![\"Candyroot-grassing-First](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784238190_426_0x0.jpg\")
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Grassing is underway for the first 18-hole course at Candyroot, which is set to open for preview play in late October.<\/p>\n
Candyroot Lodge – Billy Richards<\/p>\n
Candyroot Lodge, the new public destination golf property in the South Carolina sandhills, will welcome preview play for its first 18-hole course starting Oct. 28, with a day-pass for unlimited golf costing $175. <\/p>\n
Shaping of the Mike Koprowski-designed course \u2013 the first of four planned 18-hole layouts at the resort<\/a> \u2013 is now complete and grassing is underway. Koprowski, architect of the highly acclaimed Broomsedge course about 35 miles south, originally discovered the parcel of land that was the genesis for Candyroot and embraced \u201cextreme minimalism\u201d in his design of the first course, embracing the natural movement of the land with a routing that celebrates the ground game. <\/p>\n Starting the final week of October, Candyroot\u2019s initial 18-hole course will be open for public play from Wednesday through Sunday. The all-day access, called \u201cA Day at Candyroot\u201d pass, will include as much golf as the golfer desires, select food and beverage offerings, a welcome pouch with a scorecard, tees, ball marker and Candyroot-branded Stanley water bottle. Players are required to have forecaddie, which costs extra. <\/p>\n The preview play passes will be available at Candyroot\u2019s website<\/a> starting Sept. 8, with the total number of golfers capped at 40 each day. <\/p>\n A full public opening is expected for spring 2027. <\/p>\n The first photos of the grassing process at Candyroot, which is set to open for limited preview play in late 2026 with a full public opening expected for 2027.<\/p>\n Candyroot – Billy Richards<\/p>\n Candyroot stands out amid a landscape in which every other 18-hole course construction project in the works in South Carolina is private. It\u2019s a deep lineup, too, as South Carolina trails only Florida and Texas in terms of active golf development, according to the National Golf Foundation, with projects such as Old Barnwell, New Holland, 21 Golf Club, Kiawah Island Club, and Kawonu. <\/p>\n \u201cI like to use the word \u2018access\u2019 as my all-encompassing word,\u201d said proprietor Ethan Oberman, who is teaming with his brother Aaron in developing Candyroot within a state that saw the highest proportion of population growth<\/a> in 2025. \u201cBeing accessible from a major airport is important. Being accessible from a major city center is important. But being public is a big part of that. We want to share what we\u2019re building with as many people as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Grassing at the 16th hole at Candyroot Lodge’s first course.<\/p>\n \u00a9 carolinapinescreative<\/p>\n