Briar's Creek - August 18, 2005
Gus Bright was kind enough to invite me out to The Golf Club at Briar's Creek (near Kiawah Island) for a round of golf with him and the CEO of the club, Dave Bailey.
Briar's Creek was Golf Digest's pick as the "Best New Private Course" in 2002. It's a Rees Jones design, fun to play (even as we danced between thunder heads), and, for the most part, straightforward. I love playing a course for the first time when you can see on virtually every shot what you need to do. No hidden bunkers or water hazards, and the shape of the shots is intuitively "there"...that's a great experience. (I recall Fazio's Forest Creek near Pinehurst is similar in this respect.)
Briar's Creek aims to be a private golf retreat for a (very) limited number of members. It likely will have a healthy combination of local, Charleston and national members. All guest play requires a member in each group, so national members can't just send their pals out there to "experience" the club. (And that's a good thing.)
In fact, the "experience" Briar's Creek offers is one of two noteworthy aspects about the Club. There's a kind of formula that director of golf Chris Edwards has instituted, beginning with a member of the golf staff meeting you at your car, standing near you on the practice grounds and insuring you have all that you need. Impressive, but not over the top. Very comfortable.
The second thing.... Part of the golf experience has to do with how golf and the homesites mesh. Like the best golf and real estate communities, the homes at Briar's Creek will be set back from the course, visible but not encroaching. Here's the view from the 8th tee area back toward the club's founder's home.
Between the back tee and the home is a goodly-sized pond, and (I'm recalling here) about 100-to-150 yards (a good 7-iron to a wedge).
I played pretty well, but, as has been the case for a few weeks, got off to a slow start. We started on the back, where I shot 40 (+4). Then we made the turn to #1, where I birdied, missed a close one on #2 and again on #3. shot 37 (+1) on the back for a 77.
It's getting there...
Briar's Creek was Golf Digest's pick as the "Best New Private Course" in 2002. It's a Rees Jones design, fun to play (even as we danced between thunder heads), and, for the most part, straightforward. I love playing a course for the first time when you can see on virtually every shot what you need to do. No hidden bunkers or water hazards, and the shape of the shots is intuitively "there"...that's a great experience. (I recall Fazio's Forest Creek near Pinehurst is similar in this respect.)
Briar's Creek aims to be a private golf retreat for a (very) limited number of members. It likely will have a healthy combination of local, Charleston and national members. All guest play requires a member in each group, so national members can't just send their pals out there to "experience" the club. (And that's a good thing.)
In fact, the "experience" Briar's Creek offers is one of two noteworthy aspects about the Club. There's a kind of formula that director of golf Chris Edwards has instituted, beginning with a member of the golf staff meeting you at your car, standing near you on the practice grounds and insuring you have all that you need. Impressive, but not over the top. Very comfortable.
The second thing.... Part of the golf experience has to do with how golf and the homesites mesh. Like the best golf and real estate communities, the homes at Briar's Creek will be set back from the course, visible but not encroaching. Here's the view from the 8th tee area back toward the club's founder's home.
Between the back tee and the home is a goodly-sized pond, and (I'm recalling here) about 100-to-150 yards (a good 7-iron to a wedge).I played pretty well, but, as has been the case for a few weeks, got off to a slow start. We started on the back, where I shot 40 (+4). Then we made the turn to #1, where I birdied, missed a close one on #2 and again on #3. shot 37 (+1) on the back for a 77.
It's getting there...
posted by Mark Burris - BURRIS at 2:40 PM
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