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Hardest Golf Courses in South Carolina

The 25 most challenging golf courses in South Carolina, ranked by maximum slope rating.

The hardest golf course in South Carolina on Stymie is Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, designed by Jack Nicklaus (opened in 1981). It carries a maximum slope rating of 155, stretching 7,820 yards from the back tees, placing it well above the USGA's neutral 113 and into the territory where bogey golfers should expect to lose 8-12 strokes versus their handicap. These 25 courses below are ranked by maximum slope rating, the single best proxy for "how punishing this course is" for the average golfer.

Across the full Stymie directory, the average maximum slope in South Carolina is 137 — above the typical US state benchmark around 125. 81 courses in South Carolina carry a slope of 140 or higher; a slope of 140+ is considered very difficult and demands accurate driving, distance control on iron shots, and patience around the greens.

If you're testing yourself or planning a buddy trip built around difficulty, start at the top of this list and play from a tee one set forward of your normal handicap range. Course difficulty is not the same as course quality — many of the hardest courses below also rank among the most enjoyable in the state, but the slope rating tells you to bring your A-game.

Ranked

Peak slope

155

Avg max slope

137

Slope 140+

Hardest Easiest Longest Oldest Newest

#	Course	City	Par	Slope
1	Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course#30 GD Championship tees · 7,820 yds · Rating 79.1 · Par 72 · Jack Nicklaus · 1981 · ResortKiawah Island	Kiawah Island	72	155
2	Golf Club at Briars Creek Championship tees · 7,175 yds · Rating 82.1 · Par 72 · Rees Jones · 2002 · PrivateJohn's Island	John's Island	72	155
3	Kiawah Island Club - River Course Gold tees · 7,068 yds · Rating 76.1 · Par 72 · PrivateSt Johns	St Johns	72	155
4	Carolina Country Club Black tees · 6,929 yds · Rating 73.5 · Par 72 · Tom Jackson · 1984 · PrivateSpartanburg	Spartanburg	72	155
5	Musgrove Mill Golf Club Walnut tees · 6,863 yds · Rating 74.4 · Par 72 · Arnold Palmer · 1988 · PrivateClinton	Clinton	72	155
6	TPC of Myrtle Beach Black tees · 6,915 yds · Rating 74.3 · Par 72 · Tom Fazio · 1999Murrells Inlet	Murrells Inlet	72	154
7	Cliffs at Glassy No. 1 tees · 6,690 yds · Rating 73.3 · Par 72 · Tom Jackson · 1993 · PrivateLandrum	Landrum	72	154
8	Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards Black tees · 6,999 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 71 · Tom Fazio · 1999 · PrivateSunset	Sunset	71	152
9	Debordieu Club I Heron tees · 7,177 yds · Rating 75.6 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1987 · PrivateGeorgetown	Georgetown	72	151
10	Old Tabby Golf Links Palmer tees · 7,000 yds · Rating 74.4 · Par 72Okatie	Okatie	72	151
11	Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links Black tees · 6,831 yds · Rating 73.7 · Par 72Little River	Little River	72	151
12	The Wizard / Man O' War Golf Course Black tees · 6,801 yds · Rating 73.4 · Par 72 · Dan Maples · 1996Conway	Conway	72	151
13	Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club Golden Bear tees · 7,026 yds · Rating 75.2 · Par 72 · Jack Nicklaus · 1988 · Semi_privatePawleys Island	Pawleys Island	72	150
14	Wexford Golf Club Palmer Black tees · 6,884 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · Willard Byrd · 1985Hilton Head Island	Hilton Head Island	72	150
15	Cross Creek Plantation Gold tees · 6,830 yds · Rating 74.2 · Par 72 · Pete Dye · 1991 · PrivateSeneca	Seneca	72	150
16	Charleston National Country Club Member White tees · 6,080 yds · Rating 77.4 · Par 73 · Rees Jones · 1987 · Semi_privateMount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	73	150
17	Dunes Golf & Beach Club Gold tees · 7,355 yds · Rating 76.0 · Par 72 · Robert Trent Jones · 1948Myrtle Beach	Myrtle Beach	72	149
18	Crescent Pointe Golf Club Palmer tees · 6,672 yds · Rating 73.6 · Par 71 · Davis Love III · 1998Bluffton	Bluffton	71	149
19	Harbour Town Golf Links Heritage tees · 7,110 yds · Rating 75.6 · Par 71 · Pete Dye · ResortHilton Head Island	Hilton Head Island	71	148
20	Founders Club at Pawleys Island Black tees · 6,936 yds · Rating 74.5 · Par 72Pawleys Island	Pawleys Island	72	148
21	Thornblade Black tees · 6,580 yds · Rating 78.7 · Par 72 · Tom Fazio · 1989 · PrivateGreer	Greer	72	148
22	Heritage Club White tees · 6,310 yds · Rating 77.3 · Par 71 · Dan Maples · 1986Pawleys Island	Pawleys Island	71	148
23	Long Cove Club Gold tees · 7,026 yds · Rating 75.2 · Par 71 · Pete Dye · 1980 · PrivateHilton Head Island	Hilton Head Island	71	147
24	Crowfield Golf Club Black tees · 7,005 yds · Rating 74.9 · Par 72 · Bob Spence · 1989Goose Creek	Goose Creek	72	147
25	Wild Wing Golf Course Black tees · 6,996 yds · Rating 74.5 · Par 72Conway	Conway	72	147

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest golf course in South Carolina?

Kiawah Island Golf Resort - The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina is the hardest ranked course with a maximum slope rating of 155. Slope rating measures the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch player — 113 is average, 140+ is very difficult, and 155 is the maximum.

How many golf courses in South Carolina have a slope rating of 140 or higher?

81 golf courses have a max slope rating of 140 or higher in South Carolina based on the scorecards in the Stymie directory. A slope of 140 or above is considered very challenging for bogey golfers.

How does South Carolina's average difficulty compare to the rest of the US?

The average maximum slope rating across golf courses in South Carolina is 137, versus a US average around 125. A higher state average indicates courses that are, on the whole, tougher for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

What makes a golf course hard?

Course difficulty is driven primarily by slope rating (how much harder it plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer), course rating (how a scratch golfer would score), total yardage, hazards (water, bunkers, forced carries), green speed, and rough length. Slope rating is the single best proxy for "how tough this course is."