Updated on November 8, 2026
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What is the best golf course in South Carolina? The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, which hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships, ranks No. 1 in all three rankings in which it appears. It ranks ahead of two private clubs, Old Barnwell in Aiken and Yeamans Hall near Charleston. Harbour Town, in Hilton Head, is the state's premier public golf course.
Top photo: Aerial view of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Photo by Tim Marose, posted by Pammymags, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The 25 Best Golf Courses in South Carolina
25 courses shown.
| Rank | Course | Location | Access | GOLF | Top100 | Golfweek public | Golfweek private |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiawah Island – Ocean Course | Kiawah Island | Resort | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2 | Old Barnwell | Aiken | Private | 3 | 2 | — | 1 |
| 3 | Yeamans Hall Club | Hanahan (Charleston) | Private | 2 | 3 | — | 2 |
| 4 | Harbour Town Golf Links | Hilton Head Island | Resort | 4 | 7 | 2 | — |
| 5 | Congaree Golf Club | Ridgeland | Private | 6 | 4 | — | 3 |
| 6 | The Tree Farm | Batesburg | Private | 7 | 5 | — | 4 |
| 7 | Palmetto Golf Club | Aiken | Private | 5 | 6 | — | 9 |
| 8 | Sage Valley Golf Club | Graniteville | Private | 10 | 8 | — | 6 |
| 9 | Long Cove Club | Hilton Head Island | Private | 9 | 9 | — | 7 |
| 10 | Secession Golf Club | Beaufort (Gibbes Island) | Private | 11 | 12 | — | 8 |
| 11 | Palmetto Bluff – May River | Bluffton | Resort | 13 | 11 | — | — |
| 12 | Quixote Club | Sumter | Private | 16 | 10 | — | — |
| 13 | Country Club of Charleston | Charleston | Not stated | 8 | 19 | — | — |
| 14 | Kiawah Island Club – Cassique | Kiawah Island | Private | 18 | 14 | — | 11 |
| 15 | Chechessee Creek Club | Okatie | Not stated | 12 | 17 | — | — |
| 16 | Bulls Bay Golf Club | Awendaw | Not stated | 17 | 13 | — | — |
| 17 | Colleton River Club – Pete Dye | Bluffton | Private | 15 | 21 | — | 10 |
| 18 | The Dunes Golf & Beach Club | Myrtle Beach | Public | 14 | 22 | 5 | — |
| 19 | Old Tabby Links (Spring Island) | Okatie | Private | 19 | 20 | — | 12 |
| 20 | Kiawah Island Club – River Course | Kiawah Island | Private | 20 | 16 | — | 15 |
| 21 | Caledonia Golf & Fish Club | Pawleys Island | Public | 21 | 15 | 4 | — |
| 22 | Greenville Country Club – Chanticleer | Greenville | Private | 23 | 18 | — | 13 |
| 23 | Broomsedge | Rembert | Semi-private | — | — | 3 | — |
| 24 | Cherokee Plantation | Yemassee | Private | — | 30 | — | 5 |
| 25 | True Blue Golf Club | Pawleys Island | Public | — | — | 6 | — |
Rank: our consensus rank (see methodology). Columns: the course’s position in each ranking; “—”: not listed. Access: public, resort (open to hotel guests), or private (by invitation); “not specified” when no source provides this information.
Our Method
We compared GOLF.com 2024–25, Top 100 Golf Courses in South Carolina, Golfweek 2026 Public Access, Golfweek private. The consensus ranking is the average of the rankings obtained; a course not included in a general list (GOLF.com, Top100GolfCourses) is assigned the ranking immediately following the last-ranked course. Partial lists (public or private courses from Golfweek, N.C. Golf Panel) are only included if the course appears on them. Golf Digest, whose state-by-state rankings are not available, is not used. This ranking is revised annually.
The Top 10 in Detail
1. Kiawah Island – Ocean Course 🇺🇸
- Designed by Pete Dye
Ranks: GOLF 1 · Top100 1 · Golfweek public 1
Pete Dye's course on the Atlantic coast, exposed to the wind, host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships. Open to the public.
2. Old Barnwell 🇺🇸
- Designed by Brian Schneider & Blake Conant
Ranks: GOLF 3 · Top100 2 · Golfweek private 1
A private club that opened in 2023 near Aiken, designed by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant. Ranked No. 1 among private clubs by Golfweek.
3. Yeamans Hall Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Seth Raynor
Ranks: GOLF 2 · Top100 3 · Golfweek private 2
A private club designed by Seth Raynor (1925) on a former plantation near Charleston, nestled among oak trees and marshes.
4. Harbour Town Golf Links 🇺🇸
- Designed by Pete Dye & Jack Nicklaus
Ranks: GOLF 4 · Top100 7 · Golfweek public 2
The course by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus in Hilton Head, home to the striped lighthouse at the 18th hole, which hosts the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every year. Open to the public.
5. Congaree Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Tom Fazio
Ranks: GOLF 6 · Top100 4 · Golfweek private 3
A private club designed by Tom Fazio in the Lowcountry, in Ridgeland, which opened in 2017.
6. The Tree Farm 🇺🇸
- Designed by Kyle Franz
Ranks: GOLF 7 · Top100 5 · Golfweek private 4
A recently opened private club near Aiken, designed by Kyle Franz on sandy terrain.
7. Palmetto Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Alister MacKenzie (redesign)
Ranks: GOLF 5 · Top100 6 · Golfweek private 9
The Aiken club, founded in 1892 and remodeled by Alister MacKenzie, one of the oldest in the United States.
8. Sage Valley Golf Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Tom Fazio
Ranks: GOLF 10 · Top100 8 · Golfweek private 6
A private club designed by Tom Fazio near Augusta, in Graniteville, nestled among the pine trees of South Carolina.
9. Long Cove Club 🇺🇸
- Designed by Pete & Alice Dye
Ranks: GOLF 9 · Top100 9 · Golfweek private 7
A private club designed by Pete and Alice Dye on Hilton Head, nestled among marshes and lagoons.
10. Secession Golf Club 🇺🇸
Ranks: GOLF 11 · Top100 12 · Golfweek private 8
A private club on an island in the Lowcountry near Beaufort, overlooking the salt marshes.
Fred’s Take
For a vacation, I would combine Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) and Hilton Head (Harbour Town), which are a two-hour drive apart. Myrtle Beach, further north, offers more courses at a more reasonable price.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Courses in South Carolina
What is the best golf course in South Carolina?
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, ranked No. 1 by GOLF.com, Top100GolfCourses, and Golfweek’s ranking of courses open to the public.
Can you play Harbour Town?
Yes: Harbour Town Golf Links, in Hilton Head, is open to the public. It hosts the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage every year.
Where can you play golf in South Carolina?
On Kiawah Island and in Charleston, on Hilton Head, and in Myrtle Beach, which has the largest number of public courses in the state.