Caledonia and True Blue Perched Atop Hierarchy of South Carolina Golf

The official rankings:

1. The Ocean Course –Kiawah Island

2. Harbor Town Golf Links –Hilton Head Island

3. Dunes Golf and Beach Club –Myrtle Beach

4. Caledonia Golf and Fishing Club –Pawleys Island

5. True Blue Golf Club –Pawleys Island

Anyone who is a veteran of Myrtle Beach golf trips knows that a visit to Pawleys Island, on the southern edge of the Grand Strand, is special. It is a calmer, gentler style of Low Country living.

And the most special part of a Pawleys Island visit is the spectacular golf. At the top of the impressive list of courses in the area are the sister courses – Caledonia Golf and Fishing Club and True Blue. Officially.

After years of drawing rave reviews from the thousands of golfers who flock to the two premier courses annually, Caledonia and True Blue are getting the same treatment from the golf course raters.

In the recent State-by-State rankings from Golfweek magazine, Caledonia and True Blue both landed among the top 5 courses in golf-rich South Carolina for the first time. And that is impressive, especially since South Carolina was named the No. 1 golf area in the world for golf that is available for all to play.

While all five courses are magnificent examples of golf course architecture, the first three get quite a popularity boost due to hosting heralded professional tournaments. The Ocean Course has hosted a Ryder Cup, a PGA

Senior Championship and two PGA Championships. Harbor Town has hosted the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour every year since 1969. The Dunes Club has hosted a number of PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour events over the years and returns to the professional circuit in 2024 with the debut of the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic.

Both Caledonia and True Blue have had to build a national reputation on their own merits as an outstanding golf experience.

“We have been very fortunate over the years to get outstanding recognition from the golf world,” says Bob Seganti, general manager at Caledonia and True Blue. “Now, having both courses ranked among the top 5 in South Carolina is just another feather in our cap. It is a tribute to our team and the total golf experience they present, and to the design genius of Mike Strantz.”

Strantz, who cut his teeth in the golf course architecture business under the exalted Tom Fazio, reached national acclaim when Caledonia opened in 1994, followed closely by True Blue in 1998. He left the golf world too early, at age 50, after losing a battle to throat cancer in 2005.

“The latest rankings serve as long overdue testimony to the greatness of Strantz,” concludes Seganti. “He really was an artist.”

And now his artistry stands among the greatest courses in golf-rich South Carolina … and in America.

Hannah Leiner and Gabi Powel love to play golf, golf and more golf in their native South Florida.

Hannah who? Gabi who?

They’re household names if you’re in tune with today’s hottest golf media personalities and social media consiglieres.

Adding to their burgeoning stardom is, well, starring roles in Golf Nation’s new series, “Three Courses.” Episode 1 premiered on July 13 on are rolled out weekly on www.golfnation. com and its Android app.

Presented by Club Wyndham, season 1, episode 1 takes us to Phoenix where close friends, blonde Gabi and brunette Hannah, both 24 and happy as the happies clams, do what golfers love to do – play, eat and drink. The venues: 18 holes at Club Wyndham Legacy Golf Resort, chow at The Larder + The Delta, and adult beverages at Pigtails Downtown.

“Golf is an experience as much off the course as on the course,” says Hannah as Gabi nods in complete agreement. “Combining the mental strength to perform with the golf-lifestyle the rest of your waking hours represents a great life.”

The next two “Three Courses” episodes feature sights and sounds of golf destinations Oceanside, California and Atlanta. Not your normal Myrtle Beach or Scottsdale, but perfect for buddy and, in the case of Gabi and Hannah, girl’s trips.

The former Florida International University golf stars hit it off at first meet-up. That fellowship glows in “Three Courses” as the duo roots for one another. Notwithstanding, audiences easily surmise Gabi sort of wants Hannah to lip out … and, naturally, vice versa. The competitive fire is there, but, in the end, camaraderie wins every time.

Gabi wields her driver with a swing speed of, proverbially, the speed of light, her greatest bomb stretching 367 yards. While Hannah can’t top that, she claims “I never missed a fairway and never will.”

The “Three Sisters” travelogue captures what these golfobsessed millennials (as do elder generations) want out of the sport and lifestyle – be the best version of yourself on the course, smile throughout rounds and create lasting memories. The blend of serious and not-so-serious is what golf offers above almost every sport.

Hannah appeared on “Holey Moley” on ABC-TV alongside Steph Curry while Gabi is brazenly focused on growing her already enormous social following.

“We loved filming 12- and 13hour days with the awesome Golf Nation crew,” says Gabi. Her counterpart retorts: “I only wish there were behind-the-scenes cameras during our road trip from southern California to Phoenix – we laughed so hard … golf brings out the best in people.”

The golf getaway is only one entertaining topic covered by the golf-lifestyle entertainment network. Other original, popular

Golf Nation shows include “Ambush with David Feherty” and his hidden-camera hijinks; “Golf Unseen” that, this season, journeys in South Africa; “Tee Shots” where celebrity guests chat, sip and take swings with famous mixologist Bill Binder; and “Watch Buy Play” highlighting the planet’s hottest golf products.

To top it off, Golf Nation President and former PGA of America President Suzy Whaley hosts the comedic “Don’t I Know You?” modeled after the “Newlywed Game.”

Golf Nation debuted in December 2022 and is en fuego. Its patented technology allows viewers to engage with and instantly learn about and purchase products and other offerings featured in shows by clicking on a “buy bar” while never leaving the streaming experience.

Like Club Wyndham, brands exclusively in and others adjacent to golf sponsoring shows and selling products in video.

Boasting a marketing degree, Gabi notes: “Video commerce is genius. Golf is indeed fun and games, but it’s a thriving business, as well.

In upcoming months, shows will be available on the Golf Nation iOS app, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku and connected (smart) TVs. The company plans to soon announce a landmark partnership whereby Golf Nation will be pre-loaded on more than 100 million devices globally.