Columbia & the Midlands Golf Courses & Tee Times

Who runs public golf in Columbia & the Midlands

Richland County runs LinRick, a hilly Russell Breeden course at par 73 that a 2012-era tourism article described as paying its own way with no tax dollars. Fort Jackson Golf Club is open to the public: 36 holes on the Wildcat and Old Hickory courses. Since May 7, 2025, a South Carolina license needs the REAL ID gold star to get onto a military installation, so check before you drive to the gate. The Spur at Northwoods, the P.B. Dye course once called Northwoods, is owned by Empire Sports Management. The South Carolina Golf Association, founded in 1929, runs the state championships and houses the SC Junior Golf Association.

Public courses worth knowing in Columbia & the Midlands

• Fort Jackson Golf Club- Wildcat Course: Army post golf since 1949: George Cobb's original 18, expanded to 36 holes by Arthur L. Davis in 1991, with the Columbia skyline in view from the 17th tee.
• Linrick Golf Course: Richland County's course since 1972, a hilly Russell Breeden par 73 known for its par-5 16th to a water-ringed green.
• Northwoods Golf Club: P.B. Dye design from 1989, now The Spur at Northwoods, long known for weekly 'dogfights' that drew the area's best amateurs and some pros.
• Beech Creek Golf Club: Opened in 1989 on the site of the Battle of Beech Creek in the High Hills of the Santee, with Diamond Zoysia greens.
• Golden Hills Golf & Country Club: Lexington club course on rolling ground with trees and lakes.

Why tee times in Columbia & the Midlands are hard to get

In Columbia & the Midlands, the busiest months are spring and fall. In summer, everyone wants to finish before the heat, so early tee times go first.

Most public courses open their tee sheet a set number of days ahead, often 7 to 14, and many municipal courses give residents or card holders an earlier window. The best weekend-morning times usually go the day they're released. Leagues and outings take blocks of the sheet before the public ever sees them.

When tee time cancellations happen

Booked-up doesn't mean gone. Plans change: groups cancel ahead of the course's cancellation deadline (often 24 to 48 hours out), players drop when the forecast turns, and a group that shrinks leaves an open spot. Those times quietly come back on the booking page, usually for minutes, not hours.

How to get a tee time in Columbia & the Midlands

Doing it by hand? Here's what works.

1. Know the booking window. Find out how many days ahead each course releases times, and whether residents get an earlier window. Be ready the morning it opens.
2. Look again 24 to 48 hours out. That's when most cancellation deadlines pass and spots come back.
3. Be flexible on group size. Singles and twosomes fit into gaps a foursome can't.
4. Try twilight and weekday afternoons. They're the last to fill and often cheaper.
5. Widen the map. If your first choice is full, check the next town over. Columbia has 2 courses on Yoink and Summer has 1.

Read the full guide to getting a tee time when everything's booked