Rates:

Greens Turf Type:

Practice Area:

Description

This course is located in Lancaster, SC, accessible from Charlotte via US 521 or I-77 to Hwy 9. It features Bermuda fairways and MiniVerde Ultradwarf Bermuda greens. The front nine was designed by famed architect Donald Ross and opened in 1935, with Russell Breeden renovating the front nine and architecting the back nine some 25 years later. All the greens are extremely fast, and water hazards come into play on three holes.

Notes

The course offers very affordable membership plans with no initiation fees.

B-Man's Take

Played this for the first time in the summer of 2020 and I was impressed. Immaculate conditions tee to green, including private country club like lush tee boxes. The nines play quite a bit differently, having been designed 25 years apart by Donald Ross and Russell Breeden, respectively. The Donald Ross front 9 is very open with very little danger off the tee for the first 5 holes. Around the 6th hole is where the course gets interesting and starts to bring water hazards into play. The island green par 3 #7 is a nerve wracking shot. On the back 9, almost every hole has some kind of elevation change from tee to green where you have to choose your club very carefully. The Bermuda greens are challenging with slopes, tiers and speed. I highly recommend this course for the conditions, the price and the challenge. It is located in the heart of Lancaster, though. So it can be quite a haul from the northern or eastern parts of Charlotte. So I might suggest you make a day trip and play 36, with your 2nd round at Edgewater.

Links

Most Recent Reviews

• 1/16/23 - Review by skwahder

  "Worth playing"

  I was disappointed. We were instructed cart path only. I asked the started why since there was minimal water around the course. He said their carts wouldn’t hold up charges for a full 18 holes. They were trying to save the batteries. Buy new carts!!! The course itself was in ok shape. The greens were on the slower side, but rolled nicely. A little overpriced in comparison to other area courses.

  Read The Review

• 5/22/22 - Review by GinMillDJ

  "Great course"

  It's a hike to get to this course from the Charlotte area, but it's well maintained, affordable and pace of play is excellent. Aside from the fairways being mowed a little too short and the bunkers having more dirt than sand, I would definitely play here more regularly. Fairway width is very forgiving.

  Read The Review

• 5/8/21 - Review by B-Man

  "Great course"

  Played a GolfWeek Amateur Tour event at Lancaster this weekend, which is about the only time I make it down to play this course. That's a shame, too, because I really like this classic Donald Ross track (it's over 85 years old!). The Bermuda grass greens are typically in great shape and they are vintage Donald Ross. Very challenging. Right now, a few of the greens have some issues around the edges and collars, with bare spots that have been filled in with sand to repair them. On a few holes, these spots came into play requiring relief (holes #2 and #7) for chip shots just off the putting surface. Tees, fairways and bunkers were good. This course can be sneaky tough. The first few holes run adjacent and give you tons of room off the tee, but the uphill approaches on #1 and #3 can be difficult to judge to large sloped greens. The par 5's are all reachable in two but they defend par well with hazards (#2), O.B. (#5), blind, uphill second shots (#14) or trees guarding the dogleg (#16). Ponds make the par 4 6th and par 3 7th holes challenging as well. And #17 continues to give me fits. This downhill dogleg left par 4 requires a layup tee shot (unless you are comfortable hitting a long, accurate draw off the tee) and then a long downhill approach shot to a green guarded by bunkers and a rocky ditch. Overall, I really like the layout and the conditions, along with the price. I just wish it was closer!

  Read The Review

• 8/1/20 - Review by Steveboos

  "Best of the best"

  Second Time playing Lancaster Golf Club and i was even more impressed. The greens are perfect, fast and smooth. Tee boxes are well kept and few divots. Fairways are in great shape, even considering the course got a few inches of rain the days before we played. The course was packed on a Saturday, as to be expected, but the round was enjoyable and staff was great! Will definitely return. Carts are nice and new as well, which is a nice sight to see for a course at this price point.

  Read The Review

• 7/15/20 - Review by B-Man

  "Great course"

  My first ever visit to Lancaster Golf Club and it gets a perfect conditions rating. Everything was immaculate, tee to green. Extremely well maintained. I've noticed many many local courses that don't care well for their tee boxes. So when I play one like Lancaster that takes extra care to keep their tee boxes lush like carpet, I notice. The Bermuda greens were rolling quick and true. I only noticed one hole with any kind of issue and that was the green apron on #9 that had some bare dirt spots. That was about it that I can remember. This is an old school course, especially the front nine designed by Donald Ross in 1935. Wide open, with the challenge mostly in the elevation changes tee to green and then the tiered and sloped slick greens. The turn to the Russell Breeden designed back 9 is very different - tree lined and doglegged, but with some of the same elevation changes tee to green. One thing that was true throughout, for the holes with a pin cut in the back or front, they were 5-10 feet off the edges, making for some tricky approaches. Definitely consider pin location before choosing your club. A few of the fun holes include an island green par 3 (#7, roughly an 8 iron) and the dogleg right par 4 9th hole protected by a pond. You do need some course knowledge for a few of the tee shots -- especially the dogleg left par 4 17th where it's easy to drive through the fairway into the woods. Overall, if you are chipping/putting well on the slick, undulating Bermuda greens, it's not a difficult track and you can score well. This course is very reasonably priced and the pro shop guy was very friendly and helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit (and I'll be back again Saturday for a GolfWeek tourney) and can highly recommend this course, despite the long haul from my neck of the woods (~45 min).

  Read The Review

Updates From the Forum

• 04/01/20 - B-Man replied to "Coronavirus Updates for Charlotte Golf Courses"

  The hits are coming fast and furious now... all Leroy Springs golf courses have shut down effective today. That's Springfield, Fort Mill, Lancaster and Chester Golf Clubs.
  
  Statement from Leroy Springs:
  
  "Despite the precautions we have taken, many of our staff positions conduct transactions with the public which have been difficult to isolate. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to suspend operations at all four Springs Golf courses, effective the end of the day today (April 1, 2020). Maintenance operations will continue."
  
  View this thread

• 08/03/12 - nolimt735 replied to "Lancaster Golf Club"

  Has anyone played Lancaster Golf Course since they reopend from moving to miniverde greens?
  View this thread

• 05/16/10 - JD posted "Lancaster Golf Club"

  B-man,
  
  You've gotta play this course and add it to your list. Front 9 is Donald Ross -- and CLASSIC -- a very good represntation of his work. The back 9 isn't as good, but complementary. In all, if you like a classic-style golf course, this one is very, very good.
  
  It's in near-perfect shape. Only gripe is small, uneven tee boxes. A gem. Worth the 45-minute drive from South Charlotte.
  View this thread