CALEDONIA GOLF & FISH CLUB

Pawley's Island, SC

Saturday, November 16, 2019

EVENT OVERVIEW
 

Kicking of our final Fall weekend at one of our perennial favorites!!  

 

 

Welcome to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club:

 

Since opening to the public in January 1994, Caledonia Golf and Fish Club has rapidly gained a reputation as one of the premier courses in America. It is the first solo design of late, great golf course architect Mike Strantz. Strantz approached his assignments in a unique way—as an artist, rather than an engineer. His exceptionally creative eye is reflected in the way he sculpted Caledonia’s 18 holes, with large, creative greens guarded at times by ponds, streams and imposing bunkers. The same sort of majestic live oaks that overhang the entryway into Caledonia similarly frames many of the shots at Caledonia, giving the course a rustic feel. Thousands of annual and semiannual flowers bloom every year throughout the property, further adding to the beauty of the experience. No houses encumber the interior of the property—the joy of playing golf is left alone by the worry of hitting a ball into someone’s backyard.

 

 

History

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club’s site can be traced back to Dr. Robert Nesbit, a Scotsman who bestowed upon it the name the Romans gave his homeland: “Caledonia.” It is not known whether Dr. Nesbit acquired the property through his marriage in 1797 to Elizabeth Pawley or by purchase. The Pawley family owned a significant amount of property in the area and their name survives today- the surrounding area is now the town of Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Land records from Georgetown County indicate that Caledonia was, at one time, one of the largest plantations in the area with property stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the rice fields on the western edge of the Waccamaw River. Perhaps the most striking aesthetic feature of the plantation is the impressive avenue of live oaks leading to the clubhouse steps. These 150-year old trees, laden with Spanish moss, led to old King’s Highway as it made its way along the coast in the 1700s. Agricultural records indicate that, at its peak in the mid-1800s, Caledonia’s annual production of rice was more than 700,000 pounds. This production was above average compared to other area plantations. The Civil War’s effect on agricultural production was understandably profound.

 

 

The original plantation house burned to the ground in 1931. Dr. Nesbit’s descendants continued to own and operate Caledonia until 1940.  After the Nesbits relinquished ownership of the property, parcels were systematically sold off for development to the point where the once-substantial landholding was whittled to 152 acres from its original size of 2,542 acres. The current owners purchased the property in 1971 to use primarily as a hunting and fishing preserve. Each member had his own small lodge on the property and would often come to fish in the river and hunt ducks in the rice fields. Every Thursday the group would meet at Caledonia to cook dinner and socialize. They still gather there often—the shed remains on the property in its original form, with some cosmetic upgrades over the years. It is this fellowship and tradition that inspired the design and construction of the golf course.

 

As sportsmen, the owners aimed to build a course that preserved as much of the land’s natural beauty as possible. As southerners, they wanted to create an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality that each golfer would remember fondly. The goal of Caledonia remains that each visitor look back on his or her day not just as a round of golf, but as an overall Lowcountry experience.

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ross VanDooser

Tour Director Carolinas Tour

919-917-5575
rvandooser@gcamtour.com
 

 

FORMAT

 

18-hole stroke play championship.  All entries are on a first come, first served basis

 

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Registration will be open 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to the first tee time.  If you do not see a registration tent/table near the practice green or driving range, then registration will be handled at the first tee.

 

Tee times will begin at 7:57 am and run until 8:51 am (with a double tee start).

 

Scorecards must be turned at the pre-determined/announced scoring area, with all members of a playing group reporting to the scoring area.

 

A brief awards ceremony will be conducted for each flight, once the last scorecards have been entered for each respective flight.

 

SCORECARDS:  Each player in the group must head directly and without delay to the scoring area and look-over, sign, attest, and turn in their legible scorecards together as a group within 10 minutes of finishing the round.   Any ruling question or any invocation of rule 3-3 must be brought to the attention of the tournament committee before a signed scorecard is turned in.  Competition is deemed to have closed once the trophy has been awarded.   Any player who has not turned in their scorecard within 10 minutes of completion of the round will be deemed a No Card and is subject to disqualification. 

 

 

ENTRY FEE & PAYMENT OPTION

 

Entry fee for this event will be $140 and will include your tournament entry fee, cart fees, range balls, prize money, computerized Golf Genius scoring, and associated Tour fees.  Fees can be paid at the time of registration via credit card.

 

Any special payment requests to pay the entry fee via cash, check, or credit card the day of the event need to be submitted to Ross VanDooser, Tour Director, at 919-917-5575 or at rvandooser@gcamtour.com.

 

 

ENTRY DEADLINE

 

Entry deadline will be the Tuesday night prior to the event date, at 9:00pm

 

 

CANCELLATION POLICY

 

A $25 cancellation fee will apply to any withdrawal prior to the established registration deadline, the Wednesday evening at 9:00PM prior to the event.

Withdraws and/or cancellations after the established deadline (typically Friday at Noon prior to the event) will incur a $75 charge. 

 

PRACTICE ROUNDS AND RATES

 

The standard practice round policy is that most courses want to know what day and what time players will be playing.  Never knowing when that may be, my standing agreement with the courses is that if you call to make a practice round tee time, please let them know that you are with us.  They will give you the best rate possible for that day and time you are interested in playing.