Road Trip
Playing a (not so) Hidden Beauty In South Carolina
By, Mark William Paul
O
n a recent road trip from Connecticut to the Lowcountry near Charleston, South Carolina, my driving companion and I decided to take a break and pulled off of I-26 looking for some great golf. We had a treat in store as we played Crowfield Golf Club in Goose Creek, S.C., an 18-hole beauty that is conveniently located within a short 30-minute ride from historic downtown Charleston. Driving through the Hamlets section of Crowfield Plantation, one gets an immediate sense of the beauty that South Carolina has to offer in this well-planned out community. Spacious homes, well maintained lawns, playgrounds and sport facilities for the kids are the norm. Upon arrival at the course, one immediately senses the “wow” factor. A spacious, inviting clubhouse and an accommodating staff welcomed us on this beautiful sunny Lowcountry morning. We were given a brief course update and suggestions from the club’s ranger, along
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with the days pin placements, and off we went to the practice range. Once warmed up, we drove off to the first tee box. The course offers five different tee boxes to accommodate players of all abilities. The black tees play 7,005 yards, while the whites, which we chose to play on this day, are a challenging 6315. The first hole, a straightaway 396 yard par-four, offers a glimpse of what is to come; manicured tee boxes, plush fairways and large, receptive undulating greens with both natural and man-made mounding. The Bermuda greens rolled as true as any we have played anywhere. The undulations were not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye but also a unique challenge. The par-four 6th hole was one of our favorites on the front nine. The 381-yarder required an accurate tee shot, which left a mid-iron to a contoured green that was guarded by a large pond in the front and a large greenside bunker in the back. Neither short, nor long, are options on this approach shot. This is arguably one of the better holes
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that we played this season. We made the turn to hole 10 in a little less than two hours. Our experience on the front nine was only about to get better. The back side is as well manicured as the front and even more challenging. The fairway mounding and the large undulating greens were designed with great care. The par-five closing hole plays a long 611 yards from the back tees and is a challenge for even the most accomplished player. Enjoying a cold refreshment after the round we both agreed that Crowfield GC is on the list of Top 5 courses to play when in the Charleston area. It is number one on our list of “must replays” the next time we are in the mid-coastal area of South Carolina. If you are looking for a challenging track that will test your golfing ability and allow you to use every club in your bag, look no further than Crowfield Golf Club in Goose Creek, S.C. Visit wwwCrowfieldGolf.com.
