Golf Comes Alive in South Carolina's York, Lancaster and Chester Counties

By Shane Sharp,
Contributor

CHARLOTTE -- Something old and something new. Golfing in South Carolina's York, Lancaster and Chester counties can take you on a historical journey down the Donald Ross-designed fairways of Fort Mill Country Club, or for a scenic ride through the rolling hills of the newly-opened Springfield Golf Club.

If you'd prefer to shell out your hard-earned cash at the Ron Garl-designed Regent Park Golf Club, you'll find one of Metrolina's most challenging and exquisitely manicured tracks. If you'd rather save your scratch for that new driver, you can always throw down a mere $14 for an all-you-can-play golf binge at Crystal Lakes Golf Club.

Remember Hale Irwin the golfer? Well, he also happens to design one heck of a playable golf course, and a prime example is sitting just a pitching wedge away at Waterford Golf Club.

If the modern courses aren't your bag, you can always pay a visit to the region's Olde English District and take in a little golf at the traditionally designed layouts of Lancaster and Chester Golf Clubs.

Wherever you decide to tee it up, it's spring in the Carolinas again, so go ahead: Cash in those sick days. Leave that jacket on the back of the chair. Position those cursors at the end of that memo (you can finish it before tomorrow's tee time). Play a round in the morning and slip off to your favorite sports bar to catch the weekly PGA tournament in the afternoon. Most of all, just enjoy.

What's New for 2001

Only one new course - Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill - will open in the area this season, bringing the total number of regulation layouts in the region to 14. But taking into consideration that there are over 70 tracks within an hour's drive of Charlotte, you would assume that local golfers still have one of the best selections of courses outside of Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst and Hilton Head.

Some local golf professionals, however, see it differently.

"As far as the area down here, they are lacking in the number of quality golf courses," said Waterford head professional Jeff Holler. "There aren't that many quality golf courses. Regent Park is great golf course, and Springfield is going to be great. But they could stand to have another one or two."

Regent Park head professional Todd Lawton agrees with Holler's assessment of the lack of high-end daily fee golf in the area.

"There aren't as many high-end daily fee courses here," he said. "There are more middle-of-the-road courses. Waterford is a great track down in Rock Hill, but they don't draw as much from Charlotte."

Still, Holler acknowledges that the competition from the saturated Charlotte market is fierce.

"There is more competition now than there ever has been," he said. "Our play is up from last year, but we have to reinvent ourselves every year. As far as the Charlotte market goes, our price is a little better than the Ballantynes and Birkdales, and our course condition is as good, if not better."

Down the road in Tega Cay, head professional Dean Sigmon has a different take on the issue. When Tega Cay opened its new Grande View in December of 1999, Sigmon says his facility was adding to an already adequate supply of golf holes.

"I think the number of courses are adequate for now," Sigmon said. "I definitely don't think that we have a shortage. The public player can shop around and find some good rates."

Assessing the state of golf in the area may be as difficult as lining up a 4-foot putt on one of Tega Cay's undulating greens. But when it's all said and done, aren't the majority of golfers simply seeking a good golfing value?

Golfers will be happy to know that there will be no significant rate hikes at local courses this season. Regent Park will once again top the charts with weekend greens fees of $64 for 18 holes and a cart. The Waterford, Tega Cay and Springfield follow close behind with weekend rates hovering around the $40 range.

If playing an interesting, well-conditioned layout for under $40 is your goal, a number of local courses including the aforementioned Lancaster, Chester and Fort Mill Golf Clubs, as well as Pinetuck, Carolina Downs, Crystal Creek and Spring Lake Country Club fit the bill.

However, relatively stagnant greens fees did not mean that local courses were willing to rest on their laurels this season. One of the most ambitious undertakings took place in Newport at the par-3 Crystal Lakes golf course. Owner-slash-head professional John Stevenson worked with golf course architect John Castle of Charlotte to design three new holes, two of which are regulation par-4's.

"What we are doing is changing our image," Stevenson said of the new holes. "Instead of being just a par-3, we are heading towards being an executive course. Now you can come out here and use every club in your bag."

Crystal Lakes also added a new chipping area and practice bunker, and Stevenson says that six additional holes are in the works. Stevenson believes that these improvements, coupled with the courses absurdly low greens fees, make golf accessible for everyone.

"Golf should be fun for everyone in the family," he said. "We have some larger holes for dad. Mom can play from the ladies tees, and junior can play from the par-3 tees on the new holes."

Here is a rundown of other improvements you can expect to see this season at local area courses:

Waterford: A new outing pavilion behind clubhouse was added along with new junior tees set at the 150-yard markers on par-4's and par-5's, and forward of the women's tees on par-3's.

Tega Cay: The Carolina Pines nine will be closed to rebuild all greens with Crenshaw bentgrass to match Grande View nine. The course should reopen in the early fall.

Regent Park: Started a series of new tournaments including dog fights twice a month, and member guest tournaments for die-hard golfers who want a club atmosphere. Also, a new practice bonus card - five buckets of balls for $25 and a new golf academy building for corporate outings.

Crystal Creek: The clubhouse was renovated, cart paths paved and new bunkers were added.

Where to Stay

Fight the temptation to stay in one of the Holiday or Ramada Inns along the I-77 exits. Instead, head back down to Rock Hill and check in at The Book and the Spindle Bed and Breakfast (803-328-1913). The "B and S" is set in a circa 1930's house that is as luxurious a digs as you will find in this little South Carolina town. If you are the type that likes to eat in, the suites actually have kitchens for your cooking pleasure.

In between Golf

If you are visiting the area between May and September, check out a Charlotte Knights game. Games typically start around 6:30, and Knight Stadium is comfortable, if not state of the art. And just because you are limiting your golf trip to Rock Hill and Ft. Mill does not mean you can't head up the road to check out beautiful downtown Charlotte. The Queen City's "Uptown" is recognized as the model for "new south" urban redevelopment, and you can check out shops, pubs, Discovery Place (an excellent science museum), as well as the Mint Museum of Art.

Where to Eat

On the way to Tega Cay, you might notice a doublewide trailer on the right with a big green sign that says "McKale's." On your way back from Tega Cay, you have no other option but to pull in, belly up and enjoy one of the pubs daily specials. McKale's may appear to be just a pub and grub from the outside, but once you check out the menu you will find chicken fettuccini, trout, and other specialties you'd never expect to find in an aluminum box with a driving range in the back.

Shane Sharp is vice president of Buffalo Communications, a golf and lifestyle media agency. He was a writer, senior writer and managing editor of TravelGolf.com from 1997 to 2003.