Living Southern Style magazine, the publication of the Live South organization, recently published its list of the "Top 100 Amenity Communities."   Live South, which runs a well-attended series of trade shows that attracts some top southeastern communities and thousands of newbies to the community search process, identifies communities in just nine states, as well as Mexico and the Bahamas, on its amenities list.  They promise to add communities in other states in the future.

    Although a list of 100 of anything implies a certain comprehensiveness, there are some glaring omissions on the Living Southern Style list.  The group of communities with the widest and most lavish array of amenities in our experience, the Clilffs, does not make the list.  The Cliffs, besides its seven world-class golf courses, offers equestrian centers, beautiful pool complexes, well-appointed fitness centers and spas, guided nature trails and access for members to its other holdings, one in Argentina's Patagonia region.  We don't see the Savannah area's Ford Plantation on the list either; its combination of Pete Dye golf course, marina, and recreational options along a beautiful river is the best we've seen, if money is no object (homes begin over $1 million). 

    Some communities on the Living Southern Style list don't even feature a golf course.  (When did golf fall off the amenities list?)  But although we did not check out every community on the list, we did note that most are either advertisers in the Live South publications and/or exhibitors at the Live South trade shows.

    We've said it before and this seems the right time and place to say it again:  Proceed with caution when you do your home search research with organizations that are paid to promote communities.  Live South does its job quite well, but their primary "customers" are the golf course communities they represent.  If something strikes your fancy about one of the communities on their list, contact us .  If we are familiar with the place, we will tell you what we know.  If not, we'll get as much information as we can.  Whatever, we will try to cut through the hype. 

     

 

100_4626wdgfld13.jpgPar 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