Highly ranked South Carolina golf club to add creative new short course

The private Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina, is adding a 12-hole short course to be designed by architect David Zinkand. The new course will feature par 3s and short par 4s, with the longest just over 300 yards. Earthwork began this year, shaping is scheduled to be completed this fall, and preview play followed by a grand opening, are slated for the first half of 2026.

Chechessee Creek is home to an 18-hole course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw that opened in 2000. That layout ties for No. 185 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of modern courses in the United States. Zinkand worked with Coore and Crenshaw for 14 years.

The short course will feature two loops. The first five holes through the Lowcountry setting will consist of par 3s designed to be welcoming to beginners and high-handicap players. The next seven holes will feature more strategic design with pronounced bunkering, several forced carries and greens with more contour. 

“Our new 12-hole course fulfills the club’s vision for a fun, bold playing experience that both complements and contrasts its existing 18 holes,” Zinkand said in a media release announcing the plans. “The first loop provides avenues to the hole for any level of play without sacrificing design character, while the second loop offers a balance of shot options for all skill levels.”