Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is arguably the best golf course of the 100+ that line the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, which stretches from Brunswick County in North Carolina and its northernmost point in Wilmington, to Georgetown, SC, more than 90 miles to the south. With virtually flawless conditions on Saturday, including greens that were smooth and fast and a warm but rain-free day, Caledonia served as a fitting site for an annual memorial to its designer, Mike Strantz, one of the giants of modern golf architecture.
Strantz, who died at age 50 a dozen years ago, is responsible for the layouts of some of the eastern U.S.’s most popular golf courses, including True Blue Golf Club, Caledonia’s sister club a half-mile away, and the iconic Tobacco Road in the Sandhills of North Carolina. The word “unique” gets thrown around a lot, but ask anyone who has played Tobacco Road and that description is likely to come up, along with a few other choice words. (“Bizarre,” “weird” and “unfair” came to my mind the first time I played it, but that was in 35-degree temperatures with a consistent sideways rainfall. “Fun,” “exhilarating” and “memorable” characterized my second visit in sunshine and moderate temperatures.)
The deck of the clubhouse at Caledonia almost hangs over the 18th green and provides a great spot to watch incoming golfers -- and to shout encouragement or jabs at your friends below, who could have up to a 100 foot putt on the enormous Mike Strantz green..
The event is a scramble format, otherwise known as “Captains Choice” which, for the uninitiated means everyone in the foursome hits a drive, the team chooses the best one and then everyone plays from that point...and so on into the cup. The winning team this year, on a match of scorecards, shot a 52. Our team, composed of a couple of my neighbors in Pawleys Plantation and my son, who drove up from Vero Beach, FL, posted a 60. Handicaps were not taken into account but no one seemed to mind that this was competition lite. It was all for a good cause and in the name of a terrific architect..
For the last half dozen years or so, Strantz’ widow Heidi and her children have memorialized the designer’s life and work with a Memorial Weekend event at one of his courses. All proceeds benefit the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. This year Caledonia was the choice after a successful event last year at Tot Hill Farm in North Carolina. Heidi and her daughters weren’t committing to a choice of venues next year, but given the smooth operation and beautiful conditions at Caledonia, True Blue would not be a bad choice at all. Wherever the event is held, I plan to go out of my way to be there.
I am not a fan of magazines and online sites that tout the best states to live. Those best cities to live rankings are only slightly more helpful, especially if the cities are on the small side and comprise only one or two zip codes. Sure, these lists are fun to read, and I have referred to them often here and in our free monthly newsletter, Home On The Course, but if you are considering plunking down a few hundred thousand dollars for a home, more concentrated research is advised.
Once such source for that kind of research is USA.com, where you can find all kinds of census-related information down to the zip code level. The data includes average housing costs, population information, including how fast the area is growing, crime statistics, income, school information and the climate, including its effects on heating and air conditioning usage.
However, even after comparing two communities you are considering in two different areas, your choice may still come down to a lot of personal preference and a little bit of gut instinct. The quality of the data is only as good as those posting it on the web site; for example, in looking at the data for Salem, SC, the home of the golf community Keowee Key, I found that the population of Salem was indicated as just 126. The population of Keowee Key alone is more than 1,000. Such a discrepancy may not be important to most of us, but it does point to the need for caution in “trusting the numbers.”
With a little caution, though, USA.com can offer guidance to those for whom no detail is too unimportant.
Winter view at Keowee Key in Salem, SC
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