Beaufort County keeps up with nation’s top public courses in latest rankings

Five South Carolina golf courses, including one making its highest appearance to date and two regulars in Beaufort County, can be found in Golf Digest’s latest listing of America’s top 100 public golf courses published this month.

Perennial members on the list, Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines ranked 23 this year, down from 19 in 2016; while May River Golf Club came in at 39, down from 37.

Harbour Town, a Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus course dating from 1969 (with a Dye-overseen renovation in 2015), has ranked since 2003. It achieved its highest ranking on this particular list in 2003 and 2004, at No. 10.

May River Golf Club debuted on the list in 2009 at No. 22, its highest ranking which it held through 2012. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus in 2004.

South Carolina also boasts the top golf course in the East in Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, this year’s No. 3 entry. The Pete Dye and Alice Dye design dating from 1991 is enjoying its highest spot yet. It has been in the list since 2003.

Pebble Beach Golf Links in California (Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, 1919, with at least four major renovations since then) and Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. (Tom Doak, 2001), took the top two spots.

The other South Carolina courses listed were both in the Grand Strand area:

▪ No. 54. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (Robert Trent Jones, 1949; ranked since 2003; highest ranking No. 15, 2003-04), and

▪ No. 85. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Island (Mike Strantz, 1994; ranked 2003-10 and from 2013 to present; highest ranking was No. 66 in 2009-10)

Peruse the entire list at golfdigest.com.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Beaufort County keeps up with nation’s top public courses in latest rankings."