Up until this past weekend, I'd probably played around 30 courses in South Carolina, and only 3 of them weren't in the Myrtle Beach area. I was finally able to "branch out" and see more the state has to offer. I may have seen the best.
With apologies to Harbour Town, Long Cove, Haig Point, Secession, Chanticleer, and Musgrove Mill, none of which I've played, and The Dunes Club, which I have, I just might have been fortunate enough to play the 3 best courses in state in one dream weekend. I played C&C's low-key Chechessee Creek and Raynor's Yeamans Hall on Saturday, and then the Ocean Course on Sunday. All 3 have a write-up on this site.
Chechessee Creek
Low-key, C&C, and caddies. What's not to like? A decent amount was said on the Secession thread last week about Chechessee, and I'll add my $.02. It's rather flat, as a low country course often is, and C&C moved very little dirt, and what little was moved had to have gone into the many push-up greens that fall off on all sides. My only "beef" was that a number of the greens had a similar shape, deep and narrow and sloped back to front. After playing the course once, I now know that landing short of the green is much preferred to being to the side of the greens (with steep fall-offs and bunkers) and pin high, so solid iron play is a must.
There are several holes with the "deception" bunkers up to 60 yards in front of the green. I also had an iron into a par 3 land on the green and roll back into a bunker.
After just reading Bob McCoy 2001 "O", it turns out he and I both had caddie Mike Cinsiger, former Brown U. hoops and golf coach. What a "retired" life he has, a loop in the morning, then play a round in the afternoon. He caddied for 3 years at Secession before here. Another side note from the 2001 "O" is that fellow GCAers Ted Sturges and Joel Stewart played with Bob during his travels last year.
Yeamans Hall
Both Yeamans and Chechessee are similar in par (70) and yardage (~6600), but that's where the similarities end. . Yeamans has more elevation change and a few rolling holes. Raynor's (this was my first Raynor experience) bunkering is different (hard to think of a different term). Similar to the strip bunkers seen on the Chicago GC aerial, most of them (at least the fairway bunkers) have high mounds (can't really call them sod-walled) behind them that must be hit over if you land in them, giving them a definite half-stroke penalty. The green-side bunkering is DEEP on several occasions.
One is lucky enough to see the redan hole and rear bunker on the drive in, so it's a fun preview of what's to come. Ken Cotner joined me at Yeamans (and beat me one-up, no thanks to my 6, count 'em 6, 3-jacks) and much fun was had by both of us. Square-fronted greens certainly are a change of pace. The course is a pleasant walk. The Biarritz (#16) is of the type where the swale fronts the green, not bisects it. The green itself has a "tube" running through the middle from front to back, bisecting it length-wise and giving it character and definite sections. The onsite cottages look to be a pleasure to stay in when in front out of town.
The Ocean Course (Kiawah Island)
For whatever reason, I was prepared to be disappointed with TOC, since some of Dye's work is not appealing to me. I was pleasantly surprised at the course. Playing with resident resort expert Mike Vegis, I was shown a course that not only kicks your arse on any wayward shot, but has much strategic elements to it. A few early holes have some awkwardness (lay-up tee shot on a par 5, #2 downwind that has big carry that must be stopped before going too far, and obtrusive finger of marsh of #4), and some of the greens seem severe just for the sake of being severe, but the bunkering was magnificent, much better than I was expecting. Very natural-looking, blending in with many dunes, and giving the appearance of "blow-out" bunkers.
Mike showed where the new 18th green will be located (35 yards closer to the ocean) for the World Cup next year. Even Mike made a comment that echoes my feelings, TOC is not a course you'd want to play every day, because you'd be so worn out every round from being beaten. It's a thinking man's course, but any lapse in execution is paid for dearly. Plus, you'd go broke losing so many balls. Anyone with a handicap calculated solely from playing TOC is the person I want on my team. My handicap would increase by at least 5 strokes with that as a home course.
Back to reality...