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Guide to the Top Golf Communities in South Carolina



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Guide to the Top Golf Communities in South Carolina

Golf communities in South Carolina are among the region’s best retirement communities. Retirees and other seniors who love to play golf can take advantage of top-notch courses and an active social calendar that comes with the country-club lifestyle.

Designed with Play in Mind

The best golf communities feature courses designed by the finest minds in the industry, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson. Acclaimed architects Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Tom Jackson, and Arthur Hills have also created exceptional courses all over the country.

Of course, a great golf community starts with a course that uses the area’s natural features to create a unique experience. Mountain courses challenge players with elevation changes and reward them with sweeping views. Lakeside links are dotted with water features to maneuver around. Tidal wetlands and strong ocean breezes of seaside courses test the most skilled golfers.

Courses are the gems of golf residential communities; thus, upkeep is a priority. From routine maintenance to complete refurbishments, golf communities offer consistently high-quality courses.

Most golf communities have multiple onsite courses—some as many as six! This means convenient tee times and a rotation of different challenges. And even if there is only one course within the community, residents are usually provided complimentary access to other local courses.

Up-To-Par Member Services

Golf community residents experience superior services to help them reach the top of their game. Professional instruction, available as group or private lessons, takes players’ skills to the next level. For those who prefer a tech approach, digital swing analysis may also be available. 

Professional staff help residents book lessons and tee times. They also manage league schedules and member-exclusive tournaments. An onsite pro shop means that residents are always fully equipped to play.

Clubhouse Calendar

New residents and veteran members can mingle at the clubhouse. Restaurants and private dining rooms provide an intimate setting for old friends, while lounges and outdoor decks are great places to make new ones. 

Aside from golf, clubhouses also feature amenities such as state-of-the-art fitness facilities and pool complexes. Those who want to take a break from golf can pick up a racket and play on the tennis courts.

From playgrounds to lounges, these communities offer amenities to entertain residents of any age. Further, these amenities add value to the neighborhood, which benefits homeowners in these great communities. 

Sample Communities to Discover

South Carolina Gated Community | Woodside | Best Places to Retire in SC
FEATURED

Woodside

Aiken, SC
Homes: Priced from $500,000 - $1 million+ and Lots: Priced from $60,000 - $150,000+

Enhanced by the region’s lucrative cost of living, mild climate, stunning natural beauty, and charming
Southern hospitality, Woodside’s 3,000-acre community is ideally located in one of the Southeast’s best-kept secrets, Aiken, SC.

Meticulously designed from concept to creation for discerning active-active adults, downsizing retirees, and anyone else with a taste for the finer things in life, Woodside’s location in one of Southern Living Magazine’s “South’s Best Small Towns” offers residents walkable access to the best of both worlds. On top of Woodside’s world-class amenities, including 4 championship golf courses, 2 clubhouses, more than 60 member-led social groups and clubs, 2 resort-style pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, over 21 miles of hiking and nature trails, 7 landscaped parks and green spaces – including a Certified Butterfly Park – Woodside residents enjoy 10-minute access to downtown Aiken’s Gilded-Age avenues filled with exceptional local restaurants, designer boutiques, art galleries, and more.

Whether you envision yourself perfecting your swing on our Nicklaus Design course, dozing by the pool,
or creating new memories with friends you’ve yet to meet, life at Woodside is designed to deliver you a
home that extends far beyond your property line!

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K. Hovnanian’s Four Seasons at Hilton Head Lakes

Hardeeville, SC
Single-Family Homes from the $400s

Discover the epitome of resort-style living at K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons at Hilton Head Lakes, a stunning, amenity-filled community of new single-family homes for sale in Hardeeville, SC, set among breathtaking, preserved open spaces and wetlands. With available wooded homesites, these new-construction homes feature spacious floorplans and interior Looks. Enjoy living just a drive away from incredible Hilton Head beaches, charming Beaufort, and vibrant Savannah.

Each of our new-construction homes is finished in one of our designer-curated Looks — Loft, Farmhouse, Elements, and Classic — so you can achieve the interior of your dreams. Breathtaking Lowcountry scenery awaits within and just beyond the community. More than half of K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons at Hilton Head Lakes has been preserved as open space, and a quarter of the community is home to picturesque wetlands. Many homesites are nestled among wooded surroundings for those seeking an enhanced connection to nature or a more private setting. Enjoy more nature and outdoor recreation just outside the community at Sergeant Jasper Park, which features fishing lakes, trails and boardwalks, a playground, and a nature preserve.

Luxuriate in endless amenities —opening winter 2027— K. Hovnanian’s® Four Seasons at Hilton Head Lakes offers a charming and intimate neighborhood feel with luxurious amenities that offer many ways to relax, keep fit, and socialize. Our on-site lifestyle director creates a calendar of events, so you can get to know your neighbors, make lifelong friends, and feel immersed in an incredible community. Challenge your new neighbors to a game of pickleball, then bring your four-legged friend to the dog park to meet friends of their own!

Living in Hardeeville means living in one of the state’s fastest-growing cities. It also means you’re within 30 miles of four amazing towns and cities. Venture out for an afternoon in the sun on the Hilton Head Island, ranked the #1 island in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler. Explore local history and take in the amazing architecture in Savannah, Beaufort, and Bluffton. Shop at one-of-a-kind boutiques, dine at renowned restaurants, and enjoy picturesque southern charm that will have you venturing back again and again.

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FEATURED

Callawassie Island

Callawassie Island, SC
Homes: $165K - $1.5M Lots: $10K - $300K

Callawassie Island, located in the heart of the Lowcountry, is a private, gated island community offering world-class Tom Fazio golf and a full complement of amenities including a tennis center, clubhouse, pools, fitness center, and River Club. Secluded from the noise and congestion of the highway, Callawassie lies miles from Hilton Head and is also convenient to Beaufort and Bluffton (15 minutes away); historic Savannah, GA (a 30-minute drive); and the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (40 minutes away). A half-mile causeway provides a relaxing, slow-paced approach to the island, where peace and quiet are as plentiful as vibrant activity.

The community hosts numerous social events, activities and clubs connecting members by their passions for nature, art and giving back locally. Members take full advantage of the island parks, historical sites and recreation areas for enjoying remarkable views of undisturbed nature. Island dwellers have access to four community docks providing leased slips, kayak launches and excellent opportunities for fishing, crabbing and shrimping. The River Club, overlooking the Colleton River, is a warm gathering center with a library and fireplace, family swimming pool, and offers seasonal dining.

For those seeking a golfing experience like no other, the 27-hole, Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course is truly spectacular. Voted one of South Carolina’s top 50 courses, Callawassie recently enhanced the design with a four-million-dollar renovation in 2014. This renovation resulted in a brand-new pro shop with three Class A PGA Golf Professionals. The courses meander intimately along the waterways and salt marshes in a way that environmental regulations have made difficult for newer courses; visual interest is natural not manmade.

Callawassie Island is the first South Carolina gated community to have been designated a “Community Wildlife Habitat” by the National Wildlife Federation. This coexistence brings a true community balance with nature. The island is covered with live oaks and palmettos, egrets and herons, and encompasses a thriving salt marsh ecosystem.

Today, Callawassie is one of only four South Carolina communities holding this distinguished designation. The homes and homesites, including waterfront property, are among the best values in the area.

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Get Started

Finding and choosing the right golf community can be a daunting task. This is where ideal-LIVING can help. Sign up below to receive our complimentary relocation guide, which offers tips on how to find a community that suits your needs. In this guide, you’ll discover the best golf communities in South Carolina, as well as what you can do to get started. Sign up for this free package to take the first step in your exciting journey.

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