The Palmetto Traverse Putting Course, an 18-hole putting course, is one of the most fun ways to spend an hour outdoors in Santee, SC. It’s a great time — even if you don’t golf on a regular basis. Find out all about it here.
For more help planning your trip to the area, check out all of our posts about Santee Cooper Country.
I don’t golf.
Let me tell you a funny story about that. When I was in high school, one of my very good friends was the only girl on an all boys’ golf team. Her dad, who was very great at golf and made golf clubs, tried to teach me a little because I was interested and had never golfed before. I went with them to a driving range just to practice before we were supposed to head out on a Par 3 golf course — the easiest in our county.
I. Was. Terrible.
Her dad very nicely told me to stick with tennis and did not take me onto the actual course that day. Probably for the best.
That was decades ago and I hadn’t stepped onto a golf course since. But, when we were staying in Santee, SC last week and someone asked if we wanted to check out the Palmetto Traverse, a putting course at Lake Marion Golf Course, I jumped at the chance.
Santee Cooper Country is known as a golf destination. And now we had a chance to golf, but at my non-existent skill level. What a perfect opportunity.
If you’re in the area with golfers and you don’t golf, or if you’re with kids, or if you just have an hour to kill, you need to check it out.
If you’re a golfer and you’re crossing things off your golf-themed bucket list, you definitely need to check out the breakfast at the Carolina Dining Room at Pinehurst Resort. It’s been called the “best breakfast in golf” and, honestly, it might just be.
Palmetto Traverse Putting Course: Everything you need to know
Keep in mind, this post is coming from someone who doesn’t golf — unless you count mini golf. But, actually, Pete and I have been together for 15 years and we have never gone to mini golf together. If you’re the next Tiger Woods and you’re looking for someone to review that from this perspective, it’s not me. But, if you’re looking for someone who just really likes to try anything once, especially on vacation, I’m your girl.
Palmetto Traverse Putting Course Review
The Palmetto Traverse Putting Course is a 35,000-square foot, 18-hole putting course located directly behind the golf shop at Lake Marion Golf Course.
Every other day, the tee box (where you start) and cup (where you end) are moved. You can actually see round pieces of grass across the course that cover up the literal holes that aren’t being used on the course that day. (Okay, fun fact for someone who knows something about golf. It’s not grass. It’s actually TifEagle Ultradwarf surface).
You can start at hole 1 and end up at the 18th hole or you can just start in the middle. It doesn’t matter. This isn’t mini golf or even actual golf, so you don’t have a pencil and scorecard. All you have is a putter and a golf ball.
And, actually, we didn’t have either of those, obviously. If you don’t either, you’re able to borrow them from the golf shop.
The course is a lot of fun. The putting surface isn’t flat, so you do need a little bit of physics knowledge or luck or experience playing Wii golf to actually get the ball in the cup. Since it’s not flat, it is a little challenging, which is good — unless you get super frustrated and pull a Happy Gilmore on the course.
There are two pair of small bunkers on the course, which luckily, neither of us got stuck in. When we got back into the golf shop, I mentioned that neither of us got stuck in a sand trap, and I was told that there’s actually no raised lip on them, like there is on an actual golf course, so if you do hit into a sand trap, it’s incredibly easy to get out. Good to know.
None of the holes are a flat, direct shot. There are plateaus, terraces, swales, rolls, valleys, spines, and slopes. Okay, being honest here: I just copy and pasted those from a description because I don’t know what those words mean. But, there were hills and slopes and turns. It was really varied terrain based on the Himalayas putting course at the famous St. Andrews Links in Scotland.
The intention of that is that this is a practice course for golfers. So it mimics the varied terrain that you can find on courses.
Honestly, we loved it. We had so much fun. It was a beautiful day out too, so just being outside, hitting some golf balls (albeit poorly), and just playing around and feeling like kids was such a great experience. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone in the area, especially if you’re like me and don’t ever golf. It was really fun to just get out there and do something different.
Golfing at Lake Marion Golf Course
Of course, you can golf on a full-size (Par 72) course at Lake Marion Golf Course too. The course, which opened in 1978, has pine tree-lined fairways, over 30 (!!) sand bunkers, and bordering lakes to golf around. It has a lighted driving range (you can see it when you’re pulling into the parking lot).
The course was designed by Eddie Riccoboni who also designed a few other courses in the area, including Shannon Greens Golf Club in Manning and Crystal Lakes Golf Course in Sumter.
If you’re coming in from out of town for a golf getaway, there are Lake Marion Golf Villas & Townhouses, on course lodging that you can book an all-inclusive package at. Your golfing and replay rounds are included, plus there are other perks like a barbecue and beer cookout on Tuesday and Saturday, a pasta dinner on Thursday, and daily breakfast (and you know me, I’m a huge fan of booking any stay with a complementary breakfast because it makes your mornings so much easier).
Unfortunately, I don’t know the current green fee (because the last update on the website for that is 2021), so I advise you call 800-344-6534 to double check those.
Palmetto Traverse Putting Course: Frequently Asked Questions
Lake Marion Golf Course; 114 Bogey Blvd; Santee, South Carolina
(803) 854-5360
It’s open from 7 am to 6 pm daily. On Saturdays, it’s open until 10 pm. Which is actually very cool because you can putt under lights. And that’s a really fun date night.
It’s $10 per person to play the full 18 holes. It’s $15 per person for unlimited play.
Kids ages 16 and under are free with a paying adult.
The course is open to anyone ages 1 to 101, according to the brochure.
More Putting Courses in South Carolina:
When the Palmetto Traverse was built in 2019, it was the first 18-hole putting course in the state of South Carolina.
Now, there’s PopStroke at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, two mini-golf courses, each of which is an 18-hole putting green, complete with fairways, bunkers, and rough patches. Don’t look for windmills and open alligator mouths at that course.
If you’re comparing the two, PopStroke is definitely more of an entertainment venue than a golf course.
Have you been to the Palmetto Traverse Putting Course? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Jennifer Wise
Thursday 8th of May 2025
I know nothing about golf, so this is all so interesting! I have, though, been mini golfing. :) And I've "golfed" on the Wii. This looks like a pretty cool place, though.