‘Not ... your typical course,’ Congaree draws rave reviews from CJ Cup golfers

Seamus Power, an Irishman who ranks among the top 50 players in the world, slammed his tee shot long and straight on Congaree Golf Club’s par-5 12th hole, only to discover that trees blocked his direct path to the green.

Perplexing, perhaps. But no problem for players like Power competing in the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup in South Carolina this weekend. He hit a low hook toward the green more than 240 yards away.

Alas, his ball caught the waste area that guards the putting surface.

“Then I holed the bunker shot” for eagle, Power said. “A bonus, but I did hit a very nice shot.”

Ah, Congaree takes and gives, and the players relish the opportunities like those presented by the Tom Fazio design in rural Jasper County.

Indeed, the golf course carved out of a sand-based rice plantation that opened to rave reviews in 2017 is love at first sight for game’s top players, many of whom are getting the first look at the property this week.

The Tour’s Palmetto Championship at Congaree introduced the course to the golf world 16 months ago, but the last-minute addition to the schedule played a week before the U.S. Open attracted only a few high-ranked players.

Those who did compete sang praises about Congaree, and now the McIroys, Schefflers and their ilk have joined the chorus.

“There’s no rough, so it kind of has a little bit of that sand-belt feel with the packed kind of sandy areas everywhere,” Jordan Spieth said. “I love these giant trees that shape the holes; they shape a lot of the tee shots.

“There’s a mix of some easier holes, some really meaty hard holes, some bigger green surfaces with some really tiny tabletop-type greens on par 5s or short par 4s.”

Trey Mullinax shared the first-round lead with a 6-under-par 65, but he would have liked the layout even had his score been higher.

“Awesome,” the former University of Alabama star said. “We don’t get to play these kinds of courses all the time, so it’s a lot of fun and a treat. You could hit any shot you wanted and you don’t have the same shot over and over.

“This golf course brings an artistic feel to it.”

The thing is, golfers of all skill levels would be at home on the course that can play as long as 7,800 yards. The length for the pros this week is in the 7,650-yard range, but playing from distances that match ability is a treat and a test for everyone.

Good shots are rewarded — most of the time — on the course designed to play firm and fast. There’s sand everywhere, and run-off areas around the greens are challenging.

“It’s not like your typical course we play in America,” said Shane Lowry, the Irishman who won the 2019 Open Championship. “A lot of the fairways are wider, but around the greens ... the sharpness of the bunkers, how quick they are and the runoffs. A little wind would make it very tricky.”

Congaree has been compared to the acclaimed Royal Melbourne in Australia, and Australian native Cam Davis sees similarities.

“The firmness and speed definitely” are like those in the Australian sand-belt, said Davis, who headed into the weekend at 10-under-par 132. “It’s a little grainier than we get in Australia, but at the same time the bunkers still have those sharp edges and you see a lot of balls chasing out on the greens and down the fairways.

“I think all of that kind of gives it a bit of that vibe. But it’s a much bigger property and much bigger golf holes than we have in the sand-belt. Here, it’s got to be a little bit more aggressive with the driver.”

The variety of holes intrigued Spieth.

“It’s kind of interesting because each hole that you’re stepping on you’re expecting to be somewhat similar to the last, and (instead) there’s something totally different,” he said. “That’s kind of fun to see.”

Said Rory McIlroy: “You have a lot of options.”

Two drivable par-4s — at least drivable for him — are part of the intrigue.

Standing on the 15th tee in Thursday’s first round, he surveyed the hole that, thanks to added length this year, requires 308 yards to carry the waste bunker and measures 366 yards on the scorecard.

Playing partners Rickie Fowler and Tom Kim laid up.

Rory waited.

Even before the group ahead left the green, the world’s No. 2-ranked player swung. His shot covered the deep bunker and rolled between more trouble before stopping in front of the green.

McIlroy would apologize for hitting into the group, but ...

“The longer I stood over that tee shot, the more likely it was that I was going to lay up,” he said. “I just needed to step up and hit it. Whether they were on the green or not, I had to go.”

That’s Congaree. Anyone who gets the opportunity has to go. It’s love at first sight.

This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Not ... your typical course,’ Congaree draws rave reviews from CJ Cup golfers."