Dunes West Golf Club

Getting To Know: Dunes West Golf Club

An Insightful Interview With Richard Rankin, GM

By Brian Weis

Whether you have played a course 20+ times a year or looking to play the course for the first time, insights from an insider can help enhance your golf experience. Below is an interview with Richard Rankin who shares some valuable tidbits about the course, memorable holes and must eats and treats at the 19th.

Give Our Readers An Overview of the Golf Course/Property
An 18 hole Arthur Hills Championship Golf Course with FIVE sets of tees to accommodate players of all skill levels. Voted 2009 Golf Course of the Year by the Charleston Golf Course Owners Association. Rated 3.5 Stars by Golf Digest. Voted Best in Charleston 2012 - Moultrie News. Voted Best in Weddings 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 - The knot Located on Lexington Plantation Dunes West Golf Course is rich in history, formally a brick and rice Plantation now boasts an awarding winning golf course catering to members, locals and visitors from all around the world who enjoy playing golf on a course designed to challenge you, while keeping it fun and enjoyable. Course conditions are second to non and the staff will make you feel welcome with lowcountry charm at its best.

If Someone Was Looking To Golf In The Area, Why Should They Play Your Course?
Dunes West is consistently in good shape, we offer five sets of tees to accommodate players of all skill levels and the course is designed for the average golfer. If you want to challenge yourself just move back to the BLACK Tees. The staff is great and the food will make you come back for more.

What Tips or Local Knowledge Would You Provide To Help Them Score Better At Your Course?
The greens have suttle breaks to them but if you are within 5 feet of the hole the best course of action is to hit it firm and straight at the hole. Two holes require a little local knowledge, hole #4 is a dogleg left par five. Tee off with a 3 wood and hit an 8 to 6 iron for your second shot to avoid a large pond that protects the green on the left and behind. This will leave you with a short iron in to the green. Hole number nine boasts our largest green and to reach it you have to hit your second shot over a marsh area that short hitters may not be able to manage in two shots so a layup on your second shot may be required.

Recent Awards or What You Are Most Proud About The Course?
Voted 2009 Golf Course of the Year by the Charleston Golf Course Owners Association Voted 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 "Best In Weddings" by the knot

What Is The Signature, Most Talked About, or Most Photographed Hole?
Hole number 18 is a great finishing hole. A 456 yard par four from the black tees, Wagner Creek flows to the left side and behind the green, 200 year old oaks line the right side and in the background you see the beautiful antebellum style clubhouse, just a great memory to take home with you.

What Is Your Favorite Hole? Any Tips to Play It?
I love and hate the 17th hole. As a golfer you will undertand why when you play this 214 yard (fom the black tees) par three. Water to the right, bunker on the left with the green long going from front to back making the green seem much smaller than it really is. This hole is beautiful from the tee but then you have to hit the shot! I love it!

Must Have Dish or Drink after the round at the 19th Hole?
We are know for our Bloody Mary's, we even were giving a shout out by a local radio personality who played the course when he said after his round one morning he had the best Bloody Mary in town at Dunes West. Food, I would recommend any one of our salads but try the Dunes Salad or the Southern Fried Chicken Salad first and enjoy.

Who Holds Course Record and What Was Their Score?
Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey shot a 60 while he was still working for us as a Cart Attnedant before playing on the PGA Tour. He bogyed the par five fourth hole with an 8 iron in his hands for his second shot and on hole number 18 he missed an 8 foot putt for birdie. Just scary how low he could have shot that day!

Back Tee Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 6859
Slope: 134
Rating: 73.0

More Information
Dunes West Golf Club
3535 Wando Plantation Way
Mt. Pleasant, SC, 29466
843-856-9000
www.duneswestgolfclub.com

Revised: 07/20/2012 - Article Viewed 32,494 Times - View Course Profile

About: Brian Weis

Brian Weis is the Publisher of GolfTrips.com, a network of golf travel and directory sites including GolfWisconsin.com, GolfMichigan.com, ArizonaGolfer.com, GolfAlabama.com, etc. Professionally, Brian is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), International Network of Golf (ING), Golf Travel Writers of America (GTWA), International Golf Travel Writers Association (IGTWA) and The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG). In 2016, Brian won The Shaheen Cup, an award given to a golf travel writer by his peers.

All of his life, Brian has been around the game of golf. As a youngster, Brian competed at all levels in junior and high school golf. Brian had a zero chance for a college golf scholarship, so he worked on the grounds crew at West Bend Country Club to pay for his University of Wisconsin education. In his adult years, his passion for the game collided with his entrepreneurial spirit and in 2004 launched GolfWisconsin.com. In 2007, the idea for a network of local golf directory sites formed and GolfTrips.com was born. Today, the network consists of a site in all 50 states supported by national sites like GolfTrips.com, GolfGuide.com and GolfPackages.com. It is an understatement to say, Brian is passionate about promoting golf and golf travel on a local, regional, national and international level.

On the golf course, Brian is known as a fierce weekend warrior that fluctuates between a 5-9 handicap. With a soft fade, known as "The Weis Slice", and booming 300+ drives, he can blast it out of bounds with the best of them.