COURSE REVIEW

Okatie Creek a good
play for bad putters
and the young at heart

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

BLUFFTON, S.C. ( July 19, 2005 )-When Mark McCumber designed the Okatie Creek Golf Club, he had golf's golden years in mind. Okatie Creek is in Sun City, right outside of Hilton Head, and you can't enjoy the wonders of Sun City if you're younger than 55. It's against the rules and the laws of nature.

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So McCumber gave the builders what they wanted: a pleasant, well-maintained course that the more experienced golfers could get around without having to be life-flighted to the emergency room.

When it came time to build a second course at Sun City, to be named Hidden Cypress, McCumber was asked to do something different. They didn’t want the same course built twice. Even in your twilight years, you want a little variety.

This time, McCumber made it a little more difficult; he made it a little longer, put some undulation in the greens. The problem is, he did too good of a job.

"Now, everybody wants to play Hidden Cypress," said Bob Pfeffer, the director of golf for both courses.

Which isn't to say Okatie Creek is dull or unimaginative-it's a fine course, just a little easier, though its slope rating of 130 is testimony that it's no pushover. There are many courses with lesser slope ratings. The Sun City regulars certainly don't think it's easy.

"They come in and say, 'this course is killing me,'" Pfeffer said. "Actually, we're shrinking some bunkers to make it a little easier."

The course's main allowance to the older folks may be in its greens, which are flat as Kansas. No need for ocular laser surgery here-just find the hole, or have a general idea where it is-line it up and putt.

"You're not going to get much break out here," Pfeffer said. "Inside edge, outside edge, but you'll rarely get a break more than that."

Okatie Creek, named after the creek of the same name, is set amidst the familiar lowcountry setting of Southern pines and marshes. While its greens may not have much mystery, they're in good shape — unlike other area courses that have succumbed to the ravages of bad weather-and they roll straight and true.

And there is challenge, like when you go through the stretch of holes on the back nine, Nos. 14-16. No. 14 is a puzzler: it used to have a tree in the middle of the fairway and no bunkers. The tree was killed by lightning, so officials put some bunkers in, but Pfeffer thinks the hazard is more psychological than anything.

"I don't know how to explain it," he said of the hole's No. 2 handicap."I think people get lulled by it. You look up and see this wide fairway, but at the end you're looking at a bogey."

No. 15 is a 537-yard par 5, tough to reach in two-or three-for those a tad beyond their primes. The stretch culminates with No. 16, a 402-yard par 4 dogleg left that's well-bunkered with a small green and water right.

The Verdict

Okatie Creek is a fine, playable course, with five sets of tees so even the little old ladies can roar with triumph after making par.

There are homes around the course, not unusual for a residential golf community and there is some traffic noise on some holes, while others are quiet and almost secluded. Some of the rides between holes, over wood bridges, give glimpses of what the area looked like before developers found it.

The fairways and tee boxes are lush, so they were a bit soggy from all the rain the area has experienced this spring.

"We're transitioning, just like everybody else," Pfeffer said.

Green fees are reasonable, ranging from the $50-$60 range, and a two-course special in the $100 range is also available.

Places to Stay

There are a number of lodging options in and around Hilton Head, including the Crown Plaza Beach Resort, which is on the south side of the island, with easy access to the area's golf courses. The resort is located on 11 acres inside Shipyard Plantation.

The Shipyard Golf Club, a 27-hole facility, has hosted PGA Senior Tour events in the past, and there are more than 30 courses in the surrounding area.

Hilton Head is also a tennis hotspot and the Van der Meer Tennis Center/Shipyard Racquet Club is a couple of minutes away from the resort, with 23 courts on three surfaces.

Okatie Creek Golf Club Tee times: 866-870-4653

The 11-mile beach itself is a good one-it was voted in the top 10 of beaches in the country by the Travel Channel and the resort offers boogie boards, sailboats, floats, catamarans, water bikes and beach tricycles. It has a fitness center with saunas, whirlpool and an indoor swimming pool, as well as an outdoor pool and wading pool.

Crown Plaza has 340 rooms, including nine suites, all with high-speed Internet access, at a charge, as well as private balconies. The resort is housed in a five-story single building, with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Places to eat

The island has a wide array of restaurants, more than 250, in just about every conceivable style from French, German and Italian, to Caribbean, Thai and Mexican.

Crown Plaza has Brella's Café, with inside dining or its outside terrace and serves salads, sandwiches and fresh seafood. It has a Sunday brunch.

Portz specializes in Mediterranean food. The resort also has Docker's, a poolside bar, and Signal's Lounge with a large dance floor.

Fast Fact

Okatie Creek opened in 1995 and its sister course, Hidden Cypress, opened in 2000. Okatie Creek has 15 lakes.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.