Golf WorldTRAVELER
The Golf Club at Briar's Creek offers an exclusive, world-class retreat of private golf and spacious estates in the heart of South Carolina's Lowcountry—and right in the backyard of historic Charleston and Kiawah Island.
It seems everyone these days, particularly the busy business executive, is seeking sanctuary from the increasing demands of the modern workplace. Those seeking refuge from the noise and grind of daily life need only turn down the tree-shaded lane that leads to Briar's Creek. There, you can find a private golf retreat that enjoys the time-treasured life of quiet leisure and open space.
This privately-gated community rests on more than 900 acres of scenic Johns Island, minutes from Charleston and mere moments from Kiawah. Ancient forests, birds and abundant wildlife enjoy an unhurried life amid the community's island and riverside vistas, providing escape for those who are truly in search of a peaceful lifestyle and refined golf experience.
Once inside its gates, members and guests at Briar's Creek are treated to a well-deserved change of pace. The buzzing world of e-mail and traffic gives way to the slow-moving waterways, unspoiled marshland and oldgrowth forests that envelop Johns Island. A medley of birds and wildlife thrives among blooming magnolia and stands of centuriesold oak trees. This is a land of high culture and down-home leisure. People here enjoy a routine of white-sand beaches, world-class fishing, sailing, horseback riding and so much more. After all, you can't play golf all the time—although after seeing the course at Briar's Creek, you may be tempted to try.
The course was designed by legendary architect Rees Jones, who has renovated so many U.S. Open courses that he has come to be known as "The Open Doctor." This eye-popping par-72 winds through 7,117 yards of gnarly oaks, protected wetlands and pristine saltwater estuaries. Along the way, you'll encounter challenging bunkers, dramatic rough and gently rolling—but quick—putting surfaces. Golf Digest named Briar's Creek the nation's "Best New Private Golf Course" for 2002. The layout has been ranked among the nation's top-100 golf courses in several publications, including Golf Digest, and yet another national golfcourse living magazine named it one of the "25 Best Courses You Can Live On."
As South Carolina's first Certified Silver Audubon Signature Sanctuary, each hole of Jones' environmentally-friendly design embraces the remarkable landscape, natural qualities and rich vegetation of Johns Island and the Kiawah River. The golf club is restricted to just 300 members, so every aspect of its operation is aimed solely at enhancing the golfing experience. Unlike many of the famous "private" clubs in South Carolina, Briar's Creek isn't concerned with hosting championships, managing television rights or selling t-shirts. Perhaps the most impressive benefit of the club's strictly limited membership—with many non-residents and no unaccompanied guests—is that you can tee off whenever you'd like. That's right, Briar's Creek does not have—nor does it need—tee times, so each member enjoys the benefits of his or her own private course.
The attention to detail and personal touch at Briar's Creek starts with the staff, which expertly manages every aspect of your golf experience from the moment you arrive. The golf professional meets you at your car and immediately delivers your clubs to the practice range. The staff there will not only know your name, but also your favorite meal, beverage of choice and shirt size. It's the difference between fawning over members and seeing to their needs.
At the practice facility, you can warm up outside on the range and practice green, or inside with hot coffee and cookies baked fresh every day. Whenever you're ready, just head out to the course and tee off. But don't be surprised if it feels like you're the only golfer on the course—you may very well be.
Dramatic shots are the norm at Briar's Creek. They can lead you around, along, and even across the marsh and riverside vistas, creating a spirited challenge for golfers of any level, every time you play. One of the great things about this design is that, with six sets of tees, the course can easily accommodate mixed groups of different handicaps, women, men, seniors and young guns.
The course's new 13,000-square-foot clubhouse—nestled comfortably between the ninth and 18th greens—will be the centerpiece of the incredible golf experience at Briar's Creek. The grand structure boasts all the first-class, state-of-the-art amenities one would expect inside, with fine dining and lounge seating for approximately 75, a gourmet kitchen, expanded pro shop, bar and gathering area, meeting room and well-appointed locker rooms. Outside, wide porches overlook the club's unique Event Peninsula, with two 40-foot, deepwater docks on Briar's Creek, and the 50-yard 19th hole, which can be used for settling matches or just having fun.
Off the course, six planned Golf Cottages will host members for overnight stays with guests and relatives. The comfortable cottages feature antique furnishings and provide ample sleeping and resting space for your foursome or your family. Additionally, a fully stocked kitchen, with stainless appliances, cookware and dishes, offers all the conveniences of home from the moment you arrive.
The serious golf traditionalist will feel right at home at Briar's Creek, and for a select few, it can be home. The estate homesites at Briar's Creek—like the community's lifestyle—are a seamless blend of exclusivity, nature and luxury. Briar's Creek recently announced the release of its Gnarled Oaks collection, a limited selection of 13 generously-scaled estates, ranging from one to four acres and starting in the $500s. These spacious homesites are among the most impressive in Briar's Creek, featuring frontage on the community's private, recreational lake-and-canal system. And for a truly unique Lowcountry experience, nearly every single home in this release enjoys the dense canopy of the property's signature Grand Oaks. At least 1,500 of these ancient trees stand throughout the property, averaging more than 400 years old, with trunks measuring over two feet in diameter.
The architecture at Briar's Creek blends traditional qualities with contemporary style, while spacious estates give each home the room to spread out and enjoy a longlost tradition of old-fashioned porches and outdoor living areas. Native materials, colors and landscaping ensure the homes blend with their surroundings, while creative, but firm, standards on design and placement guarantee each residence maintains the community's traditional atmosphere. Life at Briar's Creek rekindles a tradition of leisure and open space. It's golf with no tee times and the chance to make lifelong friendships on your own private world-class golf course. It's a life of barefoot strolls on Kiawah Island's nearby beaches, kayaking through an Audubon-protected sanctuary, or sharing your favorite fishing spot with a nesting pair of Bald Eagles. It's endless afternoons of shopping and exploration, and evenings of dining and entertainment in exciting downtown Charleston.
From the boathouses to the clubhouse, from the front gates to their front porch, members and their families will revel in this rare chance to experience the Lowcountry lifestyle firsthand. Parents and children alike will enjoy the fully-stocked recreational lake, as well as the planned tennis courts and community pool. Nature trails wind throughout the course, community and waterfront, providing perfect spots for a picnic, viewing wildlife or an afternoon fishing.
The Briar's Creek development team— which includes one of Kiawah Island's most prominent homebuilders, a member of the Kiawah Island Club's founding advisory board and a former member of Rees Jones' project management team—has years of combined experience maintaining exclusive clubs and properties nationwide. And now this team has carefully assembled South Carolina's finest collection of estate homesites and private golf offerings.
Through its strong connection to the land and the lifestyle of the Lowcountry, Briar's Creek is truly a rare combination of private club living, world-class golf, closeknit community and unmatched natural splendor.
For more information, call 877-718-4962 or visit briarscreek.com/gw.
Shopping
• Freshfields Village is a unique throwback to small-town shopping located at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns Island.
• This charming retail village has everything needed in terms of groceries, shopping, dining and community services.
Getting There
• Charleston International Airport (CHS); chs-airport.com
Located just 20 miles northwest of Briar's Creek, the airport serves major airlines and direct flights from around the country.
Daily direct flights arrive from and depart for Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Montreal, New York, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, Toronto, Washington, D.C.
• Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) This small executive airport, seven miles north of Briar's Creek, handles private jet service.
A Look At the Scorecard
Men:
Par 72
Tee/Yardage/Rating/Slope
Black/7,117/74.3/142
Blue/6,766/72.7/136
White/6,302/70.0/126
Green/5,886/68.0/120
Women:
Par 72
Tee/Yardage/Rating/Slope
Green/5,886/75.7/133
Yellow/5,431/72.8/127
Red/4,818/69.7/118
Sanctuary For More Than Just Golfers
• Briar's Creek is South Carolina's first Certified Silver Audubon Signature Sanctuary.
• American bald eagles, wood storks, white ibis, and other rare native and migrating birds call the course home.
• Every aspect of Briar's Creek is designed to support and enhance this incredible wetlands ecosystem— from specially designed course management and maintenance facilities, to specially built shelters and water features.
A Home For the Community
• At the heart of the course and community is a new 13,000-square-foot clubhouse that overlooks Briar's Creek.
