Ginn - Sponsor of 2007 LPGA Tournament in Charleston

Over 200 years ago Charleston was the site of America's first golf course and golf club. In 1786 the South Carolina Golf Club was formed and established "Harleston Green" in what is now downtown Charleston. In fact, the term "green fee" is thought to have evolved from the membership fees paid by club members to maintain their course. While Charleston Green is a long-gone memory, it established a heritage and tradition of golfing excellence that today is evident throughout the Lowcountry. (*from WorldGolf.com)

Rated among Forbes “Finest Places”
Has 2 of the 100 greatest golf courses in the world (Golf Magazine)

“…among the nation's best” cities for golf (Golf Digest).

Kiawah Island's famed Ocean Course  - site of the 2007 68th Senior PGA Championship / selected for the 2012 PGA Championship / site of the 1991 Ryder Cup /site of the 1997 World Cup of Golf/ location of filming of the movie, "Bagger Vance"

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – The PGA of America announced Thursday that the renowned Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort will test the strongest field in major championship golf in August 2012, selecting the course for the 94th PGA Championship. By being named to host the season’s final major, the Pete Dye-designed oceanfront layout will become only the fourth course to host each of The PGA of America’s major championships – the Ryder Cup (1991), the Senior PGA Championship (2007) and the PGA Championship (2012). "It's an honor for The Ocean Course and Kiawah Island to host the first of golf's four major championships ever to be played in South Carolina," said Goodwin. "We look forward to continuing our history of hosting the PGA of America’s major championships." Buddy Darby, CEO of Kiawah Development Partners

The Ralston Creek Course at the Daniel Island Club, described as a “Lowcountry version of St. Andrews,” has been named to Golfweek’s list of Best New Courses. Designed by Rees Jones and opened in April 2006, Ralston Creek ranked 50th among more than 350 U.S. courses opened between 2005 and 2007.

“What impressed the Golfweek raters was the relaxed land plan of the Ralston Creek course,” said Golfweek senior writer Bradley Klein, who compiled the rankings based on input from more than 400 raters. “It’s a traditional out-and-back routing, where you essentially start in the community, head out from a central corridor, and come back in. It’s a journey with a rhythm to it. In that respect, it’s kind of a Lowcountry version of St. Andrews.” Klein, who played the Ralston Creek course earlier this month, came away impressed with the course’s variety of par 4s and the way Jones used the marsh edge to lend aesthetic appeal and challenge to the 7,446-yard, par 72 layout. “The strength of the course is its integration of marsh, most of which is introduced on a diagonal, not as a penal cross hazard. So you have a lot of playing options and can choose to bite off as much as you want to,” he said. The Golfweek ranking follows Golf Digest’s selection of Ralston Creek as one of the "2006 Best New Private Courses" and recognition from the South Carolina Golf Raters Panel for "Outstanding Achievement in Golf Course Design" for 2006.  Since its opening, Ralston Creek has hosted an event on the Nationwide Tour (PalmettoPride Classic), a U.S. Open local qualifying event and a PGA Professional National Championship sectional qualifying event. Located in the historic city of Charleston, S.C., Daniel Island is one of the nation’s most successful and highly regarded master-planned communities of the last decade.

The 4,000-acre island – once a private hunting retreat – is a 2007 recipient of the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious “Awards for Excellence” and a national model for smart growth. Home to a wide array of traditional neighborhoods with a diverse selection of homes, townhomes and condominiums, Daniel Island also offers residents access to hundreds of acres of parks, 23 miles of rivers and creeks and more than 12 miles of leisure trails. Professional tennis and soccer facilities and a private country club featuring two nationally ranked golf courses provide endless recreational opportunities. The island’s downtown is a popular address for a growing array of schools, churches, shops, restaurants, medical offices and other conveniences, as well as a destination for area festivals and special events.

A Few of the Charleston Golf Driving Range Facilities

Frankie's Golf Range
90 practice tees
5000 Ashley Phosphate Rd
Charleston, SC 29418-2818
(843) 767-1376
www.frankiesfunpark.com

L B's Range
35 practice tees
6656 Dorchester Rd
North Charleston, SC 29418-3702
(843) 552-1717

The Golf Club of Charleston
786 Woodward Rd
Charleston, SC 29407-7151
(843) 556-5234

Slamin Sammys
35 practice tees
3251 Highway 17 N
Mount Pleasant, SC 29466-8323
(843) 881-3366
19 miles from center of Charleston.

Chris DeLoach, MAT, MEd, ABR, BIC