Quixote Club – Played May 2022
- Rankings: None of my four lists
- Location: 1005 Golfcrest Road, Sumter, South Carolina
- Year: 2020
- Architect: Kris Spence
- Course Access: Private
- Walking Rules: Carts Available
Score Card Information:
- Back: 6,843 yards, Par 70, 73.2 Rating/137 Slope
- Middle: 6,250 yards, Par 70, 70.5 Rating/125 Slope
- Forward: 5,902 yards, Par 70, 68.8 Rating/120 Slope
- Red: 5,315 yards, Par 70, 65.7 Rating/116 Slope (Men’s), 71.1 Rating/122 Slope (Women’s)
Quixote Club had its beginnings as a different golf course. Sumter native, Greg Thompson had a different vision for the property though and set that vision in motion when he purchased the old club.
Thompson built up his company to one of the biggest industrial cleaning and maintenance outfits in the country. Past that, he wanted to give back to his hometown. Quixote Club, named for the literary Don Quixote, is a vehicle for that. The club funds a charter school (Liberty STEAM) that has designs on going through high school to serve 2,000 students. The model is borrowed from what East Lake has done in Atlanta.
The original course was Sunset Country Club that dated back to 1912. Golf architect Kris Spence was brought in to design a whole new golf course. That result along with a redesign of the clubhouse is what exists today. There are also plans for cabins for visiting members.
The clubhouse renovation gave us this art-deco building that provides a unique look compared to many golf clubhouses.
Hole 1 – 412 yards – Par 4
The theme at Quixote Club is bouncy turf and shortgrass. You won’t see much rough out here. The first hole bends slightly left. The bunkers on the left were in play for me and certainly guarded the shorter line.
You better get comfortable with tight lies or it will be a long day.
Hole 2 – 426 yards – Par 4
This hole plays straightaway and asks you to hit the left side of the fairway for the best angle into the green. Take note of trees and how the branches are high on most of them. This allows for creative recovery shots if you get offline.
If you go up the right, trees will influence your approach.
Hole 3 – 315 yards – Par 4
A short four may have you licking your lips, but restraint is needed here. The fairway runs out quickly on the left so the tee shot is nervy. The hole bends right and you can see the green off to that side.
We got bouncy greens for our round. On this shot, you absolutely cannot go long or you’ll be in the water 99% of the time.
Hole 4 – 172 yards – Par 3
With the short grass surrounds the preferred miss here is short right. A draw plays quite nicely to this green.
Hole 5 – 334 yards – Par 4
This hole begs you to move your tee ball right to left. Trees and a large waste bunker guard the entire left side. The goal here is something 200-225 yards in the fairway.
I stayed along the left side and got the full tree treatment.
The pushed up green will repel indifferent shots and create tough up and down opportunities.
Hole 6 – 407 yards – Par 4
You just have to keep it between the trees on this dogleg left. There is not much elevation change at all.
There is a very small false front, but otherwise the green is defended by internal contouring.
Hole 7 – 547 yards – Par 5
This hole is going to be a three shot affair for most player. If you do want to go for it, keep your tee ball up the left side since there is tree trouble on the right.
You can see the tree issues I mentioned below.
Long is bad again here, but take note of the green contours.
Hole 8 – 152 yards – Par 3
With a shorter club in your hand you can attack this hole. However, the green has some tricky slope, so if your off a bit you can get some challenging putts.
Hole 9 – 436 yards – Par 4
With this tree placement, you almost have to hit a draw even though the hole bends to the right. Any tee shots that don’t end up in the waste bunker will be just fine.
The shape of the land really welcomes a draw into the green.
Hole 10 – 354 yards – Par 4
There’s no need to get too aggressive on this tee with the cross bunker coming into play. Something 200-225 yards puts you in a good position.
Hole 11 – 406 yards – Par 4
The test is straightforward on this hole, but it is not easy. The hole rises to the perched green where iron shots must be precise, otherwise you’ll likely be hitting recovery shots from the sand.
Hole 12 – 150 yards – Par 3
The firm conditions and green shape here make the yardage to the front of the surface a good target. It’s not hard to see that the sand is the main defense here.
Hole 13 – 466 yards – Par 5
This is one the best opportunities for birdie on the back nine. The first objective is keeping your tee ball out of the bunker on the left side.
If you accomplish that first goal, the green is open to an approach shot, especially if you can sling one in right to left.
The big ridge in the green adds some intrigue to the putting surface.
Hole 14 – 410 yards – Par 4
The fairway is an ample target on this longer par four. The best angle is found from the right side, but anything in play will give you a shot to the green.
Here’s a closer look at the approach shot.
Hole 15 – 360 yards – Par 4
The small bunker in the fairway is a devilish trap because it is certainly in play and will wreck your score. If you find the short grass, a short approach can set you up for birdie.
Hole 16 – 309 yards – Par 4
We got this hole playing shorter than the listed yardage, at about 275 yards. The waste bunker up the left is no good.
Good luck to you if you find yourself in the tiny bunker in front of the green. The green is quite shallow, which is good protection from those going for the green.
Hole 17 – 196 yards – Par 3
The preceding par threes give you good birdie opportunities. This one, on the other hand, asks a lot more of your long game. The green is a massive target, but the conditions make it effectively smaller. You’ll have to manage the bounces and keep your ball dry. Not the easiest task.
There is a prominent ridge you can see below that runs from the front to back of the green.
Hole 18 – 398 yards – Par 4
Here at the last hole, you’ve got the chance to bite off as much as you choose. There is some visual trickery though so make sure you check the yardage book to pick your line.
The green is perched on the side of a hill. Any shots missed right face a difficult chip or pitch.
The tilt of the green is clear in the photo below.
The day at Quixote Club featured firm conditions and many different tests of your golf game. It’s not a typical layout we get in the middle and upper part of South Carolina. It’s a cool addition to the golf landscape. Selfishly, that’s what golfers care about. The mission to improve education is a far loftier goal and one I hope definitely succeeds.