Florence Country Club

The Florence Country Club website celebrates its “Donald Ross-style” golf course, which is not a claim that the course was designed by Donald Ross himself. Instead, it references the Rossian touches that John LaFoy brought to this location in northeast South Carolina, renovating the original 18-hole design (from an unknown architect).

One could also interpret “Donald Ross-style” as a reference to the Scot’s skill for routing 18-hole golf courses into tight property parcels, which certainly applies at Florence. The original architect was given just 77 acres to work with, from which they managed to coax a 6,450-yard golf course playing to a par of 70.

LaFoy was an associate of George Cobb, whose influence can be seen existing alongside the Ross influences. No. 13, at the far corner of the property, and will require a forced carry over a pond during the second shot.

Although it has been a while since the USGA has come by, the short course played strong enough to attract the Girls’ Junior Championship during 1955, and later the Junior Amateur Championship during 1963.