Caledonia
369 Caledonia Drive, Pawleys Island, SC, 29585Caledonia Golf and Fish Club, located in Pawleys Island, SC approximately a half hour south of Myrtle Beach, represents to many locals and visitors alike the class of the golf offerings in the entire Grand Strand.
The golf course opened in 1994, the first solo design effort by architect Mike Strantz, who also designed Caledonia’s sister course, True Blue Plantation. Strantz, who passed away of cancer in 2005 at the age of 50, will forever be known for the artistry with which he approached golf course design. Caledonia is exemplary in this regard—just walking around the grounds is a treat unto itself and playing the course is a great joy. It has appeared in top golf course ranking lists compiled by all of the leading golf magazines: Golf Digest’s “100 Greatest Public Courses,” GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play” and Golfweek’s “Top 200 Modern Courses.”
The par-70 golf course sports five par threes and three par fives. Despite measuring just over 6,500 yards from the rear Pintail tees, the course is a complete examination of one’s golf game, calling for a number of different shots, as well as properly thought out strategic play. A great example of Caledonia’s strategic demands comes at the par-four 13th hole. The hole bends nearly 90 degrees to the left around a large, centuries-old live oak tree. Challenging the tree off the tee can leave a wedge approach to a green surrounded by sand while a mid- or short-iron is the result after a safer tee shot out to the right.