Top 10 Golf Courses to Play This Summer in Charleston

Charleston and golf have gone hand in hand for generations. The Lowcountry offers something few golf destinations can match: historic clubs, oceanfront fairways, marsh views, year-round playing conditions, and layouts crafted by some of the game's most respected architects, all within a short drive of downtown Charleston.

For many people relocating from the Northeast, golf quickly becomes part of the lifestyle. The season doesn't end when the weather turns cold because winter in the Lowcountry is mild by comparison. A January tee time in Charleston can feel more inviting than a midsummer round elsewhere.

Whether you're planning a golf trip, exploring the area, or simply looking for your next great round, these are ten Charleston-area courses worth knowing. Most are private, so playing them typically means securing a member invitation or working through a resort or reciprocal arrangement.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort – Ocean Course
Kiawah Island, SC
Few courses in America are as recognizable as the Ocean Course. Designed by Pete Dye and host to the 1991 Ryder Cup as well as the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, the course sits directly along the Atlantic Ocean and features more seaside holes than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere. Coastal winds and dramatic views create a challenge that changes daily, making the Ocean Course a true bucket-list experience.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort – Cassique
Kiawah Island, SC
Designed by Tom Watson, Cassique offers a completely different experience from the Ocean Course. Inspired by traditional Scottish links golf, the course features firm conditions, strategic bunkering, and a layout that rewards creativity and shot-making. Combined with its refined clubhouse and exceptional amenities, Cassique is a standout among private golf experiences in the Southeast.

Wild Dunes Resort – Harbor Course
Isle of Palms, SC
The Harbor Course winds through lagoons, marshes, and waterfront landscapes that are uniquely Charleston. Redesigned by Tom Fazio in 2016, the course offers a memorable mix of scenery and shot-making, with several standout finishing holes that showcase the beauty of the Lowcountry.

Wild Dunes Resort – Links Course
Isle of Palms, SC
Originally designed by Tom Fazio, the Links Course incorporates ocean views, coastal dunes, and natural wetlands into a layout that is both scenic and challenging. Long considered one of Charleston's signature resort courses, it remains a favorite among visitors looking to pair golf with a beach getaway.

Daniel Island Club – Ralston Creek Course
Charleston, SC
Designed by Tom Fazio, Ralston Creek delivers immaculate conditioning, expansive marsh views, and a private-club experience that has earned national recognition. The course consistently ranks among South Carolina's premier private layouts and highlights why Daniel Island has become one of Charleston's most sought-after communities.

Daniel Island Club – Beresford Creek Course
Charleston, SC
Designed by Rees Jones, Beresford Creek provides a different style of challenge than its sister course. The layout winds through tidal creeks, mature landscapes, and marshland while emphasizing precision and strategy. Together, the two courses have helped establish Daniel Island Club as one of the Lowcountry's premier private golf destinations.

Bull's Bay Golf Club
Awendaw, SC
Designed by Mike Strantz in 2002, Bull's Bay was his last wholly original solo design before his death in 2005. Strantz reshaped a flat stretch of Lowcountry land into a course with dramatic elevation changes, siting the clubhouse atop a man-made hill at the center of the property. The private club sits about 20 minutes north of Charleston along the coast.

Yeaman's Hall Club
Hanahan, SC
Seth Raynor designed Yeaman's Hall in 1925 on the site of a 17th-century plantation along the Cooper River. Tom Doak restored the greens and bunkering in 1998, working from Raynor's original plans found in the clubhouse. The course is regarded as one of the most intact examples of Golden Age design in the Lowcountry, with wide, tree-lined fairways bordered by live oaks.

Charleston Municipal Golf Course
James Island, Charleston, SC
Known locally as "The Muni," this public course opened in 1929 on land donated to the city with the condition that it always remain accessible to everyone. A 2020 renovation by architect Troy Miller introduced Raynor-style template holes, including a Redan, Biarritz, and Road hole, while improving drainage and turf. It remains one of the most affordable rounds in the Charleston area.

The Golf Club at Briar's Creek
Johns Island, SC
Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 2001, Briar's Creek is a private, invitation-only club built across 900 acres of marsh, creek, and live oak. The course has no set tee times, and its layout, including a closing hole along the Kiawah River, has earned recognition from national golf publications.

Honorable mention: Country Club of Charleston, one of the state's oldest clubs, is closed this year for a full course renovation.

Charleston's golf scene reflects many of the same qualities that draw people to the area in the first place: beautiful scenery, year-round outdoor living, strong communities, and a slower pace balanced by endless opportunities to get outside.

From world-renowned courses on Kiawah Island to storied private clubs shaped by the game's most respected architects, the region offers a depth and variety that few destinations can match. Charleston has rightfully earned its reputation as one of America's premier golf destinations.