True Blue Golf Resort

We chose Caledonia to be the course for South Carolina in our quest to play golf in all 50 states. We knew this was going to be a challenge and it was of course. All the reviews are spot on. The staff was great and the course was long as was told by the starter.

Just by luck, we didn't have to pair up with anybody, so, it was a leisurely morning and the Mrs was happy. The Mrs.had a great day for her and I stuggled.

Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is a world-class golf destination that offers an unparalleled experience. While its greens fees may scare many away, those willing to bear the cost are rewarded with an intimate, near-magical encounter with the sights, sounds, and feels of the very best Pawleys Island and designer Mike Strantz have to offer.

There are few public golf courses that present a more private club-like greeting as the entrance to Caledonia. The narrow driveway leading in, enveloped by a tunnel of live oak trees, sets the scene from the start that this is no ordinary club. The 18-hole course is set on a property smaller than just about any I’ve played, yet the luxurious feeling of isolation can be felt on nearly every hole.

And that’s a good thing because the beauty, shape, and feel of the course is enchanting and you’ll want to savor every moment as you play each hole. The abundance of flowering plants, finely shaped shrubs, epic-looking trees, and playful wildlife provide a garden-like feel to the property. Except for the resident alligator; he’s slightly less playful.

The course itself rises to match its high-class setting. This is the first solo layout by renowned designer Mike Strantz’ and it is beautifully executed. Each hole has a particular look and feel yet they all carry his distinctive lines and shapes, if more subtly than his most famous work at Tobacco Road. For a parkland-style course, there is a surprising level of creativity and strategy to be applied for each hole, with plenty of risk/reward options. Multiple backstopping green slopes allow the more playful golfer to use indirect ways of sneaking their ball close to the hole.

The course is a fair but firm challenge as well. The myriad of fantastically-shaped and dangerously-positioned sand traps will make weaker bunker players pale with anxiety. There are a few narrow fairways that require straight tee shots and some small greens with little room for ball-striking error. Yet even on holes where I didn’t care to count up all my many strokes, I never felt the need to blame the course (side note: I highly recommend utilizing the practice bunker before your round, just saying).

This is a course that even while playing, I knew would require multiple plays to fully appreciate its design. There were a number of holes I liked very much but I doubt I could pick out favorites until at least another go around.

The conditions of the course are exactly what you’d hope for from a course charging well into triple figures; smooth, even fairways, buttery greens (albeit still recovering from aeration a few weeks ago) and well-maintained bunkers, tees, and rough. Despite a solid soaking a couple days before, the course was dry with no noticeable soft spots.

The staff here is great as well, very friendly and professional and they are coping well with the challenging dynamics of social distancing. Pool noodles were present in each cup and other measures were in place to make every guest feel safe and comfortable. Many have remarked on the lack of a driving range here, a surprising omission from any course but especially a premiere club such as this. That said, there is no shortage of nearby driving ranges and the aforementioned practice area is far more worth your pre-round time than a range would be anyways.

In my mind, however, the absence of a driving range is more than offset by the presence of an amenity available at fewer than 50 courses nationwide: Finn cycles. These electric motorcycle-style scooters offer a transformative way to experience the course, exponentially adding to the enjoyment of your round. This was my first time on one and it took all of 30 seconds to feel comfortable riding and steering it. Some golfers might feel intimidated by something that requires a kickstand to stay up, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a truly euphoric feeling riding down the middle of a Caledonia fairway, the gentle breeze in your face, not a care in the world. It works well with golfers and golf bags of every shape and size, the gradual acceleration and brisk top speed make it all the more manageable and fun. As a bonus, with no one slowing you up, you’ll shave 20-30 minutes off your round since you can ride them anywhere you would take a push cart.

For those looking for a more leisurely experience I can’t recommend walking this course enough. Certainly on my return trip I will be walking to take in the full beauty and serenity this course has to offer.

A beautiful setting, a dynamic layout, immaculate conditions, a fun mode of transportation, any one of these aspects would make for an enjoyable round of golf. Caledonia offers them all to you. Once you consider that, the price of admission suddenly becomes far more palatable. In fact when you compare it to places like Harbour Town and Sawgrass, Caledonia measures up as a good value. Sure, the other places might make you feel more like a pro when you play because of their presence on the PGA Tour. But at Caledonia, they make you feel like something even better: the member of an exclusive, exceptional club. That makes it worth every penny.

This is my third Mike Strantz-designed course, the other two are in my top 4 of the 132 courses I've played, so you could say I'm a bit of a fan.

True Blue is another stunningly beautiful example of Strantz' masterful creativity and artwork applied to a golf course. Even in a setting very different from the others I have played in, you can instantly recognize the styling cues Mike used to create incredible shapes and sight lines.

Overall style and design aside, each hole is very well done and the set of par-3s here rival those of any other premiere golf club, and they are personally my #1. Other favorite holes include the par-5 9th, par-4 8th, and par-4 6th.

The staff and amenities here are very good. It was decently busy when I arrived but there were no pace of play issues despite not seeing a course ranger at any point. Social distancing policies may have attributed to a slight lack of attentiveness by the staff so I won't knock them for that, we'll all still trying to adjust to these new norms. Grass driving range and free range balls are what you'd expect at this price and were present.

Speaking of price, that's where I start to struggle on this one. I am a value-focused golfer, rarely paying more than $75 for a round of golf and True Blue charges well over $100 per round. For that price I would expect a little better conditions and a bit more of an exclusive feel upon arrival. Again, this is nitpicking, but such a high greens fee sort of demands it. The course conditions overall were very good (no points taken away for the recent aeration) but the fairway grass was a tad scruffy for my taste and on a couple holes there was some minor evidence of wrong grass invasion on the greens. It didn't affect play at all but was noticeable nonetheless.

Perhaps though, the premium charge here isn't about carpet fairways and valet service but the chance to take in one of the best designed public courses in the state. If I were to judge the course solely on how much fun I had playing and taking photos of it, then the premium price makes more sense.

This is one heck of a great golf course, and if the greens fee doesn't scare you off, you should definitely not think twice about playing here!

I've played some of the best courses in the world and the architecture of True Blue is up there with the best. There are no boring straight away holes with the imagination and artistry of Mike Strantz being something to behold. The condition of the course wasn't as good as I had hoped but it was early season and everything else made up for it. I am a good golfer so I didn't find the course too difficult, but I could imagine it being a stern test for the lesser player.

Played here after heavy rains and despite the course still being wet it played nicely and long, so we did lift clean and place. Greens were pristine. The staff were super friendly and helpful, and we knew in advance they don't have a driving range so we warmed up at Tupelo Bay range before our round. The large practice putting green serves for chipping/pitching as well (or at least we did not see the usual No Chipping sign). Except for the initial walk to the first tee and between 6th green and 7th tee, the course is walker friendly and we played in 4 hours. Pleasantly distracted by the abundant wildlife. The layout is fair and manageable, and not too many blind shots - except be wary of 18th drive - just stay in fairway, don't try to carry water unless big bomber. Nice snack bar and attendant at turn. I want to try the sister course True Blue and would play Caledonia again for sure.

I've first played Caledonia back in 1999 and been to Pawleys Island area for about 10+ years and every year I always include a round at Caledonia. Beautiful right from the moment of entering the gates, the drive up towards the clubhouse to watching others come in on 18 on the porch with good friends and good times. Not an overpowering golf course but a golf course that is well maintained and manicured and the scenery. One of my favorites of all time. Being from San Diego, I would choose Caledonia over Torrey Pines hands down. Torrey is a great course but there's about Caledonia that just catches your eyes and soaks in.

No course is better then this one in the Myrtle Beach area. From the second you turn in and see the tree lined driveway that leads to the plantation style clubhouse. It’s just jaw dropping and you will also be able to start to take sneak peaks of the course as you drive in. The club house has all amenities you need for before and after your round. As for the course, it’s always in perfect condition from tee to green. The course can be challenging and will definitely have you thinking about the next shot. The 18th will have the nerves going as your second shot is all carry over water and you will have to deal with the crowd eating lunch on the outdoor patio looking over the green. This course will not disappoint and you will want to play this every time you’re in Myrtle Beach.

Playing True Blue once a year with a local golf group of 100 is always a treat for me. It's always in Dec and the course with the overseeding is in great shape. The greens were the best I have played all year. Highly recommend putting it on your play list if your in town.

Great layout w/ best 3 finishing holes on Strand. Every level of golfer can be tested thru assorted tees. Classic test

Great layout and aesthetically beautiful. Great greens and fairways

This was our second trip to Caledonia in the past 12 months. I could play this course every day of my life. Every time you make a turn to the next tee, your senses are overwhelmed. Great landscape, great architecture, great conditions. Nature coexists all around you as well. Great gators, birds and wildlife. This might be the most beautiful course that public money can buy.

I loved this course! Not only was it breathtakingly beautiful, but the course was in great shape. The greens were like glass. Not a dimple on them, and fast and true. The fairways were a bit chewed up due to recent rains, but the grounds crew had gone through the night before and filled them all. Pace of play was awesome. It was cart path only but that didn’t deter from a great round. The “chowder guy” was at the turn and the alligators were out sunning. Great course!!!

‘

We own a place in the Pawley's Island area of SC that we use just for short vacations. This course is less than 10 minutes away. There are several very good golf courses close by so I always avoided Caledonia because of it's price tag.

I've played here twice now, both times for more than I like paying but both times was superb.

The course amenities are not much to rave about but the pro shop is very adequate, the staff is friendly and efficient and the course itself, great.

The best advice I got about the course was to remember to aim. The generous fairways invites you to just hit away. However, although you will likely find yourself on the fairway, it may not be the best position to attack the greens. The layout is challenging, the conditions terrific. And sand....

Highly recommend!

I've played this course when returning to the Myrtle Beach area over several years. I played the course twice this time around. The course remains one of the best courses I've played. The condition of the greens and fairways were fantastic. The ball gobbling bermuda roughs were brutal and lush. Service was top notch and pace not an issue even during busy time. A special thanks for the mint scented cold towel at the end of the round. I simply love this course!

Played course in the past and this time it was in bad shape. NOT worth even $100 much less $149! NO sand in any waste bunkers. Bermuda rough not cut. greens sanded. Of course no mention of condition in the pro shop prior to round. Worst shape I've ever seen the course.

The entire layout was excellent and very challenging. My only issues were the lack of a range to warm up and the bunkers need some serious work. Overall I would play it again but hopefully they repair the bunkers.

The course was in great shape, greens were nice. The gentleman at the carts [Darrell) was very friendly and informative. Starter was very nice and the clam chowder booth was very good.