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 Can the past and the present foretell the future? Litchfield Country Club is the “original” Pawley’s Island layout. The highly acclaimed Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and its honored sister True Blue came along a generation later. Separately, they would not seem to have a lot in common.
But collectively, they signal a turn in the Myrtle Beach area’s golf mystique toward an emphasis on traditional styling and classical elegance. Test this threesome at the south end of the Grand Strand and you’ve tasted the finest golf in the region. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is the most celebrated of the trio. Opened in 1995 to a whole host of “Best New” accolades, it was the first solo project of Tom Fazio protégé Michael Strantz, whose course sketchings qualify as golf art in themselves. His “canvas” was a 140-acre former rice plantation with a myriad of freshwater tidal creeks and giant live oaks. His creation is ranked by Golf Digest among the Top Ten Courses in Myrtle Beach, the Top 25 in South Carolina and among the Top 100 in America.
Situated on one of the largest 18th Century plantations in the Palmetto State, with its antebellum-style clubhouse and stunning views of the Waccamaw River and beyond, Caledonia is “old South” personified, a pristine setting where red foxes, hawks, deer, osprey and quail feel right at home, because they are. And the golf is 4-1/2 Star (Golf Digest’s Places to Play) fabulous. The par-70 layout has three par-5s, all three-shotters, that define playing on the “straight and narrow”. The five par-3s will likely be approached with five different clubs no matter which tees you play. All force you to carry either waste areas, wetlands or one of those aforementioned creeks. But it’s an incredible set of par-4s that set Caledonia apart, especially the stretch of five in a row between the 12th and 16th. #16 is the toughest hole at Caledonia. Even after a solid drive, you’re left with a 175-yard approach, the last 65 yards over water to a green tucked behind a lake. The finishing hole also tests your fortitude with nearly 100 yards of lake separating the fairway and the green.
At the True Blue Golf Plantation, Strantz’ contrast of the raw terrain of a thriving 19th century indigo and rice plantation with the immaculate greens, tees and fairways has also resulted in Top Ten in Myrtle Beach and Top 100 in America rankings from Golf Digest. The course emphasizes the rugged beauty of the area, utilizing native grasses and vegetation while maintaining much of the character of the property. The unique routing includes five par-5s with vast fairways and rolling terrain, and five par-3s including a rare 50-foot elevation drop from the tee at the 14th to a green tucked between a waste area and a pot bunker. You’ll face forced-carries and likely use five different clubs off the tees of those par-3s. At the par-4 sixth, you’ll have to remember which of the two greens, one straightaway, one a dogleg right, is in play on that particular day. True Blue has actually been made more playable for mid and high handicappers over the last few years.
Litchfield Country Club was the first course in the Pawley’s Island area and one of the first eight on the entire Grand Strand, and has been maintained just as Willard Byrd designed it 30 years ago. In wonderful contrast to many of the wide-open, bombs-away courses in the area, Litchfield’s understandably proud of its narrow, tree-lined fairways, sharp doglegs and small greens. Water is visible on 17 of the 18 holes, but is not intrusive, usually lurking on the far sides of many of the 11 dogleg holes, none of which have parallel fairways.
Survive the first six holes (which are rated among the toughest nine on the course) and you’ll have a chance to score well. Curiously, the only straight hole (besides the par-3s) on the front nine is Litchfield’s toughest, a long, narrow par-4 with a creek down the right-hand side. There’s a great variety of yardages on the par-4s and most offer bump-and-run opportunities. One exception is the signature 18th, a dogleg right with water on the left-hand side, a finger of that finishing lake jutting out in front of the green.
Though right off US 17, this classic trio is off-the-beaten-path of the typical Myrtle Beach courses. Classic, distinguished and elegant without being stuffy, this threesome will just continue to improve with age.
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