Fall in love with the links at Patriots Point story by Bill Bauer | photos courtesy of Patriots Point Golf
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inks style golf courses are often found along coastlines, their open, undulating fairways winding through windy tracts of land lacking in trees. They are generally firm and fast and subject to those changing winds coming in off the water. Although it has some fairway defining trees here and there that create a scenic setting for a round of golf, make no mistake: Patriots Point Golf Links in Mt. Pleasant, SC, is a links course. The course runs beside the Charleston
A few trees line some of the fairways at Patriots Point, but the hazard they represent pales when compared to the scenic views of the downtown Charleston skyline, Fort Sumter and Shem Creek.
62 ‹ UPSTATE LAKE LIVING
Harbor on the Ashley River at the foot of the Ravenel Bridge. Playing just minutes from Charleston, an affordable round of golf is accompanied by views of the downtown skyline, Shem Creek and Fort Sumter. The 1980 Willard Byrd design features a par-72 championship layout that ranges from 5,100 to 7,000 yards and is popular among locals and visitors. “We average about 40,000 rounds a year between our members and guests,” said Brad Parker, general manager. “PPGL is a busy place all year long.”
Relatively flat fairways with very generous landing areas enable you to let it out off the tee. Approach shots are the key to scoring at PPGL, especially on the par-5 holes that are reachable in two if you play from the tee that suits your game. “After a good drive your scoring club is in your hand, but be aware of the wind,” warns Parker. It’s not only the tide that rises and falls. As the temperature changes, so does the speed and direction of the wind. Choose your club wisely, he advises.
