This is one of my favorite assignments- I get to write about Legend Oaks Golf Club.

Whenever one of my buddies suggest we play there, my eyes light up and I can hardly wait to go. Just the drive in to the course fills me with excitement and I never cease to be amazed by its natural southern beauty.  As I make my way through an avenue of 250 year old oak trees onto Legend Oaks Way, I almost expect to see Scarlett O’Hara and Tara, but something even better appears instead.

There in front of me is the club house for one of the Charleston area’s most picturesque golf courses and I’m in heaven. Legend Oaks has everything you could ask for in a golf course…tree lined fairways, challenging water holes, beautiful greens, and abundant wildlife.

Minutes from Charleston, Legend Oaks is located just off Highway 61 on the outskirts of Summerville. The course was originally opened in 1978 and in 1992 Scott W. Poole, a Pete Dye protégé, was hired to re-do the greens and make minor changes to the course layout. Recently a new Pavilion as well as a Maintenance and Turf Care Facility have also been built.

The par 72 layout can play anywhere from 7,006 yards from the tips to 4,920 yards from the front tees depending on which of the five sets of tees you choose. In their quest to remain one of Charleston’s premier golf courses, Legend Oaks has recently added a new set of senior tees,  which takes the long water carries out of play. Another grand thing you will find as you load up your cart to head out on this great adventure, is the state-of-the-art GPS unit in your golf cart! No guesswork with yardages or what might be around the corner with these babies, not to mention saving the time you might otherwise have spent stepping off the distance from a sprinkler head. At Legend Oaks  you will find a course that has entered the 21st century, yet retained the charm of the 19th.

Now let’s talk about the course itself. Each and every hole at Legend Oaks is unique. No cookie- cutter golf here. Not one hole will remind you of another. I find that most of the par 4 and par 5 holes give you an ample landing area for your drive, and even if you stray, you’ll find that you’ll have a second shot. The signature holes for Legend Oaks are #8 and #17, both par 3’s. Hole number 8 plays from 138 to 148 yards from the middle tees and requires a carry over water. There is bail-out area on the right side for the cautious players, but if you can hit the bail-out, you might as well go for the green- just use enough club and aim for the middle. Hole number 17 plays from 140 to 160 yards from the middle tees, again requiring a shot over a pond. This green is huge and the center makes an excellent target. Better to be long to avoid the water...and the gators!   FYI: Golfers in the clubhouse will be watching, so you’ll want to play this hole well and don’t forget to wave to the camera located behind the green as you sink your putt.

This story would not be complete if I didn’t mention my favorite hole in the Charleston area: the par 4, 16th hole at Legend Oaks.  It’s a real peach. You begin with a big decision to make. Ask yourself, “Do I play it safe and aim left of the big pine as the hole was designed, or do I try to take off some distance and aim to the right?”  There’s a definite reward for the well hit shot to the right, but anything less will provide a gruesome punishment. If you can’t make up your mind, just do as I do and aim right for the big tree. I haven’t hit it yet.  After landing safely in the fairway comes the approach shot with another tree in the fairway that could be directly in your path to the green. If you are 150 yards or more out, you can easily clear it, but that won’t stop you from making it more of a problem than it is.

All in all, you can count on a great round of golf at Legend Oaks.  The course is cared for by a dedicated group of agrarian professionals, who’ve provided us with excellent fairways and beautifully manicured greens.  The hospitality you’ll experience is second to none and unlike many courses, the owner, Jim Chickarello, is at the course nearly every day, doing his utmost to ensure your first visit and all of your visits to come, will be Legendary experiences.

Rates at Legend Oaks are very reasonable. If you plan to play the course multiple times, purchasing a VIP card for a nominal fee is a great option. It could save you a bunch depending how many times you play, and they do hold numerous VIP tournaments throughout the year.