Bulls Bay Golf Club

Bulls Bay Golf Club lies along the tidal salt marshes to the north of Charleston and, at the tail end of the 1990s, the owner, Joe Rice, was suitably inspired to invite architect Mike Strantz to lay out the golf course in this coastal wetland region.

Known for his bold and somewhat idiosyncratic style, Strantz set about creating some movement in the lowcountry landscape by trucking in an estimated two million cubic yards of earth, much of which was used to elevate the clubhouse and several of the greens.

The remaining soil was then spread around the site to fashion the fairways in such a manner that only once in the entire routing, at the 4th and 5th, do consecutive holes run in the same direction.

Taking into account the ever-changing coastal wind conditions, fairways are wide and green sites generously proportioned, allowing golfers a wide variety of approach play.

Feature holes on the front nine include the 597-yard 2nd, which wraps itself around a lake and the 377-yard 9th, a gentle left dogleg that rises back up to the clubhouse. On the back nine, the 171-yard 12th plays to a two-tiered green that’s almost surrounded by water and the 465-yard 18th veers left past a number of intimidating fairway bunkers as it climbs towards the home green.