Est. 1892 · Thomas Hitchcock (original 1892 holes); Herbert Leeds (1895 expansion to 18); Alister MacKenzie (1932 revisions)
Why we love this place
We love Palmetto for its unhurried sense of history. Walking these grounds, laid out generations ago and touched by MacKenzie's hand, feels like stepping into golf's roots. The understated charm, the classic sand-hills character, and the Aiken setting make it a place we return to whenever we want to remember where the game came from.
Via The Fried Egg
About Palmetto Golf Club
Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina, founded in 1892, ranks among the oldest golf clubs in the United States. Sportsman Thomas Hitchcock laid out the original holes, and in 1895 Herbert Leeds, of Myopia Hunt Club fame, expanded the course to eighteen. Its most storied chapter came in 1932, when Dr. Alister MacKenzie, fresh from completing nearby Augusta National, drew plans to convert the club's sand greens to grass and lengthen the layout. Palmetto is often described as the oldest continually operated golf course on its original site in the Southeast, second nationally only to Chicago Golf Club for that distinction. Set in the historic winter-colony town of Aiken with its deep equestrian and sporting heritage, the club retains a distinctly old-world character. During Masters week it draws players and visitors from the nearby Augusta area, keeping its quiet, understated place in golf history intact.
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