CHARLESTON GOLF

[Joel Zuckerman]

I'll add another element to the discussion regarding Cassique vs. River:  Most GCA-types have played plenty of Fazio courses, but a Tom Watson course is a rarer thing...and specifically the "British Isles tribute" factor of Cassique, whether one deems it hokey, derivative or what-have-you, further separates the GC from the River, which while beautiful and tough, is just another example in the Fazio Oeuvre.   

I can't speak for anyone else, but my personal reason for preferring Cassique over the River has to do with the unique angles, the burn, the Spectacle Bunkers, the ski-slope-steep approach to the ninth, etc.---it's just very different, and thus appealing.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Pat,
  The course was renovated and entirely regrassed in the summer of 2006.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[Matt MacIver]

Agree with everything Joel says about Cassique and River.  I would rank the best courses on KI as Ocean #1 given it's uniquiness as a linky-oceanside course, Cassique 2nd and River third.  I liked River but could have gotten by if I had missed it, despite some good holes. 

Ocean is annually ranked among the hardest courses in the U.S., and I can vouch for that.  Good news for those that don't like bunkers (ahem) - there are NONE on the course!  Instead there are countless wasteareas where you can ground your club.  It's hard-packed and hard to play off of. 

Architechiturally I can't recommend any of the either KI courses.  You almost need to play Ocean 2x, but its somewhat cost-prohibitive. 

I do like RiverTowne (public), 45 minutes north, but given the recession I would think it would be possible to gain access to the noted privates - Yeaman's, Charleston CC and Bulls Bay. 

[Rich Brittingham]

Sean,
  As there have been several posts before, if you can get on the privates, thats the way to go

Top Tier:
Yeamans Hall
CC of Charleston
Cassique
Bulls Bay

Still Solid:
Both courses at Daniel's Island-EXTREMLY well maintained
Briars Creek
The River Club
Cherokee Plantation

I had the chance to play all of these while in Hilton Head other than BB-I just got a tour.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

Are the courses at Daniel Island private?

[Craig Van Egmond]

Is February a good month to visit Charleston?   What's the weather like? 

[Anthony_Nysse]

Rich,
  Both courses at DI are private. The older course, Beresford Creek, was design by Fazio in 2000 and the newest course, Ralston Creek,  was design by Rees Jones in 2006

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Is February a good month to visit Charleston?   What's the weather like? 

That's a toss of the dice.  It's 70+ here today and tomorrow.  Will be in the 60s by the weekend.  Feb. can be anywhere between 70 and 40.  It's just a matter of you catch the right week.

It's been a wierd winter so far.  We had almost as many frost delays so far this year (mostly in November) than we had all of last year.  But, like I said, it's pleasent now.

Officially, the average high in Feb. in Charleston is 62 and the low is 39 (slightly higher than January).

[Doug Wright]

The Ocean Course is the real deal.

The only other course I played there was Cougar Point. I actually liked Cougar Point quite a lot, perhaps due to very low expectations from my prior Gary Player design experience. Decent variety and interest, and the housing element didn't intrude as much as I anticipated.

[Richard Boult]

Added to http://delicious.com/golfclubatlas/Recommendations