Hickory Knob State Park

Hickory Knob golf course has a somewhat difficult front nine that winds through the woods with tight fairways, doglegs, and elevation changes. The back nine is more wide open and flatter. The course is set beautifully on the lake with water coming into play on numerous holes. Greens and fairways were lush and the overall condition was great. The staff are always friendly and accommodating. Bring your A game.

Took an hour drive to play here for first time. Enjoyed course layout - elevation changes, tight fairways on some holes, tricky pin placement on undulating greens. Overhead satellite views don't do this place justice. Fairways were in good shape. Most tee boxes were level and cut. One green had issues in one corner (#13, Par 3). Greens were slow (clubhouse shared before play) but consistent. Will plan to make a return trip this year.

Nice little getaway. Bout an hour drive from me. Not to crowded. Tough but fun layout. Greens and fairways were great. Great price. Good scenery

This is a course you must play. The setting is fabulous and the course quite challenging. There is something for everyone here. Choose your shot placements carefully. It will pay off in the long run

But we didn’t get out of the pro shop. It had started raining in the area that morning so by our 10:56 tee time the course had gone to cart path only. We weren’t going to walk from our cart to our ball in the rain so we decided not to play. Paid for a tee time and drove 2 hours for nothing. That wasn’t the bad part though! I have played the course more than 50 times in the last 20 years but haven’t played it in four years since I moved from the area. What I didn’t like this morning was the reception we got in the pro shop. Upon entering with my buddy and both of us Clemson graduates wearing Clemson National Championship caps (me a 2016 cap and him 2018) I asked why were there only USC and UGA caps for sale in the pro shop. “Where are your Clemson caps?” The answer I got from the park superintendent Mr. David Baker, who for some reason was behind the counter, was that he was a USC graduate. I congratulated him but said I thought they needed some Clemson apparel in the pro shop. Thinking back on the conservation, at no time was I told they were sold out of Clemson apparel, which would have been a good out for him even if it wasn’t true. Now I can see why they sell UGA caps, because they are close to the state line and get a lot of customers from Georgia. I can also see why they sell USC caps, because obviously it’s a state school and Hickory Knob is a SC State Park. But for the life of me I can’t understand why there was nothing Clemson visible to me in that pro shop. A pro shop that is in a SC State Park, and employs state workers that work for the State of SC and is funded in part by state tax dollars.

Using Google Maps I checked the distance from Hickory Knob State Park to the visitor’s center at each of the three mentioned universities. 72 miles from the pro shop at Hickory Knob to Clemson University, 73 miles to UGA and 95 miles to USC in Columbia. So obviously it’s not a proximity issue we are dealing with here.

Let me state this as politely as I can. I find this situation offensive and very embarrassing. I mean we have a state school that is in close proximity to a SC State Park and this state school has won National Championships in two of the past three years and you can buy a UGA cap in the SC State Park but not a Clemson cap. Come on man! At least be sharp enough to say you were sold out. I mean dang, come on, let’s not be so petty. That’s an embarrassment to our state park and the people it serves.

I respect the golf course superintendent’s decision to go cart path only this morning, but I did not respect whoever made the decision not to sell Clemson apparel in the pro shop. Will I go back there to play again? Yes, it’s a beautiful course and I love playing there. But you bet I’ll be looking for some orange in the pro shop. Come on guys, take off those SEC glasses!

The golf staff and restaurant staff could not have been friendlier. The course was in excellent shape minus the “punched” greens that we were not warned about when booking on Golfnow. It would’ve been nice to know but it was an enjoyable experience otherwise. I will definitely be back as I know the greens will be great in a couple of weeks!

Fairways and greens were in very good condition. Lots of water and tight fairways. A real challenge so hit it straight or you will not play to your handicap..

Challenging. Fun. Good conditions for a State Park.

Staff was great Kathie is a plus for your customer service Course was in decent shape Very hot that day Wraps around the lake nice views The clubhouse is very nice I hadn’t been there in 15 years I will be back

This a great course within the state park. The layout is awesome. Very challenging. Would highly recommend this course. If there is any negative to the course it is the greens. There is no consistency to them. Some are almost bare and others are spongy.

Course is in very good shape as always, especially this time of year and with all the rain. Greens were good and rolled fine. People that complain about greens don't understand beaumda grass is dormant this time of year. Enjoyed our day.

Everything about course was great except for pace of play, twosome in fromt, seemed to be very slow. Much talking and not courtesy to our twosome behind!

Great layout but as a state park it gets less attention re conditioning. I’m surprised it was open given how wet it was. But I’m sure they never close as every revenue dollar is important. I would definitely recommend but remember what you paid before you judge.

Considering the wet winter we had the course is in pretty good shape. The greens were a little bumpy. All in all I would highly recommend this course.

I have played this course often in the last 20 years, but it looks like someone used Green Spray Paint over hard packed dirt on most of the greens on St. Patrick's Day. Many of the Greens had pin placements on step inclines in areas where no grass existed on the surface, causing well hit putts and chips to roll of the greens because there was no grass there to stop the golf balls. I had several uphill putts on greens that rolled right up to the hole only to come back and roll off the putting surface. If you didn't hit the hole on any downhill putts, say goodbye to your golf ball! If you don't have decent grass on the greens, why putt pin placements on hills that are nearly impossible to hold the balls? I was planning on playing there Masters Week in April, but no way will these greens be ready in early April. I will be canceling my reservation that week. Hopefully they can fix these greens when it warms up.