One of the best things about living in the south is the weather. Yes, we have ridiculously hot days and unbearably cold days every once in awhile, but most of the time it's pretty awesome. And one of the best ways to take advantage of the awesome weather is to play a relaxing round of golf. Lucky for us, the Upstate is home to some of the TOP golf courses in South Carolina. Here's a list of the Top 10 in the Upstate according to the SC Golf Course Ratings Panel. 

1. Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer course)

  • Originally the Sans Souci Country Club, annual member dues in 1905 was $20!
  • It is now home to two championship courses, Chanticleer and Riverside, in 2012-2013 Chanticleer served as one of the three hosts for Web.com's BMW Invitational.

2. The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards

  • Course designer Tom Fazio (who is Golf Digest's most credited living golf course designers) used the natural beauty of the Keowee area to design not one, but two Cliffs golf courses, Clliffs at Keowee Vineyards and Cliffs at Keowee Springs. 
  • Keowee Vineyards was voted "America's Best New Private Courses" by Golf Digest in 2000.

3. Musgrove Mill Golf Club

  • Arnold Palmer himself designed the course to play into the area's unique natural elements, from the Enoree River to the elevated landscape.
  • The club sits in the exact location the Revolutionary War Battle of Musgrove Mill took place in 1780!

4. Cliffs at Mountain Park

  • One of the Cliffs newest courses, Mountain Park was named one of the "Best New Courses" in Golf Magazine in 2013. 
  • Being a member of one Cliffs community gives you access to ALL seven of the highly sought after Cliffs communities.

5. Cliffs at Keowee Falls (Have we mentioned how popular the Cliffs communities are around here?)

  • Hole 15 features the largest known fruit-bearing North American Pear Tree in the country!

6. The Reserve at Lake Keowee

  • Voted by the Greenville News' readers "Best Upstate Community" in 2013 and 2014.
  • USC head football coach Steve Spurrier claims The Reserve is his favorite Upstate course.

7. Cliffs at Glassy

  • The Cliffs communities started BIG! As South Carolina's only mountaintop golf course, Golf Digest named it the "Fourth most scenic in the nation". (darn you pebble creek!)
  • The Glassy Chapel sits at one of the highest points on Glassy Mountain. People from all over come just to see the amazing scenery from this quaint chapel.

8. Thornblade Club 

  • Bump elbows with the elite! The founding member of Thornblade Club, Jay Haas, is a two-time Champions Tour champion while other PGA champions can be seen frequenting the Tom Fazio designed course as well.

9. Cliffs at Keowee Springs (are you seeing a pattern?)

  • Bring the kids to this one! A set of family tees makes this course ideal for your tag-along young PGA hopeful.

10. Country Club of Spartanburg

  • The country Club of Spartanburg serves as host of the Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational.
  • It is also home to the largest private pool in the Carolinas!

 

Whether you're visiting or already call the Upstate home, these beautiful courses are just a stones throw away!