Columbia, SC

[djfalcone]

My wife and I are moving to Columbia soon and I was wondering if there are any of you fellow WRX'ers out there in the local area. We're looking at a house on Ronnie street if anyone knows where its located. We are coming down this weekend to check out the neighborhood and she has a job interview Saturday so it's my golf day. Please leave comments and let me know about the area!!!!!

[TaylorC8]

Went to College and lived in Columbia for 3 years after. I spend a lot of time there as I'm only an hour away. It's a good town with a lot of golf courses within easy driving distance. There are 5 courses within 15 minutes of my old house

[Haaank]

If you're still looking for courses, check out "Cobblestone." I was visiting a college buddy down there and we played 36. It's a great track - good enough that they could have a caddie program there if they wanted to. It's the real deal. Tons of crazy elevation changes, and a couple of wild blind shots (Tobacco Road-esq). Also, in terms of private, my buddy worked as an assistant pro at "Spring Valley Country Club" so we played a couple of rounds there. AMAZING course. It has all the charm you''d expect from a SC course. Front 9 is real tight, tree lined target golf with a bunch of doglegs and irons/woods off the tee. Back 9 opens up and lets you (requires you) to rip it long off the tee. It's got everything. Great short game area, every type of hole you could imagine, etc. If you're looking into joining a club, definitely check it out. I'm not too sure about pricing, but all the guys I met that work there are real laid back and I'm sure they'd let you check it out/ play a demo round without much hassle.

[TitleistHOG]

So I can't get on Woodcreek due to Member Guest next Thursday what is the next best option? I have played Cobblestone and The Oaks. Are either in really good shape? Need to play early Thursday morning.

[PapaJohick]

oak hill is usually a pretty decent course. I play it once a year and is always fun

[bosoxfan]

I like Cobblestone as well, it is the University golf course, very nice and fun layout.

K

[svenson]

I also like Cobblestone. I play out there with my dad a few times a year and can find rates as low as $22 a round on GolfNow. Played there three weeks ago and the course was in great condition despite the heat.

[GamecockSlicer]

Full disclosure, I used to be a member at Cobblestone and now belong to Spring Valley.

 

Cobblestone is the best layout/golf in town. If this course was 5-10 min closer to downtown, it would still be fully private and the best track in town. It is off exit 27 in a gated home site. It's been through 3-4 hands over the past 15 years. The course is in great shape as it is home to the USC golf program. It has 3 9's - 2 P.B. Dye 9's (Garnet and Black) and a Lee Janzen 9 (Gold). It is a hilly course and thus walking is discouraged. I walked 18 once and logged more than 20,000 steps on the fitbit that day with nearly 200 "flights of stairs." The staff isn't the best, but it is the best value in the state when you get a hot rate on GolfNow. The clubhouse could be spectacular, but it is chopped up as this is a public track though the bar used to have a great pay what you shoot beer special and it included craft beer.

 

Oak Hills - this is a tough public track that typically has good rates and is in decent shape. They have some odd local rules dealing with rock removal from bunkers and there are some sink holes on fairways, etc. I don't mind playing this track despite the fact that I've never had a particularly good round here.

 

Windermere - this could be a special track. However, they don't have the money to keep up bent greens on a Dye design.

 

Columbia Country Club - 3 Ellis Maple Designed 9s. It is out in Blythewood, but is a decent membership choice.

 

Spring Valley - George Cobb designed this immediately following Quail Hollow. It's rough is the most draconian in the area. The design forces you to hit a non-driver off about 4-5 of Par 4s. This is a good challenge and if you are interested in joining, I would be happy to recommend you.

[North Butte]

Just to quibble, the designer of the Garnet/Black course at Cobblestone (nee University Club) is officially "unattributed". The Dyes were never paid for their initial involvement/routing and were no longer involved by the time earth was actually moved.

 

But at any rate for anyone planning to always or nearly always ride it's a very good option IMHO.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

The Fort Jackson courses are good if you can gain access.

 

I always thought Linrick was a fun round, cheap too.

[GamecockSlicer]

Just to quibble, the designer of the Garnet/Black course at Cobblestone (nee University Club) is officially "unattributed". The Dyes were never paid for their initial involvement/routing and were no longer involved by the time earth was actually moved.

 

But at any rate for anyone planning to always or nearly always ride it's a very good option IMHO.

 

I was fully unaware of this and meant no disrespect to the Dyes.

 

Regardless, Cobblestone is a fun layout and a GolfNow bargain.

 

If you want to join a course, your $$$ goes further at Columbia CC or Spring Valley CC.

[North Butte]

Just to quibble, the designer of the Garnet/Black course at Cobblestone (nee University Club) is officially "unattributed". The Dyes were never paid for their initial involvement/routing and were no longer involved by the time earth was actually moved.

 

But at any rate for anyone planning to always or nearly always ride it's a very good option IMHO.

 

I was fully unaware of this and meant no disrespect to the Dyes.

 

Regardless, Cobblestone is a fun layout and a GolfNow bargain.

 

My knowledge of the P.B. Dye situation is limited. Before the course opened, a good friend of mine joined and he stayed through all the owners up to and including Bobby Ginn. Here's the way he explained it to me. Apparently the Dye company got as far as the routing and some portion of the detailed green, tee and bunker drawings before there was the first of University/Cobblestone's many financial blowups. The original developers missed a scheduled payment and, as one does in these situations, the architect left the project and issued a pro forma instruction that his name not be used. I think this has always happened from time to time when a developer's ambition outstrips his financing. So I doubt we are offending P.B. Dye by mentioning the fact he did some work and got stiffed on the fee!

 

I've always really enjoyed the course itself in spite of its poor walkability. As I've gotten older my feet and back are influencing me to play there less and less often, alas. As for this part...

 

If you want to join a course, your $$$ goes further at Columbia CC or Spring Valley CC.

 

Totally agree.

 

There are numerous semi-private options in the greater Columbia area and most of them are so inexpensive that an avid golfer's cost per round can amount to 10 or 20 dollars. Cobblestone is a fine course, better than the cheap semi-privates, but they are charging nearly the same dues as the actual private clubs. I just can't see the value in signing up for a $3,000 annual commitment for a semi-private course that anyone can play via GolfNow for under $50/round (often much cheaper).

 

If I'm spending private club money, I want a private club. Especially given that Columbia, Spring Valley, Lexington, Camden, etc. offer courses every bit as nice as Cobblestone's and usually walkable as a bonus. Unless I lived in the Cobblestone development I have a hard time seeing the justification for their dues structure (with the caveat that I am completely uninfluenced by palatial clubhouses and having dozens of paid staff on the premises even when the course isn't busy).

[Sixcat]

I was stationed at Fort Jackson for a few years in the 90's. Based on your avatar, I'm guessing the courses at Jackson will not be an issue for you to play. You wont be disappointed.

[North Butte]

Yeah, if you're military I can't imagine any of the other Columbia options can stack up. The courses at Ft. Jackson are very good.

[bpgolf85]

This is a really good thread. I just moved to Columbia about four weeks ago and have started to research clubs.

 

I live right off Exit 12 (Fort Jackson) and was wondering your thoughts on the best course to join. Sounds like the short list is Cobblestone and Spring Valley.

 

What about the others? Forest Lake, Columbia CC, Windemere/Wildwood etc?

 

I don't mind the drive for a great membership and course. The last course I was a member was 45-60 minutes away. It was worth it due to it being in my home town and very favorable rates. I would put a premium on membership qualities over having the best greens and practice facility. I take golf seriously (sometimes too serious) but I want to join somewhere where I feel comfortable and can get a game with a good group of players. 4-14 handicap types if you will.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

I was stationed at Fort Jackson for a few years in the 90's. Based on your avatar, I'm guessing the courses at Jackson will not be an issue for you to play. You wont be disappointed.

 

Me too, 1990-92, both courses are fun at FJ. When I was there they were just breaking ground on the 2nd course.

 

Columbia CC is a nice, no frills course. I played Windermere and I think it is semi-private.

[Fore Putt]

This is a really good thread. I just moved to Columbia about four weeks ago and have started to research clubs.

 

I live right off Exit 12 (Fort Jackson) and was wondering your thoughts on the best course to join. Sounds like the short list is Cobblestone and Spring Valley.

 

What about the others? Forest Lake, Columbia CC, Windemere/Wildwood etc?

 

I don't mind the drive for a great membership and course. The last course I was a member was 45-60 minutes away. It was worth it due to it being in my home town and very favorable rates. I would put a premium on membership qualities over having the best greens and practice facility. I take golf seriously (sometimes too serious) but I want to join somewhere where I feel comfortable and can get a game with a good group of players. 4-14 handicap types if you will.

 

Forest Lake is a fun course, but very short. And pretty tight. I imagine the initiation is pretty steep if all you're looking for is golf. Of course, they also have pool, tennis, dining, etc.

[North Butte]

Forest Lake is an old-money club. I'm sure it is rather pricey but mostly it's a club to join because you're in the social circle of the members, not so much just as a place to join for the golf course.

 

Windermere is definitely semi-private. But it used to be private back in the day.

[Sixcat]

I was stationed at Fort Jackson for a few years in the 90's. Based on your avatar, I'm guessing the courses at Jackson will not be an issue for you to play. You wont be disappointed.

 

Me too, 1990-92, both courses are fun at FJ. When I was there they were just breaking ground on the 2nd course.

 

Columbia CC is a nice, no frills course. I played Windermere and I think it is semi-private.

 

I was there from 92-94.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

I was stationed at Fort Jackson for a few years in the 90's. Based on your avatar, I'm guessing the courses at Jackson will not be an issue for you to play. You wont be disappointed.

 

Me too, 1990-92, both courses are fun at FJ. When I was there they were just breaking ground on the 2nd course.

 

Columbia CC is a nice, no frills course. I played Windermere and I think it is semi-private.

 

I was there from 92-94.

 

Did you know a CPT Kidwell, SFC Panapa or SFC Steve Gardner? They were pretty much 3 of the best golfers at FJGC.

 

 

[Sixcat]

I only remember a hand full of guys from that time in my life. I was very young and have a terrible memory in terms of people as well. Those names don't ring a bell.

 

I do remember a colonial assigned to medical services yelling at us for not wearing sun screen. He was a bit intense.

[Lewis803]

I joined cobblestone this spring and have found it to be a great value. The course is always in good condition and the practice areas are excellent.

[ebean34]

This is a really good thread. I just moved to Columbia about four weeks ago and have started to research clubs.

 

I live right off Exit 12 (Fort Jackson) and was wondering your thoughts on the best course to join. Sounds like the short list is Cobblestone and Spring Valley.

 

What about the others? Forest Lake, Columbia CC, Windemere/Wildwood etc?

 

I don't mind the drive for a great membership and course. The last course I was a member was 45-60 minutes away. It was worth it due to it being in my home town and very favorable rates. I would put a premium on membership qualities over having the best greens and practice facility. I take golf seriously (sometimes too serious) but I want to join somewhere where I feel comfortable and can get a game with a good group of players. 4-14 handicap types if you will.

 

If you're thinking of joining a private club, you should definitely consider Woodcreek Farms. Woodcreek and Wildewood are the same membership, access to two very different 18 hole courses only a few miles apart. Woodcreek is a very nice Fazio design with a massive practice facility, and regularly hosts SCGA and even Mini tour events each year. Wildewood is a bit tighter, but a nice complement to Woodcreek. There are a couple of good morning groups you could get hooked up with. Generally the staff is very accommodating with setting you up with with a trial round. Call the Pro shop and either ask for Joe, Tyler or Solomon.

 

Columbia CC is a good set up as well. As a member @ Woodcreek, I prefer it to Columbia, but overall its a great spot.

[bpgolf85]

Thanks for the input. I have only played Columbia as I was invited by a member on GolfWrx. Really enjoyed the course but haven't had a chance to check out any other courses in the area besides that and Cobblestone. Cobblestone had the nicest greens that I have played in NC or SC since moving from up north but I am concerned about the pace of play.

 

One curious thought is the relationship USC has with the courses. Seems that both Cobblestone and Woodcreek/Wildewood claim to have one. Or did Cobblestone used to have one and does not any more?

 

Doesn't matter when choosing a club but I was just curious. I will reach out to Woodcreek Farms and get some information. Thanks for bringing that to mind.

[GamecockSlicer]

Thanks for the input. I have only played Columbia as I was invited by a member on GolfWrx. Really enjoyed the course but haven't had a chance to check out any other courses in the area besides that and Cobblestone. Cobblestone had the nicest greens that I have played in NC or SC since moving from up north but I am concerned about the pace of play.

 

One curious thought is the relationship USC has with the courses. Seems that both Cobblestone and Woodcreek/Wildewood claim to have one. Or did Cobblestone used to have one and does not any more?

 

Doesn't matter when choosing a club but I was just curious. I will reach out to Woodcreek Farms and get some information. Thanks for bringing that to mind.

 

Cobblestone is USC's "home course." The University is building a new practice facility near Williams Brice Stadium.

 

If you want to check out Spring Valley, let me know and I would love to host you.

[seasuks]

Full disclosure, I used to be a member at Cobblestone and now belong to Spring Valley.

 

Cobblestone is the best layout/golf in town. If this course was 5-10 min closer to downtown, it would still be fully private and the best track in town. It is off exit 27 in a gated home site. It's been through 3-4 hands over the past 15 years. The course is in great shape as it is home to the USC golf program. It has 3 9's - 2 P.B. Dye 9's (Garnet and Black) and a Lee Janzen 9 (Gold). It is a hilly course and thus walking is discouraged. I walked 18 once and logged more than 20,000 steps on the fitbit that day with nearly 200 "flights of stairs." The staff isn't the best, but it is the best value in the state when you get a hot rate on GolfNow. The clubhouse could be spectacular, but it is chopped up as this is a public track though the bar used to have a great pay what you shoot beer special and it included craft beer.

 

Oak Hills - this is a tough public track that typically has good rates and is in decent shape. They have some odd local rules dealing with rock removal from bunkers and there are some sink holes on fairways, etc. I don't mind playing this track despite the fact that I've never had a particularly good round here.

 

Windermere - this could be a special track. However, they don't have the money to keep up bent greens on a Dye design.

 

Columbia Country Club - 3 Ellis Maple Designed 9s. It is out in Blythewood, but is a decent membership choice.

 

Spring Valley - George Cobb designed this immediately following Quail Hollow. It's rough is the most draconian in the area. The design forces you to hit a non-driver off about 4-5 of Par 4s. This is a good challenge and if you are interested in joining, I would be happy to recommend you.

 

I was a member at the following in Columbia: Fort Jackson, University Club (now Cobblestone), Windermere, and Columbia CC.

 

Fort Jackson is two of the absolute best military courses in town and they have the former superintendent from Columbia CC whose sole goal with the greens was to keep them firm enough that they didn't leave ball marks and keep them at at least 10.5. I'm told one of the first things he did when he got to FJ was convince them to install Tifeagle on the greens so he could make that happen. Two really good golf courses and, if you're military, you can't beat something like $50/month plus the trail fee (I think $2/per nine) to walk.

 

I joined University Club as a student back in 1998 while going to USC. It was an absolutely incredible place, with awesome membership. I kept my membership as a national member from 2000 until I moved back there in 2005 and was once again a student member thanks to grad school. He rose the rates for students from $75/month to $400/month and the rates for the regular members from $250/month to $550/month and made foursomes and carts mandatory...his goal was to drive out the current members and get new people. He succeeded on the first front, not sure about the second.

 

When my group and I all left UC (Cobblestone) we all ended up joining Windermere (over CCC and Spring Valley) which was, in hindsight, a mistake. It's a really good Dye layout, but the owner is cheap and never put any money back into the course which was frustrating because it could have been so. damned. special. The one thing I will give it is that the bent grass greens were usually awesome from October to March, but other than that, it's just sad what the owner let it become.

 

The same group that all joined Windermere left after about a year and we all joined Columbia CC which is where we should have gone from the start. Incredible staff (Chris Sparrow was the Head Pro then, he's the GM now), great (IMO) layout, and always, always, always in fantastic shape. It is a very special place, not only because of the value at something silly like $350/month, but also there's absolutely no problem finding a game out there. When I left as a member in 2008, there were 400 members, 200 of which were a 10hdcp or better, and there was a standing tee time at 8am on the weekends for the under 5hdcp group as well as "dog fights" on Wednesday and Friday afternoon where you were matched up A, B, C, D. All of my friends that are still in Columbia, except one, are still at CCC. The other went back to Cobblestone after Ginn went under (karma is a b***h) and he's happy there and says it's always in great shape as well.

 

I walked everywhere I was a member and got in some really good shape when I was at Cobblestone. There are a couple of pretty good climbs (1, 4, and 9 garnet...going up to the clubhouse after 9 black or 9 golf), but other than that, it was a fairly easy walk. CCC is a really easy walk as are both courses at FJ. Windermere isn't a difficult walk, there's just a lot of distance from green to tee because of the housing built all around it.

 

Spring Valley is a really good course as mentioned above.

 

Glad to hear Woodcreek has recovered from the recession, it was really bad when I played there in 2008. Wildewood was decent, played the US Mid Am qualifier there one year.

 

Forest Lake is an old money club that asks you to be a member, not the other way around. It's a good track that's always in good shape, but I preferred CCC, Old Hickory at FJ, and Cobblestone over that layout.

 

Lexington CC is a decent track, but way out of the way if you don't live in Lexington.

 

Hopefully one of these days with all the growth going on out in Irmo and around Lake Murray, they'll actually get a course/club out there rather than everyone having to drive to the northeast side of town on I77 to find a good course.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Camden CC was also pretty darn awesome when I played it.

[Juice__25]

Seasuks. That was the best write up I've seen of the area.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Windermere Club

[seasuks]

Seasuks. That was the best write up I've seen of the area.

 

Thanks! I REALLY miss living in Columbia. A lot of great private golf at incredibly affordable prices for courses that are better than just about everything public out here in San Diego. All of the courses in COLA would be at least a $75K initiation and $1250+/month dues out here. Yeah, I can go play Torrey for under $90 on the weekend, but the five hour rounds, terrible greens on the South after 11am due to the Poa (North greens are fantastic after the redesign and they're bentgrass, so no flowers in the afternoon), and ridiculous rough starting around October while getting ready for the tournament take a ton of enjoyment out of it. If the South wasn't right along the ocean, it wouldn't even be ranked in my opinion.

 

Windermere Club

 

It's a pretty hole, but the owner sucks. While it's the only course with bent grass greens in the area, the suck from April - mid October.

 

I don't know about the other clubs in the area, but CCC does NOT overseed their greens in the winter, they just paint them green and let them go dormant. They used to stay firm and fast (11+) all winter and there's no transition period in the fall where you're putting on shag carpet or in the winter when they're trying to kill off the rye/bent. I'm trying to remember if they even overseed the fairways...I don't think they overseed anything except the tees, so you have firm and fast playing conditions at CCC year round.

 

When Cobblestone was still University Club, they overseeded everything in the fall except for the rough (like the picture of Windermere above)...but they still had bent grass greens as well when I left in 2006. They've since gone to Tifeagle as well, but my buddy didn't tell me if they do the greens or just paint them like CCC so that they're awesome year round and don't have to go through two transitions.