Charleston National Golf Club

Charleston National is a Rees Jones design from 1989 routed along the Intracoastal Waterway in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from downtown Charleston and about 30 minutes from Kiawah Island. It carries genuine coastal character without the resort pricing or the gated community logistics, which makes it the most useful round in the area for visitors not staying on Kiawah or Isle of Palms. Jones earned his "Open Doctor" reputation preparing major championship venues, and you can see the routing discipline in how the holes flow through wetlands, lagoons, and corridors of pine and oak.

You're playing 6,507 yards, par 72, slope 129. That's the most approachable test in this destination guide, with a moderate slope that suits a broad range of handicaps. Jones still placed enough water and strategic bunkering to keep accomplished players engaged, and the Intracoastal comes into play on several holes with real consequences for missing toward the water side.

Elevation changes are subtle by inland standards but meaningful on a coastal plain. The wetlands are integrated as honest hazards rather than decorative borders. The course doesn't demand driver on every par 4, and accuracy off the tee usually beats raw distance. Expect a round that moves at a reasonable pace and rewards thoughtful play.