How Much Does It Cost to Play Golf in Lexington County, South Carolina?

Most golf in Lexington County, South Carolina runs $30 to $50 for 18 holes with a cart, with the semi-private clubs around Lexington and Chapin at the top of that range and the courses toward West Columbia and Gaston at the bottom.

But the more useful answer is that the affordable end of this market has been shrinking fast — and the county government spent $450,000 to stop it.

Over roughly the last two years, Lexington County lost two courses that ordinary golfers could afford. One was sold. The other was bought by a pair of famous golf YouTubers, rebuilt with more than $15 million, and turned into a private club where the limited public tee times now cost $1,200 to $2,000.

The Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission responded by buying a third course outright to keep it public. Not everyone is happy about that.

This is the most interesting golf market we’ve covered in South Carolina, and understanding what happened is the difference between finding a good round here and driving to a course that no longer exists in the form you remember.

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What Happened to Affordable Golf in Lexington County?

Three things, in quick succession— and if it sounds familiar, the same thing happened in Laurens County, where the only public course became a private club.

Indian River Became Solina — and Went Private

Indian River Golf Club in West Columbia was for decades an ordinary, affordable public course. Golfers remember booking discounted rounds there in the $22 range. The course had real problems near the end — reviewers in 2019 described greens that were mostly sand and fairways in poor shape.

In 2023, Wesley and George Bryan — the Bryan Bros, the golf YouTube duo, with Wesley a PGA Tour winner — bought the property with a business partner. They rebuilt it as Solina Golf Club, reportedly investing upward of $15 million.

By every account, the transformation is remarkable. Golfers describe immaculate greens that roll perfectly true, fairways in top condition, Pro V1 range balls, and views spanning the city skyline and lake. The Google rating sits at 4.9.

But it’s private now. Reported figures — unofficial, and the club doesn’t publish them — cite roughly a $10,000 initiation fee and around $450 a month in dues. Non-members generally need a member host. The club does release limited public tee times during a promotional “Azalea Season” window, advertised for March 30 through April 22 in 2026, at published prices of $1,200 to $2,000.

A course that sold $22 rounds now costs four figures to access without a membership. That’s the single biggest change in this county’s golf economy, and it’s why local directories showing “Indian River Golf Club, public” are badly out of date.

Indian Trail in Batesburg-Leesville Was Sold

The other loss was Indian Trail Golf Course on the county’s western side, which was sold. County officials cited it alongside the Solina conversion as evidence that public-access golf in Lexington County was disappearing.

The County Bought Hidden Valley

In response, the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission purchased Hidden Valley Golf Club near Gaston for $450,000 — an 18-hole, par-72 course on 187 acres that had operated as a private club since 1964.

The commission’s executive director, Randy Gibson, said they were approached about buying it and that the club’s members were ready to find a buyer.

He framed the purchase as preserving an option for residents, noting that the goal was keeping a course open where you don’t have to be a member paying substantial monthly dues just to play. In his words, it gives the average golfer somewhere to play.

Hidden Valley is now the only publicly owned golf course in Lexington County.

The pushback: the Midlands Golf Course Owners Association objected publicly, with its president calling the purchase a significant misappropriation of taxpayer dollars. Their argument is that a taxpayer-subsidized course competes unfairly against private operators who pay taxes and receive no such support.

Both positions have merit, and we’re not going to tell you which one is right. What matters for your golf is the outcome: Lexington County now has a publicly owned course being restored.

Important, before you book: Hidden Valley is currently closed for a complete renovation. The course itself confirmed on social media that it’s undergoing a full renovation and will reopen. As of the last public update, the timeline was open-ended.

And here’s the part that should make you angry on behalf of other golfers: at least one visiting group booked a tee time at Hidden Valley through an online booking platform while the course was under renovation and lost $140, discovering only on arrival that the course was in no condition to play.

They reported getting no refund or credit from the platform’s customer service. Verify directly with a course before prepaying anywhere — the booking platforms do not reliably scrub listings for courses that have closed.

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Where Can You Actually Play in Lexington County Right Now?

With Solina private and Hidden Valley closed, here’s what’s left and open.

Course	Location	Access	Google Rating
Charwood Golf Club	West Columbia	Public / semi-private	4.0 (400 reviews)
Golden Hills Golf & Country Club	Lexington	Semi-private, public play	4.2 (102 reviews)
Timberlake Country Club	Chapin	Semi-private	4.1 (359 reviews)
Ponderosa Country Club	Batesburg-Leesville	Member-owned, limited outside play	4.6 (118 reviews)
Country Club of Lexington	Lexington	Private	4.6 (192 reviews)
Hidden Valley Golf Club	Gaston	Closed — county-owned, under renovation	—
Solina Golf Club	West Columbia	Private	4.9 (77 reviews)

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Charwood Golf Club — The Everyday Option

222 Clubhouse Drive, West Columbia, SC 29172 | (803) 755-2000

Charwood is the most accessible real golf in the county right now, open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, seven days a week. It’s a 27-hole facility with three nines that can be combined, plus a driving range that reviewers specifically praise for being well maintained.

The honest picture: this is a course in the middle of a genuine turnaround, and reviews split along a clear line depending on when the golfer played.

Recent reviews are strongly positive. One returning golfer who hadn’t played in over a year described the transformation as astonishing, crediting the superintendent and staff for the condition of the greens, tee boxes, and fairways. Pro shop staff get named and praised by name, which is usually a good sign about how a place is run.

Older and mixed reviews flag three things. The course is heavily sand-laden and lined with residential housing, which some golfers find unattractive. A couple of holes feel like design afterthoughts. And there were periods when greens were painted and in rough shape — one golfer felt a discount was warranted and didn’t get one.

There’s also a recurring complaint worth knowing: more than one visitor has described member behavior as entitled, with problems on multiple visits.

Our read: the trajectory is good and the conditioning appears to have genuinely improved. Call and ask about current green conditions before you book, especially in late summer when Midlands courses aerate.

Golden Hills Golf & Country Club — Best Course That Takes Public Play

100 Scotland Drive, Lexington, SC 29072 | (803) 957-3355

A Ron Garl design that’s appeared on best-of lists for South Carolina, set on rolling terrain with trees and lakes throughout. Semi-private, but it takes outside play, and it’s open 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily. Amenities go beyond golf — four lighted tennis courts, a junior Olympic pool, driving range, chipping area, and putting green.

What golfers say: the word that comes up repeatedly is underrated. One reviewer called it better conditioned than the nearest private course. Another, a woman who plays widely, described it as by far the most supportive course for women golfers she’s played. The superintendent draws unprompted praise.

Two honest warnings. First, it’s narrow — several reviewers describe extremely tight holes where local knowledge genuinely matters. This is a placement and short-game course, not a bomber’s course. Second, weekends back up badly. Multiple golfers, including a member, cite weekend congestion, with one round taking just under five hours on a pleasant April day.

Play it on a weekday. That solves the one real complaint and gets you the best golf course in the county that you can actually book.

Timberlake Country Club — Lake Murray Golf

222 Timberlake Drive, Chapin, SC 29036 | (803) 345-9909

Semi-private on Lake Murray, with genuinely nice water views. The course is short but difficult, with forced carries and narrow fairways — a theme in this county.

The course is trending up. Reviewers note recently replaced greens now rolling smooth and holding shots, new cart paths, and rebuilt sand traps that drain properly. One regular explicitly hoped the trend would continue.

The club side is a different story. Timberlake draws unusually polarized reviews on service. The dining gets glowing reviews from some guests, naming servers and praising the kitchen. But a paying member wrote a detailed complaint describing service as a disgrace, including waiting over an hour for an order of fries and finding things worse on repeat visits months apart.

If you’re going for golf, that’s largely irrelevant. If you’re evaluating it as a club to join, read recent reviews carefully before you commit.

Ponderosa Country Club — The Western Value Play

190 Durango Drive, Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29070 | (803) 532-3472

On the county’s western edge, founded in 1965 and owned by its membership — a different model from the others here. It’s a championship course on 214 acres in a genuinely rural setting, with a pool, restaurant, and banquet facilities.

At 4.6 stars, it’s the highest-rated non-private course in the county. Reviewers describe it as laid back with good greens, and staff who go out of their way — one group got caught in a storm while walking and had staff come check on them and offer a ride in.

Two caveats. Greens have been described as very slow, which some golfers like and others don’t. And there is one troubling review referencing an altercation on the course and how it was handled. One review is not a pattern, but it’s there.

The money tip hiding in the reviews: one golfer noted playing Ponderosa at a reasonable rate thanks to the Midlands VIP book, a regional discount book. If you play Midlands courses regularly, that’s worth researching — it’s exactly the kind of local savings vehicle that never shows up in a green fee search.

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What Does It Actually Cost?

Here’s where we have to be straight with you about the limits of what we could verify.

None of Lexington County’s semi-private clubs publish full rate cards online. Charwood, Golden Hills, Timberlake, and Ponderosa all take bookings by phone or through platforms with dynamic pricing rather than posting a fixed table. That’s common for semi-private clubs, and it means the only reliable number is the one you get by calling.

What we can report:

• Hidden Valley was listed at around $35 before it closed for renovation.
• Oak Hills in Columbia, just over the line in Richland County, was reported at $35 with a cart by a recent visitor.
• Linrick, the Richland County municipal course, was reported at $48 on a weekend by a golfer who felt that was too high for the conditions.
• Hidden Valley previously charged about $41 for nine holes with a cart plus club rental, which is a useful data point if you’re a traveler without clubs.

Ballpark expectation for Lexington County right now: $30 to $50 for 18 with a cart, weekday afternoons at the low end and weekend mornings at the high end.

Before you book anywhere here, ask these three questions:

1. What’s the rate for the specific day and time I want? Not the rack rate — the actual rate.
2. Are the greens in normal condition right now, or have they been recently aerated or sanded?
3. Do you offer a twilight rate, a punch card, or a locals’ rate? None of these are advertised.

That third question is where the money is. In every South Carolina county we’ve researched, the cheapest available round is one that isn’t published anywhere.

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How to Play Lexington County for Less

1. Play weekdays, especially afternoons. Golden Hills’ one consistent complaint is weekend backups, and weekend rates are higher everywhere in the county. Weekday afternoon solves both problems at once.

2. Look into the Midlands VIP book. A regional discount book surfaced in Ponderosa’s reviews as the reason a golfer got a reasonable rate. If you play here more than occasionally, this is likely the single highest-value purchase available to you.

3. Cross into Richland County. You’re minutes from Columbia. Oak Hills has been reported at $35 with a cart and reviews well at 4.3. Linrick is the municipal option. Northwoods is well regarded as player-friendly. Your effective course inventory is much larger than Lexington County alone.

4. Ask every semi-private club about outside-play rates directly. Because none of them publish full rate cards, the phone is genuinely your best pricing tool here. It’s a five-minute call that can save $20.

5. Watch Hidden Valley’s reopening. A county-owned course renovated with public money and operated by a recreation commission is likely to be priced for residents rather than for profit. When it reopens, it will probably be the best value in Lexington County. Follow the course’s social media for the date.

6. Never prepay a course you haven’t confirmed is open. A group lost $140 booking Hidden Valley through a platform during its renovation. Booking sites do not reliably remove closed courses.

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Is Lexington County a Good Place for Affordable Golf?

It’s a good market that got noticeably more expensive very quickly.

Five years ago you had a cheap public course in West Columbia, another on the western side, and a private club near Gaston that took public play. Today one of those is a four-figure private club, one has been sold, and the third is closed for renovation under county ownership.

What’s left — Charwood, Golden Hills, Timberlake, Ponderosa — is genuinely good golf. Golden Hills in particular is an underrated Ron Garl design that you can book without knowing anybody. But the bargain tier is thinner than it was.

The good news is the county noticed and acted. Whatever you think about a recreation commission buying a golf course, the practical result is that Lexington County will soon have a publicly owned 18-hole course, freshly renovated, priced with residents in mind. That’s rare, and it’s worth waiting for.

If you’re in Lexington County right now: play Golden Hills on a weekday, use Charwood as your regular round, and keep an eye on Hidden Valley.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to play golf in Lexington County, South Carolina?

Most 18-hole rounds with a cart in Lexington County run approximately $30 to $50, with weekday afternoons at the low end and weekend mornings at the high end. None of the county’s semi-private clubs publish full rate cards online, so calling the pro shop for a specific date is the only reliable way to get current pricing.

What happened to Indian River Golf Club in West Columbia?

Indian River Golf Club was purchased in 2023 by Wesley and George Bryan, known as the Bryan Bros golf YouTubers, along with a business partner.

They rebuilt it as Solina Golf Club with a reported investment exceeding $15 million, and it now operates as a private membership club. Limited public tee times released during a promotional window in 2026 were advertised at $1,200 to $2,000.

Can the public play Solina Golf Club?

Generally no. Solina is a private membership club, and non-members typically need a member host. The club has released limited public tee times during a promotional “Azalea Season” window, advertised for March 30 through April 22 in 2026, at published prices of $1,200 to $2,000.

Reported membership figures, which the club does not publish officially, cite roughly a $10,000 initiation fee and about $450 in monthly dues.

Did Lexington County buy a golf course?

Yes. The Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission purchased Hidden Valley Golf Club near Gaston for $450,000. The 18-hole, par-72 course on 187 acres had operated as a private club since 1964.

County officials said the purchase was intended to preserve public golf access after Indian River Golf Club went private and Indian Trail Golf Course in Batesburg-Leesville was sold. It is now the only publicly owned golf course in Lexington County.

Is Hidden Valley Golf Club in Gaston open?

No. Hidden Valley is currently closed for a complete renovation following its purchase by the Lexington County Recreation & Aging Commission. The course has confirmed it will reopen, but the timeline has been open-ended. At least one group lost money booking a tee time there through an online platform during the renovation, so confirm directly with the course before prepaying.

What is the best public golf course in Lexington County, SC?

Golden Hills Golf & Country Club in Lexington is the best course in the county that accepts public play. It’s a Ron Garl design on rolling terrain that has appeared on best-of lists for South Carolina, and reviewers frequently describe it as underrated. It plays very narrow, rewarding placement over distance, and weekends back up significantly, so weekday rounds are recommended.

What are the cheapest golf courses near Lexington, SC?

With Hidden Valley closed and Solina now private, Charwood Golf Club in West Columbia is the most accessible everyday option in the county.

Golfers can also cross into neighboring Richland County, where Oak Hills has been reported at around $35 with a cart and Linrick Golf Course operates as a municipal facility. The Midlands VIP discount book is worth researching for regular players.

Why did the Midlands Golf Course Owners Association object to the county buying Hidden Valley?

The association’s president publicly characterized the purchase as a significant misappropriation of taxpayer dollars, arguing that private course operators pay taxes as both business owners and citizens and should not have to compete against a taxpayer-supported facility.

County officials countered that the purchase preserves affordable public access as private conversions reduce the number of courses available to golfers who can’t afford club memberships.

Your turn: Lexington County spent $450,000 of public money to keep one golf course open to the public — and local course owners called it an unfair use of taxpayer dollars.

Where do you land on that one? Should local government step in to keep golf affordable when private buyers are converting courses, or should it stay out of the way? And has a course you used to play ever gone private or closed on you? Tell me about it in the comments.