Par 3s at Wedgefield are not a strong point of the design, but on the 13th, a well-placed pin can provide plenty of challenge from the tee.
Wedgefield Plantation, Georgetown, SC
by Tim Gavrich
Wedgefield Plantation Country Club is a daily-fee golf course located two miles from Highway 701 in Georgetown, SC. It is the southernmost golf course on the famed Myrtle Beach Grand Strand. Designed by Porter Gibson, Wedgefield opened in the early ‘70s on the site of an 18th Century rice plantation. The final green sits in front of the old manor house, which was recently refurbished and began serving lunch and dinner. My rating scale is 1 (for repulsive) to 10 (incomparable).
Golf Course Setting: 6 ~~ Wedgefield was laid out on the site of a former rice plantation, so don't expect rolling hills -- the terrain is almost completely flat. However, twisted, Spanish moss-laden oak trees frame many of the holes, as well as the pleasant entryway onto the grounds (there is plenty of shade in the parking lot, and it was quite a relief not to return to a steaming hot car). There are a few ponds and streams placed in interesting spots throughout the course as well. The only good long-range view to speak of comes at the back of the penultimate green, where the trees open up to reveal the expansive marshland to the immediate north.
Golf Course Conditions: 8 ~~ Wedgefield was in excellent shape, especially in view of the considerable drought that has overcome the Low Country in the last two months. Fairways and roughs were quite lush, with a few brown areas here and there and only a few bare spots. The greens, though a little slow for our liking, putted quite well and had very good grass cover. To my delight, the course is not over watered. Rather, the greens keeping staff maintains firm and fast conditions tee-to-green (sluggish greens notwithstanding), instead of pursuing obsessively the verdant green hue that most softer courses strive for and that is irrelevant to playing conditions. Still, well struck irons stopped a foot or two beyond their pitch marks.
Quality of Green Complexes: 5 ~~The greens and surrounding areas at Wedgefield are decent, though not terribly compelling. Most greens had a modest amount of undulation that made putting a challenge at times. However, the contours were not terribly bold or "fun." Most greens were guarded by a bunker or two (two greens boast three bunkers, and the large 5th green is protected by four). The bunkers are not very deep, and most are set a few paces from the putting surfaces (this is due either to the greens having shrunk over the years, or just a conservative attitude by the architect). The most compelling
