Lake Marion Golf Course — Local services in South Carolina

Santee, South Carolina is about as small a town as you’ll find. The town sits at exit 98 off of I95 and consists of three stoplights moving east to west. At first glance it doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot to the town – several restaurants, gas stations, and motels – all owned by hard-working locals who have made this their life’s work- clutter the real estate off the exit ramp. A little further down is Clarks Inn and Restaurant, owned by the Clark family who pretty much founded the town. However, if you’re a golfer, Santee, SC could easily become your dream destination.

Santee is home to three championship golf courses and some wallet-friendly golf packages at Santee Cooper, Santee National, and Lake Marion. All are located within about 10 minutes of each other. Each course has its own driving range and practice green. Lake Marion’s driving range is lit and it’s not unusual to see players out there after dark working on their game.

Lake Marion Golf Club is a perennial favorite with traveling golfers and presents one of the more rewarding golf experiences in the area. The course opened in 1978 and was designed by Eddie Riccoboni; it has been delighting locals and golf travelers ever since. Lake Marion features pine tree-lined fairways, plenty of strategically placed hazards in the form of sand and water, and incredible Miniverde greens that are in perfect shape all year round. Five sets of tees provide yardages suitable for every level of golfer.

Number 14 is a risk/reward par 4. The lakes on the right side create a dogleg right and the tall pines dare you to try and carry the water. The fairway’s not real deep and the more you try and cut off, the harder it is to hold. A good tee shot over the water will leave a short chip shot into a green protected on the right side by a deep bunker. Even with a great tee shot, par is a great score here.

In addition to a great layout, Lake Marion also boasts the largest golf pro shop in the area with a lot of the latest and greatest equipment, apparel, and accessories. Lake Marion Golf Club is also home to the Palmetto Traverse, a 35,000 square foot natural grass-putting surface with all kinds of twists and turns and humps and bumps. It’s lit and sees a lot of night play too.

Lake Marion and Santee Cooper Golf Clubs offer some great package specials. Lake Marion offers several townhomes and villas that are spacious and roomy. All have two bedrooms with 4 double beds and flat-screen TVs in each, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining area, and fully equipped kitchen. There’s also a hospitality room and a swimming pool. They offer the only “all-inclusive” golf package in the area, which includes daily buffet breakfasts and dinners during the golf season, range balls, and replay rounds. With access to 15 local golf courses, the packaging staff at Lake Marion can put together a package to delight and please every golfer. Local players can join their Golf Advantage Club for $80 which includes a free round of golf, a $25 gift card, and a ton of added benefits.

A popular local restaurant can be found at Clark’s Inn and Restaurant. It was founded by William E. “Bubba” Clark in 1946, moved to its current location in 1971, and continues to meet its high standards of Southern hospitality and delicious food. For dessert, Clark’s Famous Apple Crisp, made from a 60-year-old original family recipe is a must-try.

Lake Marion is also one of the top fishing destinations in the Southeast and has held state records for more than 8 species of fish. Several guides are available and can be found through their website. Golf course and hotel information can be found there as well.

Santee, SC is proof that northerners seeking sunshine and golf don’t have to go as far south as Florida to enjoy great golf opportunities. The weather is more predictable and not as humid, the golf courses are scenic and challenging and the golf packages are a lot more affordable. Between the time you’ll save not driving as far south and the money you’ll save, you can probably stay an extra...

My friends and I have played at least a dozen rounds at Lake Marion and have always enjoyed the course. Further, we have made sure to recommend this course to our other associates who frequently golf in the area. Unfortunately, we have played our last round at Lake Marion due to a recent incident. To begin, the gentleman in the clubhouse was very unwelcoming despite the $50+ rates, offering little more than a grunt as I paid him. Regrettably, that was only a mild lapse in customer service when compared to what awaited us on the first tee. Our group's tee time was 1:48, and we were all at the first tee at 1:49. A loud and unpleasant starter asked for our tee time, and following our response, informed us that because we were one minute late, he was sending out a group of 12 ahead of us. This decision, which was based on petty vindication for a one-minute delay, kept us on the first tee for more than thirty minutes as we waited for three separate groups to tee off (all of which had tee times after ours).

Because this was before DST, my group eventually had to skip three holes to go around the three-group roadblock in front of us just so we could finish before sunset. After the round, we complained to the clubhouse about the starter's decision. The same gentleman who had earlier offered no pleasantries at check-in made no apologies for this ridiculous action, nor did he provide any reasoning or explanation as to why it was made. Instead, he stared dully at my group members and me and gave an irrelevant and sarcastic reply once we finished our explanation. To be clear, we were not asking for a refund or any money back for the three holes we skipped. Such rudeness is intolerable, particularly to loyal customers. We will not be returning, and I would recommend playing a round at one of the other Santee courses that actually respects...

Played the course this past Wednesday. Course was in beautiful shape. Greens rolled good and true. Rating a 1 start only because of the service. My group all walked in and firstly was not even welcomed with a hello or how can we help you. Second our entire group was overcharged by the man behind the register. We had made mention that we were from SC and had traveled about 1.5 hours to play. There is a special for SC residents that he neglected to tell us or even ask in the first place. Luckily one member of our group looked on the website and saw the price difference. When we went back in and confronted the man about it he gave all of us attitude like he did not want to give us our money back and we were in the wrong. After some time convincing him as well as getting someone else that worked there involved. He refunded our money and did not even have the curtsey to apologize. This made the whole group feel disrespected and not appreciated to play the course. Like I said the course was beautiful and I would recommend going back but beware of the people inside with what...