Pawleys Island, SC
Mike Strantz's twin masterpieces under the live oaks — the Lowcountry's cult classic.
Pawleys Island is the quiet end of the Grand Strand, and it hides the trip golf nerds argue for: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue, sister courses by the late Mike Strantz, an artist who built only a handful of designs before his death and whose work borders on folklore. Caledonia opens down an avenue of 250-year-old live oaks on an old rice plantation and ends with fish chowder on the porch; True Blue across the road is its wilder, sand-blasted twin. Around them: Nicklaus's marsh-laced Pawleys Plantation, more quality golf up the road, and a barefoot beach town of creek docks and hammock shops.
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonia Golf & Fish Club | Mike Strantz | The live-oak avenue, the rice-field finisher, chowder on the porch — an all-timer. The must-play. | public |
| True Blue | Mike Strantz | Caledonia's wild twin — huge sandy wastes and bold greens across the street. | public |
| Pawleys Plantation | Jack Nicklaus | Marsh golf at its most dramatic — the back nine tiptoes across the saltmarsh. | public |
| Heritage Club | Dan Maples | Another oak-draped plantation course up the road — a strong fourth round. | public |
The resort
The area's full-service base — suites and villas minutes from every course, with pools and on-site dining for the nights you stay in.
◆ The private house
A classic Pawleys Island beach house on the creek — crab off the dock, rocking chairs on the porch, five minutes to Caledonia's gates. Creek-to-ocean rentals line the island.
5-6 BR · sleeps 10-12 · ~$700–$2,200/nt
AM About 8 hours from Birmingham — leave early.
PM Unload at the beach house, dock beers at sunset, fried seafood at a Pawleys institution.
AM Open with Strantz's sand-blasted spectacle.
PM Beach or creek fishing; oyster roast at the house.
AM Nicklaus's marsh gauntlet — bring extra sleeves.
PM Hammock, beach walk or Heritage Club for the diehards; dinner in Murrells Inlet on the MarshWalk.
AM The masterpiece for the team match — down the oak avenue with everything on the line.
PM Chowder on the porch, trophy dinner, cigars on the dock.
AM Coffee on the dock, a last beach walk, then the drive home.
Two of the most beloved courses in the South, built by a cult-hero architect, across the street from each other — plus a sleepy beach town with hammocks and creek docks. Golf romantics' pick of the list.
Caledonia and True Blue share ownership — book both together and prepay the porch chowder time after Caledonia. Beach-house rentals on Pawleys' creek side are the classic move; spring and fall book out early.