Aiken’s Palmetto Golf Club still holds its own — at age 128

Palmetto Golf Club celebrates its 128th birthday this year, and the venerable course shows no signs of age. Indeed, the Aiken treasure might be better and more challenging than ever.

Members of the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel agree, placing Palmetto third on its list of “Classic” courses in South Carolina in its 2020 survey.

The panel is composed of 125 golf enthusiasts representing a diverse range of occupations, handicaps and backgrounds. The panel’s objective is to promote excellence in the state’s golf course design and operations through competitive ranking, education and public advocacy.

The panel this year voted on the “best” in two categories — Classic, built prior to 1980, and Modern, constructed after 1980. Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course (Modern) and Sea Pines Resort’s Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island (Classic) topped the lists.

But they are all late-comers compared to Palmetto, which opened in 1892 and is the second oldest club in the United States located on the same property. The club’s first USGA membership certificate is dated Jan. 22, 1896.

Although most golfers check the yardage — about 6,700 yards from the tips — and anticipate good scores, they often receive a rude awakening.

“When I first played Palmetto, I had the same mindset,” said Mark Swygert, the former Clemson standout who won the 1994 State Amateur and is now Palmetto’s superintendent. “But the more you play Palmetto, the more you appreciate the challenges. You’re going to use every club in your bag. The course is a real test.”

In the recent Palmetto Invitational college tourney, four of 75 players had scores of 6-under-par or better for three rounds. Overall, seven broke par.

“That’s typical of that tournament and the Palmetto Amateur (for top amateurs),” Swygert said. “Several players might have a couple of good rounds, but only a few break par overall.”

The state’s top players tackled Palmetto in the 2006 South Carolina Amateur and only one bettered par over four rounds.

Thomas Hitchcock founded the club, but the fingerprints of famed architect Alister MacKenzie are in evidence. He lengthened the course and converted the greens from sand to grass after finishing his work at nearby Augusta National.

“The green complexes are unique and the course’s defense,” Swygert said. “If you want to score well, you better have a strong short game, put the ball in the right place on the greens and putt well.”

Three current PGA Tour players — Kevin Kisner, Scott Brown and Matt NeSmith — hone their skills at Palmetto. After practicing on those greens, they are ready to tackle any on the Tour.

They are just the latest Tour players to work at Palmetto. Ben Hogan, for example, came to Palmetto for part of his Masters’ preparation, and Ben Crenshaw loved the visit and admire the club’s history.

Hogan called Palmetto’s third through fifth holes the toughest stretch of consecutive par-4’s he played, and Bobby Jones admired the par-3 seventh.

“Like everyone else, we’ve had a lot of rain over the winter,” Swygert said. “If we get a few dry days, we’ll have the course like we want it: firm and fast.”

Even though short by today’s standards, a “firm and fast” Palmetto still holds its own — at age 128.

Chip shots. The Ratings Panel recognized Palmetto and other top courses at its spring meeting Saturday at Pawleys Island. A complete list will be available on the Panel website, www.scgolfpanel.org. . . . Clemson’s men presented coach Larry Penley the 79th victory of his Hall-of-Fame career, winning the Palmetto Invitational by 16 strokes. . . . USC’s Jamie Wilson continued his strong senior season with a sixth-place finish in the General Hackler Championship at Myrtle Beach’s Dunes Golf and Beach Club. The Gamecocks placed ninth in the team standings. . . . USC’s women’s team used a strong finish to salvage a sixth-place finish in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Hilton Head’s Long Cove Club. . . . Weston Bell (Greenville) and Robert Lutomski (Simpsonville) joined forces to capture the SCGA’s Partners Championship at Spring Valley CC and Woodcreek Club.

Top 50 Modern Courses, 2020

Selected by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel

1 Ocean Course (Kiawah Island)

2 Congaree Golf Club (Ridgeland)

3 May River GC (Palmetto Bluff)

4 Sage Valley GC (Graniteville)

5 Secession GC (Beaufort)

6 Cassique (Kiawah Island)

7 Long Cove Club (Hilton Head)

8 Cherokee Plantation GC (Yemasee)

9 Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (Pawleys Island)

10 Bulls Bay GC (Awendaw)

11 Chechessee Creek Club (Okatie)

12 Colleton River Nicklaus Course (Bluffton)

13 River Course (Kiawah Island)

14 Colleton River Dye Course (Bluffton)

15 Old Tabby Links (Spring Island)

16 Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards (Sunset)

17 Cliffs at Mountain Park (Travelers Rest)

18 Musgrove Mill GC (Clinton)

19 The GC at Briar’s Creek (Johns Island)

20 Wachesaw Plantation (Murrells Inlet)

Top Classic Courses, 2020

Selected by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel

1 Harbour Town Golf Links (Hilton Head)

2 Yeamans Hall Club (Hanahan)

3 Palmetto Golf Club (Aiken)

4 Greenville CC, Chanticleer Course

5 The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (Myrtle Beach)

6 Country Club of Charleston

7 Aiken GC

8 Camden CC

9 Orangeburg CC

10 Wild Dunes Links Course (Isle of Palms)

11 Surf Golf & Beach Club (North Myrtle Beach)

12 Furman University GC (Greenville)

13 CC of Spartanburg

14 Forest Lake Club (Columbia)

15 Greenville CC, Riverside Course

16 King’s North at Myrtle Beach National

17 Florence CC

18 Pine Lakes CC, Myrtle Beach

19 Columbia CC

20 Palmetto Dunes Robert Trent Jones Course (Hilton Head)