Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

Caledonia Centuries in the Making... Since opening in January 1994, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club has rapidly gained a reputation as one of the premier courses in America. Famous for its natural beauty and challenging layout, Caledonia is also rich in history and tradition.

The original plantation was named by its founder, Dr. Robert Nesbit, a Scottish immigrant who named it Caledonia, the ancient Roman name for Scotland. Dr. Nesbit acquired the plantation in the 1700's by marrying Elizabeth Pawley whose family originally founded Pawleys Island and after whom Pawleys Island is named. Historic land records from Georgetown County indicate that Caledonia was, at one time, one of the largest plantations in South Carolina with land 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 century-old trees, laden with Spanish moss, mark the site of the old King's Highway as it made its way along the coast in the 1700's.

Dr. Nesbit and his descendants continued to own and operate Caledonia until 1940. Agricultural records indicate that, at its peak in the mid-1800's, Caledonia's annual production of rice was more than 700,000 pounds. This production was above average compared to other area plantations. Changes precipitated by the Civil War affected agricultural production. After Nesbit's ownership, the plantation was gradually sold off, to the point that this once-substantial landholding was whittled to 152 precious acres from its original 2,542 acres. The current owners purchased the property in 1971 to use primarily as a hunting and fishing club. Each member had his own small lodge on the property, and he 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. The old shed used for this occasion still exists on the property beside the clubhouse.

With the exception of a few cosmetic changes, the shed still exists in its original form and the Thursday tradition of fellowship continues. Nowadays, however, old hunting boots are often joined by golf spikes as players finishing their round join the group for the catch-of-the-day. It is this fellowship and tradition that led to the creation of this magnificent new course. As sportsmen, the owners wanted to build a course preserving 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 could take home with him. The goal of Caledonia is that each visitor remembers his or her day not just as a round of golf, but as an overall southern experience.

Caledonia's web site is nice, albeit a bit confusing. The web site says that it has an interactive yardage book, when i looked at it, it just sat there. You can also request a call back for a tee time, the form does not have space for a credit card and is not secure. The course itself, however, makes up for any deficiencies in the web design. I have played this course several times and it never ceases to suprise me, both how tough it can be and how much better it makes me play.