Golf in Socastee

Trees draped in spanish moss catch the wind along the edges of the fairways at Shadowmoss Plantation Golf Club, where designer Russell Breeden sculpted a 6,701-yard course into the verdant grounds of a former plantation. Throughout the par-72 layout, ponds and streams ripple on the borders of nearly every hole, often forcing golfers to choose from taking a conservative line, challenging the hazard with a big swing, or releasing their golf ball to a family of catfish. Breeden's artful use of waterways is most noticeable at the par-5 eighth hole, where a stream splits to cut across the center of the fairway and wraps two watery prongs around both sides of the hole to add pressure as golfers contemplate their approach to the green. Bermuda-grass fairways and greens await golf balls that steer clear of the course's water hazards and the various sand traps occasionally populated by disoriented sunbathers.

Before taking to the first tee, clubbers can warm up their swings and rehearse their putter-twirling routine at a practice complex that includes a driving range and a putting green. To keep golfers fresh during rounds, the club offers on-course beverage service and a full-service snack bar and lounge.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Length of 6,701 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 72.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 131 from the farthest tees
• Five tee options
• Scorecard

Since 1982, Perry Green has been putting his PGA membership to good use, hosting private and group golf lessons, camps, and clinics for all ages. His innate golfing expertise, which netted him the 2005 Illinois PGA Senior Masters Championship, is bolstered by a video-analysis system that allows him to examine every aspect of his students' form and point out faults in the arc of their swing or the creases in their chinos.

Nestled along the banks of Wagner Creek and the Wando River, Dunes West Golf & Country Club stretches across 6,871 yards of Carolina Lowcountry sculpted into an 18-hole layout designed by architect Arthur Hills. After traversing rolling terrain, quicksand bunkers, and oversize greens, golfers can conclude the par 72 layout at the 456-yard, par 4 18th hole, where Wagner Creek guards the entire left side of a shallow green that reveals the clubhouse's brick arches and second-story veranda just beyond the fringe. Golfers with slice-prone swings can make adjustments at the club’s driving range or schedule a lesson with one of the club’s PGA professionals, both more feasible than trying to control drives with telekinesis.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by Arthur Hills
• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,781 yards from the farthest tees
• Five tee options
• Scorecard