course had been there for 25 years! I think the course should be included with some of the other wonderful tracks in the Charleston area.

[Michael Whitaker]

The primary developer of Briar's Creek, Steve Koenig, is a friend and I can truly report that no one makes sure a club operates in a more first class way than Steve. Everything he touches in his professional and private life is exceptionally executed.

As for the golf course... I think it is the #2 Charleston area course west of the Ashley River, second only to The Ocean Course at Kiawah. If you don't appreciate Rees Jones' style then it will not be your cup of tee, but for those who appreciate his design philosophy you will not find a better course anywhere. Briar's Creek is classic Rees Jones' of the highest order.

[PCCraig]

I've been lucky enough to play Briar's Creek quite a few times as my in-laws are members. It's a perfect all-golf set up and it gets nearly zero play most weeks. The staff from top-to-bottom is great as well. Generally speaking it's just a lot more low-key that the Kiawah Island Club courses. I like the golf course and think it's a pretty solid low-country layout and one of the better R Jones layouts I've seen. Granted, I don't enjoy it quite as much as TOC or Cassique...I think it's on par with The River Course and a lot stronger than any of the non-Ocean Course layouts on/near Kiawah.

What else do you want to know Carl?

[Bill Gayne]

Might take you a bit more than 50K... I think it's more like 100.

$45k initiation fee for non-refundable young-professional (under 51) membership.  $100k for refundable fee (90% back)...

I love that they consider under 51 a "young-professional."

[Paul Jones]

I played the course once a long time ago and remember walking away thinking it was a good course but did find the greens as interesting as was hoping.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Another thing I love about Briar's Creek is that it seems to get better every time I play it.  I never seem to stop noticing more subtleties each time I play it.   As stated above if you are an anti-Rees guy like some on here then that doesnt apply to you, but I find it to be much more than just a succession of forced carries as some describe.  I think the angles that Rees makes you contemplate cutting off on several holes provide great strategy, and a good mix of long brutish holes with some subtle sporty shorter holes. 

The finishing stretch has some holes that will weigh on your mind for most of the back nine.   I could play the 18th hole over and over just to work out all of the angles and finally figure out how to really attack the hole.  And as others have said the experience from start to finish at Briars Creek is as good as it gets.

[Carl Nichols]

I've been lucky enough to play Briar's Creek quite a few times as my in-laws are members. It's a perfect all-golf set up and it gets nearly zero play most weeks. The staff from top-to-bottom is great as well. Generally speaking it's just a lot more low-key that the Kiawah Island Club courses. I like the golf course and think it's a pretty solid low-country layout and one of the better R Jones layouts I've seen. Granted, I don't enjoy it quite as much as TOC or Cassique...I think it's on par with The River Course and a lot stronger than any of the non-Ocean Course layouts on/near Kiawah.

What else do you want to know Carl?

Pat:
Your post and everyone else's posts are exactly what I was looking for.  I've been lucky enough to play all the Kiawah courses, but hadn't realized until I was looking at the GD state lists that there was another course right off the island that is well regarded. 

[Julian Wise]

Going down to Kiawah to play the Ocean Course and we might have option to play Cassique, River or Briar's Creek.  Has anyone played all three and if so, in what order would you put them?  Thanks.

[PCCraig]

Going down to Kiawah to play the Ocean Course and we might have option to play Cassique, River or Briar's Creek.  Has anyone played all three and if so, in what order would you put them?  Thanks.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. If I had 10 rounds I would go 4 on Cassique, 3 at BC, and 3 on the River Course.

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