The Links at Stoney Point – Played 2014
- Rankings: None of the four lists
- Location: 709 Swing About, Greenwood, South Carolina
- Year: 1992
- Architect: Tom Jackson
- Course Access: Public
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Blue: 6,718 yards, Par 72, 72.8 Rating/129 Slope
- White: 6,248 yards, Par 72, 70.5 Rating/124 Slope
- Gold: 5,755 yards, Par 72, 67.5 Rating/118 Slope
- Green: 5,255 yards, Par 72, 65.5 Rating/116 Slope
- Purple: 4,407 yards, Par 72, 61.8 Rating/110 Slope
- Red: 4,962 yards, Par 72, 68.3 Rating/118 Slope
The Links at Stoney Point is a course I hadn’t thought much about even though it is within an hour of my house. The course is seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but once you get into the development it is an impressive location. The neighborhood has many lakeside homesites and the course gets some pretty lake views.
I was told that an internet millionaire had purchased the course and put a great deal of money into it. There was a stand-alone pro shop, chipping green, driving range, and putting green. The was also a drink hut and a full restaurant/clubhouse. It was an impressive setup.
On this day I played with my wife and a coworker and it was nice and steamy. We got a good deal on the twilight rate and headed out about 3:15. My coworker and I decided to play the rails (all the way back) and got the balls in the air.
Hole 1 – 422 yards – Par 4
The course tests your driver right from the start. Take it at the bunkers on the left for the best approach.
The pin on this day was in the front below a ridge as seen below.
Hole 2 – 471 yards – Par 5
This is a reachable par 5 that requires a draw to put you in the best position
The second shot plays over a hazard. The only miss here is right unless you want to end up in the sand or the drink.
The green has a big ridge running the width of the middle of the green.
Hole 3 – 367 yards – Par 4
A solid hole here that opens up more on the right once you get past the tree seen here off the tee.
Distance control is a key on the approach shot with bunkers in front and back of the green. You also have to take the uphill slope into account when figuring distance.
Hole 4 – 165 yards – Par 3
This a straightaway one-shotter. Take dead aim!
This green also has a big ridge running length-wise on the right sector of the green creating a flat spot on the right side.
Hole 5 – 381 yards – Par 4
This a demanding tee shot with the trees and hazard on the left. if you go to far right you will be blocked out by another set of trees. Focus is a must here.
Once you get past the tee shot, the green is wide open and receptive.
Here is a shot of the green from behind.
Hole 6 – 565 yards – Par 5
This is a beast of a hole. That is even more true since driver makes no sense here. The line is so thin that a 200 yard shot makes more sense here. I hit hybrid and then three wood here.
Another open green here.
The green is relatively flat.
Hole 7 – 176 yards – Par 3
This hole is visually intimidating because of the water and the very shallow green
Here is a zoomed in view.
The green is pretty normal, but the bunker seen here is deep and not to be messed with.
Hole 8 – 410 yards – Par 4
This is a great hole. It was tough visually for me because of all the trouble left.
The second is uphill with bunkers on both sides of the green.
Here is a side-on view of the green.
Hole 9 – 374 yards – Par 4
This tee shot bends sharply to the right and doesn’t necessarily require a driver.
The green is framed by hills to form a bit of a bowl.
Hole 10 – 569 yards – Par 5
Here we have a big par 5 that curves to the right.
The second shot is blind as seen below.
Another flattish green with the bunker right the only real trouble.
Hole 11 – 402 yards – Par 4
This is a tight little tee shot framed by the trees.
A good drive should leave you with about 140 yards to the pin as seen here.
Hole 12 – 383 yards – Par 4
You can be aggressive on this shot. If you take it over the cart path with a slight draw you will be in great shape. My coworker pounded a big draw and was just short of the green. He swears he didn’t hit the cart path, but I beg to differ!
This is a green-light shot
Here is the green. You can see it drops off on the left side.
Hole 13 – 137 yards – Par 3
I thought this was a great little hole on the lake. The water comes right up to the green.
You can see below just how close to the water the tee was situated. This was a new feature for me being so close to the waves.
Here is a shot of the green from back left.
Hole 14 – 399 yards – Par 4
This tee shot forces you to navigate a fairway that slopes well to the right.
The green is well uphill and you really need to avoid the deep front bunker.
They had something going on with the grass on this hole that resulted in some brown patches. Overall, this was the only conditioning issue on the course.
Hole 15 – 384 yards – Par 4
Another good dogleg right here. Bomb a fade up the middle here and you will be in great shape.
The green has a nice hill and bunker behind.
A shot of the green from the backside.
Hole 16 – 381 yards – Par 4
This hole was a brute. It slopes downhill then substantially back uphill. It requires a tight draw down the middle. I didn’t get any other shots because my coworker and I were hacking it up. While we were doing that, my wife calmly rolled in a 10-footer for birdie.
Hole 17 – 200 yards – Par 3
This is a solid uphill par 3. On this day we had to avoid the sprinklers too.
This shot of the green shows the ridge running down the middle.
Hole 18 – 532 yards – Par 5
Great finisher here with the hazard off to the right. Depending on how far you hit it, cutting the corner is an option.
Here is the green that is receptive to a run-up shot for your second.
We had a great time playing this course. Hosting the Symetra Tour two weeks before, the course barely showed any wear. It was in great shape and a total steal for the money we paid. If you happen to be in the area I suggest you make it out to The Links at Stoney Point.
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