Patriots Point Links — Attraction in Mount Pleasant

With today’s environmental red tape, Patriot’s Point Links would never have been built. Thankfully for golfers, when the course was built in the late 70’s, not as much priority was given to saving what might someday be an endangered species of insect, reptile or flora.

From an aesthetic standpoint, Patriot’s Point is on a par (pun intended) with some of the greatest golf courses in the US. Far and away, the most scenic hole on the course is number 17, but much more on that later. The course sits on the edge of Charleston Harbor and offers clear views of the city, Fort Sumter and ships arriving and departing for destinations around the world. And, if you look out across the harbor from the 18th green, you can see the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier named after the Battle of Yorktown of the American Revolutionary War.

The golf course has been winning over the hearts of local golfers and visitors since 1979 when renowned golf course architect Willard Byrd undertook the task of creating this masterpiece. In 2001, the National Golf Course Owners Association voted Patriots Point Links South Carolina’s Course of the Year, and number 17 is a perennial favorite for “Best Par-3 in the Lowcountry.” Patriots Point Links offers four sets of tees, making the course both playable and enjoyable for golfers of all abilities.

The course is built on land reclaimed by the dredging efforts that once opened shipping channels in the Harbor. Because of the settling that has occurred over the years, the fairways can be a little bumpy but are no less playable. In fact, they can add an extra challenge by not always leaving you with a flat, easy to play lie. The fairways are in good shape and well maintained and the greens are some of the best in the area.

Most Memorable Hole Number 17: Par 3, 130 yards (White Tees). Sorry other 17 holes, this one is a no-brainer. Number 17 has been voted the “Best Par 3 in the Lowcountry” year after year and it is easy to see why. If you’re into naming holes, you could call this one: “Hit the Green or Lose a Ball!” You’re playing to a small, fairly flat green surrounded by marsh and water. Add in wind that can come howling in from just about any direction and you’re in for a real treat. Once you get on the green – regardless of the number of shots it took you to get there – do a 360 and take in all the views. You’ll forget your score.

By definition, Patriots Point Links lacks several key elements to make it a links-style golf course, but it is about as close as you can get in the US. What it does have in common with some of the world’s most famous links courses is the wind. No matter what time of day you play, the ever-changing winds are going to play a factor. They typically sweep across the harbor and give the course a different look and feel from day to day. This course has more of a parkland feel, with several holes running parallel to each other and no homes along the fairway. There's also a lot of water out here, however most it is lateral and doesn't – or at least shouldn’t - come into play. Bunkers have been strategically placed along the fairways and around the sides of the greens, but in most cases, the fronts are wide open, leaving the seniors favorite par saver, the bump and run, in play.

Something else that makes it a favorite for both local golfers and resort guests is that this it’s not unusual to get around this track in four hours or less. It’s also not uncommon to find temperatures on the point 10 degrees cooler than the inland areas during the summer. Because of this and the proximity of greens to tees, you’ll find a lot of walkers out here in the summer. And they still maintain a 4-hour pace of play.

If you’re looking to play somewhere that is not only visually appealing but is also a shot-maker’s haven, then consider playing your...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

Initially I was excited to play this course, having admired it from afar. I knew that it paralleled the water, so the views would be fabulous. Prior to booking there, I touched on some reviews, and they were all over the place. I couldn’t understand how this course, with its breathtaking views and prime location, could be anything but great. Let me share the good… every person that I interacted with was super friendly, and yes, the views of the ocean were truly beautiful.

The bad… the course. Simple as that. I learned that the course had been built on an old landfill. Well, let me tell you… the fairways were the worst I have ever played. Yes, it is off season, so the grass was dormant, but this is the worst dormant course I have ever played. You could not find your ball at all. Everything is light brown… EVERYTHING. We were scrambling to find a colored ball because everything just blends in, and white balls were lost frequently. The fairway is filled with dips, for lack of a better term. The balls got little roll and were often stopped short in a dip. The tee boxes were uneven, and had long, bumpy grass on them. The greens were super-fast, with little tufts of grass sticking up, causing your putt to go in a completely different direction than the hole.

The ugly… the fact that I paid the amount of money that I did to play this course was a shame. I didn’t even keep score because I was so frustrated with the conditions. The course had a 90-degree cart rule, which I can respect on most courses, but I believe that this was put in place because of the dips on the fairways. Honestly, I have a bad back, and I was worried about slipping a disc as our cart hobbled over the large dips and runs. As I was walking to retrieve my ball (looking ahead as I always do), I stepped in a crater-sized dip on the fairway and came down so hard it hurt.

I believe that this course could be stunning if they were to redo their fairways and put a little work into their tee boxes and greens. They already have a great location and staff. However, at this point, I would avoid this course...

I have golf and practiced at this course more than 15 times now, and it has many cons and some pros! Its practice range is very sloppy most of the time, but we all know we use the range for getting better. For such a huge range, it does a very bad job at giving you targets to use. It only uses 3 flags with no distance markers for what ever reason. It has a lot of space for a lot of golfers on busy days which is nice. The Staff is lazy and rude. Yesterday, I was using the range, and a staff member was driving a cart asking people to get the range baskets for him while he sat and smoked a cigarette. How lazy can you be. I grabbed 4 baskets for him in shock! There is sand on every hole and there is no sand for you to practice from. The chipping range is terrible. Its about 30 yards long and 10 yards wide. The grass poorly cut on the chipping range. The flags are sideways and the ground is always wet. When you do use it, you get no real judgement of the roll cause it just stops due to wet grounds. Putting green is small. To many people chip on it giving you a lot of bonces when you putt. Shop is small, but i suppose it gets the job done. Its also very pricey. Tends to play slow, make sure to have a 4 some. If your a ten handicap or lower play I suggest the tips. They play a easy 7000 yards, because its very hard to lose your ball here. Very wide open and easy par 5s:) Some very pretty holes and nice looks at the ocean. Slow greens. Amazing sand that plays beautiful. The tee manager is fantastic. The Bills fan shop manager is the only guy that gave me a real conversation and made me feel welcomed. If you can find it cheap on golf now and dont practice before hand this course is perfect. 4 out 5 course. everything...