The second leg of our Myrtle Beach trip took us south to Pawleys Island, the home of Caledonia Golf and Fish Club. Caledonia was built on the grounds of a former rice plantation and is exactly how you would picture an old southern plantation. From the moment we turned into the entrance I knew we were in for a special treat.
The entrance takes you down a long street lined with centuries-old live oaks ending at an antebellum-styled clubhouse which sets the tone for an extraordinary golf experience. The course is laid out over 152 acres, short and sweet playing 6,526 yards. The par-70 course was designed by Mike Strantz and opened in 1994.
Upon arrival at Caledonia we were warmly welcomed and our bags quickly unloaded and transported to a cart. The staff explained the layout and showed us where the practice area was located which includes a multi-hole chipping area and practice green. The only negative about the practice area was the lack of a driving range. There isn’t enough room for a full range at Caledonia. However, a range is available at Caledonia’s sister club True Blue, but they do not have a shuttle available between the properties. Before warming up we checked in at the pro shop and strolled around to see what they had to offer. Caledonia offers an impressive selection of hats, you’ll be able to find one that goes with any outfit in your closet. Besides the large variety of hats you’ll find all the other typical items you would expect in a high-end pro shop.
After browsing the pro shop and warming up we met the starter who was extremely knowledgeable about not only Caledonia but all the other area courses we
planned to play during our trip. After exchanging stories with the starter we headed over to the first tee, a short par 4 that runs along the same beautiful road that brought you to Caledonia. At only 6,500 yards from the tips most holes are going to seem short, however in the case of Caledonia short doesn’t mean easy. The Caledonia fairways are narrow and lined with century old oaks which cause trouble for any errant tee shot. My opinion is to keep the driver in your bag and go with an iron off the tee, just make sure to avoid the bunkers.
The tee boxes, fairways, and greens were all in great shape, however the course was still under cart path only restrictions from all the recent rain that had hit the area. The only complaint we had about the course was the poor condition of the bunkers. The recent rain had taken a toll on the bunkers and the grounds crew had yet to work on the majority of them, outside of that we had no complaints about the course condition.
Caledonia is a special course, you will feel challenged but somehow relaxed at the same time. I wasn’t sure what low-country charm was before my visit to Caledonia, but they have it in spades. The entire time you’re at Caledonia you’ll never forget that you’re on the grounds of a former working plantation. If a ghost ever existed on a golf course this would be the place. Ghosts aside, you won’t be able to help but enjoy the layout of this southern jewel. People like to boast that there isn’t one signature hole but rather 18 of them at Caledonia. While they aren’t too far from the truth, the eighteenth at Caledonia stands out from the rest in my mind. Eighteen requires a tee shot that gets you into position to hit over water and onto the green. As you line up for your approach shot you won’t help but notice the clubhouse in the background.
As you make your way to the green you’ll notice the gallery on the porch full of golfers enjoying a drink and cheering you on. It’s a great way to finish a round of golf and I guarantee you’ll feel a little more pressure on that last putt.
Caledonia was a total experience, we had just as much fun if not more after our round of golf. Once we finished up, we enjoyed a scented iced towel and headed into the clubhouse, ordered some drinks and took a seat in one of the many rocking chairs facing the 18th green. It turned out the 2 groups in front of us were part of a bachelor party and after a few drinks we ended up challenging each other to a chip off! At the end of the day everyone had a blast and the last round of drinks were courtesy of the bachelors.
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club Overall Rating 4 ¼ out of 5 Stars
If the bunkers had been better shape I think Caledonia could have gotten a 4.5 stars rating. The bunker condition and lack of a driving range are the major factors that impacted the course rating. There are a few other small gripes you could make such as the golf cart fleet is probably close to end of life or there weren’t any cart towels provided but you really start getting into the weeds. Bottom line, Caledonia is spectacular and a must play for any Myrtle Beach golf trip. Going into the trip with everything we had heard about Caledonia I was expecting this to be the best course we played, but I was wrong. Read our other Myrtle Beach reviews to see which course shined brighter than Caledonia.