Fairway and Green at Litchfield Country Club

A Leisurely 18 at Litchfield Country Club

May 11, 2016

Some days we’re up for a challenge, a feat, a triumph of will.

And some days we just want to have a good time.

For those days, we love to recommend the Litchfield Country Club to visiting Lowcountry golfers for its scenic environs, forgiving design and, this time of year, steeply discounted prices.

And don’t let the name fool you — this is not the snooty, too-exclusive country club experience with which you might be familiar. All are welcome, and all are treated wonderfully by the knowledgeable and helpful staff.

The course prides itself on catering to the “well-rounded” player who perhaps doesn’t boast John Daly-esque long drives. However, the original Willard Byrd design is not going to let you completely off the hook with its bends and doglegs that force players to strategize and work through second shots and tees. It measures less than 6,700 yards from the back tees, which the country club contends makes the course popular with women and seniors — but we’ll go a step further and say that’s good for anyone still working on that power drive.

While we’re not talking about Pebble Beach-levels of mind-boggling challenges here, there are rumblings about unassuming-looking Hole 17 and the hoops you may have to jump through to get out of this one with the your score intact. Take stock of the water on both sides, and the perilously placed sand that can throw a curve in your game. Just when you think you’re walking out of there with a personal best, this one might put you through the ringer.

This is a great spot for out-of-towners who want a side of history with their back nine. The exquisitely maintained course was built on the site of an old rice plantation and is surrounded by mature live oaks and palmettos, dotted with ponds and bridges, and featuring some gentle sloping for both added challenge as well as eye candy. Opened in 1966, it’s the oldest course in the Pawleys Island area. It was once named one of the World’s 50 Best courses by Condé Nast Traveler.

The fall and winter are fabulous times to golf Litchfield for not only the cooler temps, but the much hotter prices. Expect to pay up to 75 percent less than you would in the peak travel months, making coming back again and again oh-so feasible. Weekends understandably see a slightly higher rate, but still one half of what we find in the summer.

Traveling with some non-golfers? Litchfield Country Club also offers excellent tennis facilities. Clay courts, some of which are lighted, are a fabulous spot to play some round robins or take a quick lesson, offered year round by certified and talented staffers.

Even better, Litchfield Country Club is a mere mile-and-a-half from Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort and can be reached by car in five minutes. After exiting Country Club Drive, head south on Route 17 for less than a mile. Litchfield Country Club will be on your right.

Ever played Litchfield Country Club? What did you think?

Top Five Ways to Celebrate Fathers Day with Dad

March 8, 2016

Whether you are doing something special for your own dad or the father of your children, you will find a wealth of opportunities on and around the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort property. Book him a tee time at the adjoining Litchfield Country Club, treat him to a delicious meal at the on-site Webster’s Lowcountry Grill, or let him spend a relaxing day at the beach and oceanfront pool deck. But for dads who prefer a little adventure, venture off the resort premises to one of these five fun activities sure to put a smile on their faces for Father’s Day:

#1: Brunch or Dinner

All dads love to eat, and the Hammock Coast area that surrounds Litchfield Beach is a bounty of seafood restaurants and country cooking cafes to satisfy the heartiest of appetites. At the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, several waterfront restaurants are offering Father’s Day specials, such as an all-you-can-eat brunch at the Dead Dog Saloon or a surf-and-turf dinner special at Bovines/Wahoos. More fine dining establishments like Frank’s in Pawleys Island, Litchfield Fish House in Litchfield Beach, The Claw House in Murrells Inlet and Gulfstream Cafe in Garden City Beach are sure to serve your father a feast fit for a king.

#2: Fishing

Most dads will use any excuse to go fishing, and our guests are surrounded by nice opportunities to wet a line. Ports in nearby Murrells Inlet and Winyah Bay in Georgetown offer full- and half-day fishing trips in the Atlantic Ocean, and other outfitters take anglers to the unique fishing grounds around the Waccamaw Neck. Landlubbers can go fishing off the jetty at Huntington Beach State Park, or at nearby fishing piers in Garden City Beach and Surfside Beach. Surf fishing off the coast of the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is also permitted away from swimmers.

#3: Golf

Dad will love you for giving the gift of golf, especially at the award-winning courses in the Lowcountry. Located in the heart of the Waccamaw Golf Trail, Litchfield Beach guests can play several top-rated layouts, including Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue Golf Links, The River Club, Wachesaw Plantation, Willbrook Plantation and many more. Perhaps putt-putt golf is more your speed, and there are several courses on the South Strand at Mutiny Bay and Gilligan’s Island Funland. For a more relaxing day of golf, find a nice place to watch the final round of the US Open, which takes place on Father’s Day.

#4: Racing

Dads with a need for speed can find plenty of options for putting the pedal to the metal for Father’s Day. Myrtle Beach Speedway holds a special night of racing on Saturday evening, and the track also hosts the Richard Petty Driving Experience so dad can get behind the wheel of a real NASCAR racing machine. Local go-kart tracks also offer a fun way for some friendly Father’s Day competition.

#5: Waterpark

or dads who are still kids at heart, a trip to the waterpark goes a long way on Father’s Day. Check out Wild Water & Wheels in Garden City Beach for a day of waterslides, speed chutes, lazy rivers and a wave pool. In addition to a dozen water attractions, fathers can also spend their special day by racing go-karts, riding the bumper boats or playing video games in the arcade.

Spend Father's Day at Litchfield!

After a fun-filled Father’s Day on the South Strand, bring dad back to Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort for a relaxing evening. It’s the perfect way to make your dad feel like a king on Father’s Day.

Tag: Pawleys Island