The Carolina Sandhills Is Getting a New Public Golf Getaway

Candyroot Lodge's master plan includes four championship courses at a modern, walkable destination.

The 13th hole at Candyroot Lodge's first of four planned courses. | Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge

South Carolina has been a hotspot for new golf courses in recent years, from Old Barnwell to Broomsedge to PGA Tour player Zac Blair’s Tree Farm.

The catch, though, is you need to be a member (or know someone) to tee it up at those spots and a number of other new spot in the Palmetto state.

But the public golf audience is about to be served well with the opening of Candyroot Lodge, an elevated retreat set on more than 1,200 acres of rolling terrain in the Carolina sandhills an hour from Columbia, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C.

Arriving at Candyroot Lodge. | Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge

The first 18-hole layout, opening for preview play later this year with a grand opening scheduled for spring 2027, is being designed by Mike Koprowski, architect of the aforementioned Broomsedge. That course, some 30 miles south, opened to rave reviews.

“Candyroot is turning out to be a really old-school test of golf, more than I ever imagined during the pre-construction stages,” Koprowski said. “Every time I think about adding a feature, I realize the land doesn’t need or want it. The greens are small by modern standards and significantly tilted. There’s a relative economy of bunkering, as the native grasses and serpentine fairway lines create most of the strategy.

“Some drives and approaches are semi-blind, as the landforms are just too beautiful to knock down with a bulldozer. With the entire course benched into the side of a descending sandhill, your eyes constantly lie about what’s uphill and what’s down. The visual misdirection is intense, and I think it’s going to enthrall golfers.” 

The 2nd hole at Candyroot Lodge's first course. | Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge

Candyroot is being designed as walkable destination for players of all abilities, and on the drawing board are four courses, plus a par-3 course with lights, lodging and restorative wellness amenities. 

“We’re excited to offer a timeless retreat where guests can play, recharge and make memories for generations to come,” Candyroot proprietor Ethan Oberman said.  

A comfort station at Candyroot, which promises to be a walkable experience. | Courtesy of Candyroot Lodge