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Greens: Bent Grass

The Walker Course is an 18-hole, par-72 championship layout on the southwest edge of Clemson University's campus, opening in October 1995 — right in the middle of Tiger football season. Designed by D.J. DeVictor for approximately $5 million, the course winds through rolling Blue Ridge foothills terrain with significant elevation changes, hardwood-lined fairways, and five holes playing along Lake Hartwell's shoreline. The course's signature hole is the par-3 17th, where four encircling bunkers form a life-size replica of Clemson's Tiger Paw logo. Its location adjacent to 81,500-seat Memorial Stadium makes it a tradition for Tigers fans on home-game weekends.

Semi-private — open to the public with some priority for Clemson faculty, staff, and guests of the Madren Center hotel. Five tee sets ranging from 4,667 to 6,911 yards. SCDNR Tackle Loaner Program fishing access on nearby Hartwell shoreline. Football Fridays and game-day rates apply — book early for fall weekend rounds.

Greens: Bent Grass

The Reserve at Lake Keowee features a 7,112-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Course consistently rated among the top 20 courses in South Carolina, winding along the emerald shores of Lake Keowee with Blue Ridge Mountain views on every hole. Opened in 2002 as the centerpiece of the Reserve luxury residential community, the course offers Nicklaus's characteristic shot-making demands: generous landing areas off the tee give way to approach shots that must thread carefully between well-placed bunkers and lake-influenced terrain. The 18th hole — a 444-yard dogleg-left par 4 with a bunkered green — is considered one of the finest finishing holes in upstate golf.

Private residential and resort community. Slope of 148 from the tips makes this one of the most demanding courses in the region. Multiple tee options from 5,019 to 7,112 yards. Old Edwards Inn at Lake Keowee operates resort accommodations that include golf access — inquire at oldedwardsreserve.com.

Greens: Bent Grass

Cross Creek Plantation is a P.B. Dye-designed championship layout that opened in October 1990 as the centerpiece of the Cross Creek residential community in Seneca. Dye's routing traverses rolling Upstate terrain with elevated tee boxes, challenging bunkering, and greens that demand precise approach play from any angle. No hole is straightforward — the notable 14th is a long par 4 that crosses a hazard line in front of both the tees and the green, creating a legitimate par-4.5 for most golfers. The course has hosted multiple 18-Holes television episodes and is regularly recognized among South Carolina's toughest layouts.

Founded 1989 by V. Jack Shadwick. SCGA handicap data: black tees 73.5 rating / 140 slope; players' tees 71.8 / 135. Year-round season. Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways. Private course within a gated residential community; limited outside play — call ahead.

Greens: Bent Grass

Boscobel Golf Club in Pendleton is the oldest continuously operated public golf course in the Clemson area, founded in 1932 and known locally as The Bel. Designed by Fred Bolton and later refined by Russell Breeden, the classic par-71 layout stretches 6,459 yards across gently rolling Piedmont terrain with Bermuda fairways and bentgrass greens. Five par-3 holes give the course a distinctive identity — each requires a carefully calibrated iron to small, well-bunkered greens. Situated in historic Pendleton, 10 minutes from Clemson's campus, Boscobel is the value play in the region and a favorite among Clemson faculty and local golfers for weekday rounds.

18 holes, par 71, five par-3 holes. Public access year-round. Driving range on site. White tees: 5,999 yards, 68.7 rating / 125 slope. Gold tees available for seniors and shorter hitters.

Greens: Bent Grass

The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards is a Tom Fazio and Beau Welling design from 1999, routing eight of the 18 fairways directly alongside the emerald-blue waters of Lake Keowee. Set within the luxury Cliffs residential communities in Sunset, SC, the course combines Fazio's signature strategic bunkering and flowing green complexes with Blue Ridge Mountain panoramas. At 7,006 yards from the tips with a 141 slope, Vineyards is the most demanding of the three Cliffs golf courses on Keowee and consistently rates among the top private courses in South Carolina. The Cliffs communities operate seven total golf courses across two states; Keowee Vineyards remains the flagship lakeside layout.

Private — The Cliffs members and authorized guests only. Eight holes directly on Lake Keowee. Voted among SC's top private courses. White tees: 6,206 yards, 69.2 / 127. The Cliffs also operates Keowee Falls (2007, par 72, 7,171 yards, Jack Nicklaus Sr. design) and Keowee Springs (2008, par 72, 7,100 yards) within the same community cluster.

Greens: Bent Grass

The Cliffs at Keowee Falls is a Jack Nicklaus Sr. design that opened in 2007 within the Cliffs at Keowee Falls residential community near Salem, SC. At 7,171 yards with a 75.6 course rating and 144 slope from the championship tees, it is one of the most challenging golf courses in South Carolina and consistently earns rankings among the state's top layouts. The routing traverses dramatic Blue Ridge terrain with significant elevation changes, panoramic mountain views, and several holes playing near or along Keowee-area waterways. Nicklaus's trademark demand for accurate long-iron and fairway wood play is evident throughout the back nine.

Private — The Cliffs members and authorized guests only. Slope of 144 from championship tees. Blue tees: 6,686 yards, 72.9 rating / 137 slope. White tees: 6,354 yards, 71.2 / 134 slope. One of three Cliffs golf courses in the Lake Keowee corridor, and the most recently completed of the Nicklaus designs in the area.