Any golfer worth his sand wedge knows the game isn't all about length. Still, with holes getting longer and longer thanks to technology, players - and even weekenders - can admit there's something memorable about a hole that seems to stretch forever.
South Carolina has its share of behemoths. Most, not surprisingly, are par 5s from the longest tees - although the record-holder (in two states, no less) is a monster par 6. Break out the heavy lumber, and enjoy.
Persimmon Hill Golf Club, Saluda, No. 18, 630 yards, par 5 - Billed since 1962 as South Carolina's longest hole, it still holds that honor among public-course par 5s (private Bulls Bay's 635-yard No. 10 isn't even that course's toughest par 5); it's an oldie but a goody.
True Blue, Pawleys Island, No. 1, 624 yards, par 5 - Talk about a wake-up call. Mike Strantz, the late Mount Pleasant-based architect, stressed beauty over length - except on this massive dogleg left hole. Why not start your round with the course's toughest hole?
Eagle Nest, Little River, No. 17, 616 yards, par 5 - Architect Gene Hamm built the 17th to be lengthened as modern clubs got longer, and it has stood the test of time. A straight hole, the bunkered green is guarded by water, forcing most to lay up in two.
Orangeburg Country Club, Orangeburg, No. 18, 616 yards, par 5 - Voted one of SC's four most challenging finishing holes by the SC Golf Course Ratings Panel, it's effectively longer since its 2009 renovation improved irrigation and softened fairways.
Southern Oaks Golf Club, Easley, No. 7, 611 yards, par 5 - Hidden away just off Interstate 85 between Easley and Clemson, this W.B. Lewis design features bent-grass greens - an increasing rarity in South Carolina - and this long test on an otherwise short course.
Solina Golf, West Columbia, No. 16, 604 yards, par 5 - Few outside the Midlands know this Lynn Young layout, but renovations have made it a local favorite. The 16th doglegs right and runs downhill to a bunkered green set against a lake.
