Tourism in South Carolina

The Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort puts Pebble Beach to shame with 10 holes that play right along the beach--the most in the Northern Hemisphere. This 7,356-yard championship course has the all the challenges of a Pete Dye course, with sand dunes, bunkers and whipping winds off the coast. Golf Digest named it the toughest resort course in the country and the fourth best public course. It hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup.

1000 Ocean Course Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
(843) 266-4670
http://www.kiawahresort.com/golf/

This 6,973-yard championship course is also designed by Pete Dye (with some help from Jack Nicklaus) and has hosted a stop on the PGA Tour since 1969 (now called the Verizon Heritage Tournament). It's all about approach shots on this course, most recognized by its red-and-white striped lighthouse, since the greens are some of the smallest you'll see in tournament play. The 458-yard, par-4 18th hole is one of the toughest closing holes in the country when the wind blows off the coast.

11 Lighthouse Lane
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Phone: (843) 363-8385
http://www.seapines.com/golf/harbour_town_golf_links.cfm

There are a ton of great, must-play courses in the golf haven that is Myrtle Beach, but True Blue just might sneak in as the best of them all. The 7,062-yard seaside links course features impeccable Bermuda fairways and more than 100 bunkers. The steep elevation changes and towering pine and oak trees make this course play even stiffer than Mike Strantz's other design--and probably overrated--Caledonia.

900 Blue Stem Drive
Pawleys Island, SC 29585-7842
United States
(888) 483-6800
http://www.truebluegolf.com

"The Holy City" is the largest and most historic city in South Carolina. Take a step back into the antebellum South in the historic district, where nearly three-fourths of the buildings are pre-Revolutionary War and more than 600 were built in the 1840s. It's a great city for Civil War buffs, since you can stand at the site of the first shots of the Civil War and take tours of Confederate mansions and plantations. Boone Hall and Drayton Hall are two of the oldest plantations in the country.

This coastal resort city hosts nearly 15 million tourists a year. The mecca of golf in the U.S. boasts more than 125 of the best courses in the country. The area expands for 60 miles of beautiful beaches. It's family friendly with seaside amusement parks and entertainment along the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach has nearly 500 hotels, most with oceanfront views.