Carolina Lakes Golf Club Review – 4/8/2020

Carolina Lakes Golf Club is located in Indian Land, South Carolina, which has seen significant growth in the last few years.  The surrounding area looks a lot different than it used to, as a big retail shopping center went in right across the street.  It’s a quick drive from Charlotte, anywhere from 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.  You’ll drive through the retirement community this course is sitting on, with houses on several of the holes.

The course is always in fantastic shape.  We can’t think of any other course that has more bunkers than this one.  As much as you try to avoid the bunkers, you will most likely find yourself in at least one or two throughout the round.  That’s probably what you will remember most about this course, but it’s just a beautiful course all together with several elevation changes.  The greens are sneaky fast at times so it’s best to stay below the hole if you can.  There are a few par 4s that you may be able to drive, which you must decide if it’s worth the risk.  The par 5s could be reachable in 2, but you could also find yourself in trouble with water or creeks in the middle of the fairways. 

There are 6 sets of tees,  one of them being a par 55 for the whole family to enjoy.  The course has a nice driving range and putting green so get there early to warm up for your round.  The carts used to have GPS, but just this year they were removed because apparently, they weren’t working properly. 

The tee sheets always seem to fill up quickly here, and there’s a reason why.  Once you play there once, you’ll add this course to your rotation.

#9 Par 4, 418yds, Handicap: 11 – This par 4 (illustrated in the picture above) is a great but challenging hole before making the turn. A good shot off the tee sets up for a pretty straight forward approach shot, but you could easily find yourself in a bunker. Long hitters could cut the corner and put it fairly close to the green if you’re feeling risky.

#16 Par 3, 194yds, Handicap: 12 – This hole is one of the more memorable par 3s in the area with a single bunker all the way across the water. You could get aggressive on your tee shot, but a good play is center of the green or the miss is right. Check it out in the photo below.