Chechessee Creek Club Honored as a 'Best' by Golf World

(OKATIE, S.C.) - Golf course rankings are notorious for their subjectivity. Although the "Big 3" golf magazines that publish rankings - Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golfweek - employ stringent criteria that set in place a framework for its individual panelists to establish benchmarks; as anyone knows, beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, particularly when it comes to golf courses.

Which is why the owners, employees and members of Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, S.C., are particularly pleased to have been selected once again - not by raters - but by the readers of Golf World magazine as one of the Top 50 Private Courses in America for 2010. Chechessee finished as the 29th Best Private Club in America, and the club also received high marks for its service, clubhouse and caddie program.

Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., grabbed the top spot nationwide for 2010, followed by Augusta National and Pine Valley. Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton, S.C., was listed as No. 19 on the list and Kiawah Island Club came in at No. 39, the only other Lowcountry representatives on the Golf World readers' survey of top private clubs.

Since opening in 2000, Chechessee Creek has gained national prominence for its Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore-designed golf course, along with its caddie program and exquisite clubhouse, and none of these attributes were lost on the Golf World readers.

The magazine incorporates 10 different categories to determine their top clubs, and Chechessee Creek finished in the Top 10 of all clubs in four of these categories. Chechessee Creek was chosen No. 1 in the country in "Pace of Play," third in "Service," ninth in "Best Clubhouse/Locker Room" and tenth in "Best Caddie Program."

This is the second year that Golf World has asked its readers to evaluate the overall experience of Private, Resort and Public facilities, and Chechessee Creek Director of Golf Franklin Newell said he and his staff consider it quite an honor to have made the list both years of the survey.

"There is no doubt that we have an exceptional club with a great membership," said Newell. "But along with a terrific membership, it is obvious that our team of employees also help make the club unique. Every employee of Chechessee puts forth their best effort to make the club special for our members and their guests. Without them, recognition such as we received from Golf World would not be possible."

To view the entire list of the Top 50 Facilities, visit www.golfworld.com and click on the Readers Choice Awards.

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