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Pee Dee Country Golf CoursesPee Dee Country (including
Darlington, Florence, Dillon and Marion in the northeast corner of the
state) boasts some fine golf courses amid pleasant scenery. You'll find a
variety of layouts throughout the area and a cluster of particularly good
courses around Florence and Darlington.
Golf packages are available through Pee Dee Golf, (803) 332-2611, or
Swamp Fox Golf, (800) 845-3538. These firms may be able to get you on some
of the private courses in the area, including Ellis Maples's Country Club
of South Carolina. Bishopville Country Club Bishopville Country Club opened in 1959. Bermudagrass covers the fairways and greens. Some holes are set in wooded terrain; others are wide open. The course is primarily flat. Water hazards come into play on a few holes. Improvements and renovations were finished in fall 1995. The course offers decent variety, sound design, the potential for a fun round and, with a name like Bishopville, a lot of older men in purple robes swinging incense. Fairways at Bishopville are primarily wide and lack serious trouble spots, so feel free to take a big rip with the driver. Be careful, however, on the home-lined holes where the fairways narrow and the greens decrease in size. The 16th hole features what surely must be one of the smallest greens in the Carolinas. Streams, overgrown trenches and water hazards come into play on a few holes but only pose a threat to the really wayward shot. The sloping greens are raised and protected by a variety of bunkers. A couple of the greens are domed. Large tufts of pampas grass are placed at awkward positions around a few of the greens and provide a unique and potentially irritating hazard. Another interesting feature is a double green on the front nine that provides the putting surface for both the 6th and 4th holes. Amenities at Bishopville include a practice range, putting green, chipping green, pro shop, snack bar and rental clubs. Walking is allowed anytime. You can book anytime. Approximate cost, including cart, is $15 weekdays, $22 weekends. Fox Creek Golf Club Fox Creek opened in 1987, about 10 miles west of Darlington. According to the owners, a committee of architects designed the course. Bermuda 419 covers the fairways, and tifdwarf covers the greens. Most holes are set in rolling, wooded terrain, and water hazards frequently come into play. Fox Creek boasts wonderful variety. Perhaps the design committee was comprised of 18 individuals, each responsible for laying out a hole. The result is a track featuring just about every design element in the book; believe us, you won't be bored at Fox Creek. The grainy tifdwarf greens add to the difficulties reading the breaks. The course is completely house-free. You'll find yourself playing all sorts of shots as you navigate this wonderful track. Resist the temptation to hit the driver too much; keeping the ball in the right place at the right time is more important than pure distance. You won't forget the 18th hole, a magnificent par 5 that doglegs left over water to a large two-tiered green. Overall, it's a playable and fun course with distinct differences from hole to hole. We think you'll find it's well worth the trip. Amenities include a practice range, putting and chipping greens, a pro shop, snack bar, rental clubs and the occasional beverage cart. If you're fit, the course is walkable. However, walking is restricted to weekdays. You can book anytime. Approximate cost, including cart, is $25 weekdays, $29 weekends. Governor's Run Governor's Run originally opened as Lamar Country Club. A new back nine opened in January 1996. Eddie Riccoboni designed the front nine, which is relatively flat with some mild elevation changes. The back nine features more undulation, contour and water. Common bermudagrass covers the fairways, and bermudagrass 328 covers the greens. The course is set in a peaceful country environment about 15 miles west of Florence. The front nine is fairly wide open and features a sensible design with a lack of serious trouble. The greens are predominantly medium-size and sloped. Chipping areas surround many of the greens. Bunkers come into play on several holes. Overall, the course is relaxed, fun, straightforward and fair. You'll enjoy driving the ball in this primarily wide-open design, but you'll need to be deadly accurate on the par 3 No. 9, an uphill, 185-yard hole where par is a great score. Amenities include a practice range, putting green, pro shop and snack bar. A new clubhouse features a bar and grill. You can walk this course and book a round anytime. Approximate cost, including cart, is $18 weekdays, $23 weekends. Sandy Point Golf Club Sandy Point opened its J.B. Ammons-designed course in 1982. Bermudagrass covers the fairways, and bentgrass covers the greens. The course is set in wooded terrain. The back nine features more of a links design than the front--a parkland design. At Sandy Point, you'll find excellent variety, elevation changes and six holes where water comes into play. Most of the fairways are tight, so you'll need to be straight off the tee. If you play from the tips, you'll also need to be long with the big stick. Bunkers make you think about your approach shot. Once you reach the green, your short game will be challenged by small, undulating greens. Sandy Point is popular with local golfers. Perhaps their least favorite hole (from a scoring perspective) would be the 8th, a 456-yard par 4 that seems to play a little longer than the card; more of a three-shotter where most golfers are happy with a bogey. Amenities include a practice green, pro shop, locker room and snack bar. You can walk anytime. You can book anytime too. Approximate cost, including cart, is $25 weekdays, $29 weekends. The Traces Golf Club James Goodson designed The Traces Golf Club, which opened in 1991. Bermudagrass covers the fairways and greens. Some holes are set in wooded terrain; others are wide open. The course is primarily flat. Water hazards come into play on several holes. The Traces has hosted Nike Tour qualifying play as well as the Powerbilt Tour. This course provides an excellent example of what a modern, popular golf course should be. Four sets of tees challenge all levels of golfer. The greens are massive and relatively easy to hit. There's potential trouble off the tee on some holes, but you'll be rewarded on most if you keep your ball in play. Mounds are present but don't get in the way. The scenery is pretty, especially on the back nine. The key to scoring well here is a solid short game, particularly with your putter. You may hit a green and still have a 75-foot downhill slider. We watched one foursome on a par 3 hit decent but not perfect shots, all of which landed on the green. Getting the ball down in two was not as easy. The 12th and 13th holes are unforgettable. On No. 12, if you're playing from the back, you'll need all you have off the tee. The hole measures 471 yards, but the fairway is wide enough to be fair and allow you to hit the driver. The facility is well-run. If you're in the area, make sure you play this course; it's worth the 80-mile drive from Columbia. Amenities include a practice range, practice green, chipping green, pro shop, snack bar, beverage cart and rental clubs. The course is walkable, although the back nine is a trek; walking is restricted on the weekends. You can book anytime. Approximate cost, including cart, is $30 weekdays, $35 weekends.
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