Charleston Municipal Golf Course – Played March 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 2100 Maybank Highway, Charleston, SC
- Year: 1929
- Original Architect: John Adams
- Additional Work By: Troy Miller
- Course Access: Public
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Blue: 6,565 yards, Par 72, 72.1 Rating/137 Slope
- White: 6,090 yards, Par 72, 70.2 Rating/129 Slope (Men’s), 75.9 Rating/135 Slope (Women’s)
- Gold: 5,365 yards, Par 72, 66.2 Rating/119 Slope (Men’s), 71.8 Rating/126 Slope (Women’s)
- Red: 4,585 yards, Par 72, 63.1 Rating/111 Slope (Men’s), 66.9 Rating/117 Slope (Women’s)
- Orange: 3,590 yards, Par 72, 59.9 Rating/104 Slope (Men’s), 61.6 Rating/105 Slope (Women’s)
- Carolina: 2,735 yards, Par 72, Not Rated
Seeing the Charleston Municipal Golf Course was high on my golf to-do list since it’s in my home state. The main driver of that is that architect Troy Miller was inspired by Seth Raynor during the renovation.
Getting another chance to get together with my newly found golf group buddies for a competition. We got the full treatment with 20 mph sustained wind with gusts of 40 mph.
The golf course was originally built in 1929 by John Adams and I didn’t see much on him in limited research. Miller thought of Seth Raynor due to the time period the course was built and Raynor’s hand in Charleston golf. He also designed Yeamans Hall and Country Club of Charleston.
While it’s nice to put Raynor into a course, the big issue facing the course was the back nine’s susceptibility to flooding. The solution was deepening a lake and raising the level of the holes. Now you can play the back nine in almost all conditions.
The Muni’s story is a success so far and one other municipalities would do well to mirror. Let’s get into some photos.
Hole 1 – 410 yards – Par 4
The first hole gives you a baptism by fire into the severity of Charleston Municipal. It’s a double plateau template hole. I hit a drawing approach shot that hit the green but was too hot and ran into the water. No easy start here.
Look at this green!
Hole 2 – 520 yards – Par 5
This tee shot has a pond lurking on the right to catch any wayward drives. If you can keep it up the left on the tee shot, the green can be had. Either way, you’ll want a good angle to the pushed up green.
One gripe with the course are that the greens are too small for the Raynor contours. The point being that the contours call for large greens. I would agree with that. The smaller size accentuates the severity of the slopes and makes short game shots a bit too difficult.
Hole 3 – 365 yards – Par 4
This left bender doesn’t require length, but you better avoid the greenside bunkers. A green in regulation allows you to breathe a sigh of relief.
Hole 4 – 180 yards – Par 3
The trees down the right force you into a straight or fading shot. I didn’t love that, but I think the trees provide some protection from wayward shots. Like many golf holes, short is better than long.
Hole 5 – 380 yards – Par 4
This hole bends slight to the left with a creek down the right. The creek is in play, but the fairway is generous.
A good drive should leave a mid or short iron to another pushed up green.
Hole 7 – 515 yards – Par 5
This is a hole that could use some tree management, as it felt a bit claustrophobic standing on the tee box. Once you find the fairway, the fun is just beginning.
If you want to get home in two you’ll have to take on this dastardly green. I shudder at the thought of hitting a wood into this one.
Hole 8 – 220 yards – Par 3
The round got interesting for me on this hole. It was a dry, windy day and my nose started bleeding around this green. I was woefully unprepared and only had one tissue, so I played the rest of the round with it in 😂. If you think about it, it was appropriate to get bloodied on this brutish par three.
Hole 10 – 465 yards – Par 5
I only got a shot of the putting surface here as I was dealing with my nosebleed. This green is just another example of the fun you’ll have at Charleston Municipal.
Hole 11 – 175 yards – Par 3
Here’s the course’s version of the Redan template. The kicker isn’t really in front of green here, but it is a cool green.
Hole 12 – 375 yards – Par 4
With a whipping left to right wind, figuring out how far left to aim was dicey. On a calm day I imagine the hole plays much easier. The players in the distance are on the green.
Hole 13 – 370 yards – Par 4
This hole is a right bender, but I focused on the green. Notice the squared off edges. This is a Raynor signature.
Hole 14 – 125 yards – Par 3
In the stiff wind we encountered, this tee shot was nerve wracking. It was playing straight downwind and it was difficult to pick a club. See below for a closer look at the green.
Long is no good here. The prominent thumbprint will influence many putts unless you can get close. I was lucky to roll run up next to the pin. Trust me, with the wind we had, I didn’t want to hit it again!
Hole 15 – 475 yards – Par 5
The green fits this short par five very well. You can certainly run it through the putting surface, but precise shots will be held up by the contouring in the back portion.
I didn’t get photos of all the holes as you can tell. It was a tough day with all the wind. To be honest though, that was a cool way to experience the course. It played about as hard as it possibly could, but I had fun the entire way around.
Tee times are in high demand, but if you find yourself in the area, try to check out The Muni. You probably won’t shoot your career low, but you should have a great time.