Unanimous Decision: Caledonia Ranked Among Top 100 Public Courses By Golf’s 3 Major Publications
Golf course rankings are inherently subjective but no matter who publishes the list, a clear consensus has emerged around Caledonia Golf & Fish Club – the Mike Strantz design is one of America’s top 100 public layouts.
The most recent affirmation of Caledonia’s place among the game’s premier public venues came with the release of Golfweek’s “Best Courses You Can Play 2023: Top 100 U.S. public-access courses.” The magazine’s nationwide panel of experts ranked Caledonia as America’s 65th best public design.
Strantz’s first solo course, Caledonia is ranked among the nation’s top 100 public layouts by the game’s three major panels, checking in at No. 84 on Golf Magazine’s ranking of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play,” and No. 85 on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.”
At the heart of Caledonia’s appeal is the seamless blending of Strantz’s architectural genius and a stunning tract of Lowcountry land. The stage is set for a special round when players enter the property through a ½-mile alley of oak trees that separate the first and 10th holes, highlighting both the beauty and architectural appeal of the layout.
Caledonia is a shotmaker’s course, rewarding precision as much as power on a par 70 that plays longer than the 6,526 yards on the scorecard suggest. Drama builds throughout the round as players alternate between daunting challenges, such as the stunning seventh hole – a 383-yard par 4 – and birdie opportunities like the 510-yard eighth, a par 5 that offers everyone the opportunity to circle a number on their card.
The back nine is among the most memorable in all of golf-rich South Carolina. The par 5 10th hole, the devilish par 3 11th, and No. 14, a par 4 featuring a green almost completely surrounded by sand, are all outstanding, but the course’s finishing stretch attracts much of the attention.
The 17th hole, a par 3 that plays from an elevated tee box, provides one of the course’s most dramatic shots, and No. 18 is widely regarded as one of golf’s premier closing holes. The dogleg right requires a carry over water to a green that resides in the shadow of a stately clubhouse, where golfers gather to watch their fellow players finish a round on this bucket list course.