The Dream 18

STORY BY ERIK MATUSZEWSKI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PATRICK O’BRIEN

VIDEOGRAPHY BY JAKE JAMES

My introduction to The Cliffs came decades ago through a full-page spread in a national golf publication that featured the jaw-dropping vista of The Cliffs at Glassy’s 13th hole.

For someone who grew up in the Northeast, the view that stretched for miles was transfixing and unforgettable. Golfers have a mental rolodex of holes like that, a bucket list

we chase over a lifetime.

I’ve been fortunate to play more than 500 U.S. courses (and counting) given my role as Editorial Director for the National Golf Foundation and as a senior contributor for publications ranging from Forbes to LINKS and Golf Digest.

Recently, my travels took me to the Carolinas, where I had the opportunity to experience all seven communities at The Cliffs on a whirlwind trip. The incredible depth and diversity across the 126 holes of golf within The Cliffs portfolio raised the question: What would a “Dream 18” look like?

A few caveats before jumping in: I only played each course once. As we golfers know, our experiences are influenced by weather, how we fared, or simply whether a particular hole “fits our eye.” Additionally, this isn’t simply my favorite 18 holes across all The Cliffs communities, but which holes I liked best while keeping with the natural sequence on the scorecard. Thus, my preferred first hole, second hole, and so on. And par isn’t a consideration!

Whittling the list down was incredibly challenging, but it made for an incredibly fun exercise while traversing about 250 miles in less than a week.

Without further ado, here’s my Dream 18!

Hole 1 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT GLASSY
PAR 4 | 367 YARDS

While Glassy was the debut community at The Cliffs in 1993, this was the last of the seven I visited. And from the first hole, I knew I was in for something entirely different than the other courses I’d seen. An elevated tee box sends you over a road to a tightish fairway hugged by a pond along the entirety of the right side. It’s not a long hole, but it’s an immediate promise of the different style of golf design in store at this magnificent mountaintop setting.

Hole 2 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE FALLS
PAR 5 | 532 YARDS

A par 5 that bends to the left as it climbs, the second is part of an outstanding starting stretch at Keowee Falls. The three bunkers on the hole are expertly (evilly?) placed, and the pitched green is benched into the side of a hill encircled by forest. We had players approaching the treacherous back pin position from every angle, and I’m still not sure which was optimal, although the ball below the greenside bunker—and under the watchful eye of wild turkeys—definitely seemed the one to avoid.

Hole 3 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS VALLEY
PAR 4 | 385 YARDS

The start of a sensational three-hole stretch in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For me, Valley’s third hole gets the nod because of its elevated tee that plays through a chute of tall trees toward a green backed by a pond. The setting made for fantastic early-morning acoustics; I can still hear the sound of that tee shot echoing off surrounding trees. Architect Ben Wright said he wanted a user-friendly golf course that felt like “a walk in the park,” and he delivered here.

Hole 4 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE VINEYARDS
PAR 5 | 625 YARDS

The first real taste of the vineyards that give this course its name are just beyond the 4th green of this rollicking downhill par 5. Beyond the scenic setting, the strategic strength of this hole lies in the approach to a green tucked on the far side of a cove. It’s one of eight holes that run along Lake Keowee and, for me, is where architect Tom Fazio delivered the first “wow”reveal at Keowee Vineyards.

Hole 5 / Par 3

THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE
PAR 3 | 227 YARDS*

After a terrific water-hugging green at the 4th hole, architect Jack Nicklaus turns the routing in the opposite direction for this mid-length par 3 beautifully backed by the mountains. It’s one of a collection of phenomenal par 3s at Walnut Cove and among a group of standout holes on a front nine that winds across former farm fields, just edging out (for me) the 5th holes at both Keowee Vineyards and Valley.

*Hole numbers reflect Walnut Cove’s previous routing. As of fall 2026, the course has returned to Jack Nicklaus’s original routing, and the former 5th hole is now the 14th.

Hole 6 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT MOUNTAIN PARK
PAR 4 | 415 YARDS

While the first three holes at Mountain Park embraced more of a links-style approach, the next three—all with challenging carries—flipped any assumptions I had for this course on their head. The last hole in this tough stretch, the 6th is as visually compelling as they come, with a sprawling bunker pinching the right side of a fairway that bends to the right, and a dramatic approach to a green fronted by the river. A tall tree overhangs the left-hand side, while bunkers flank the right and rock outcroppings abound. Fantastic and fearsome.

Hole 7 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE
PAR 4 | 461 YARDS*

The No. 1 handicap hole at this PGA Tour site really made me stop and think. The better and more aggressive line is to try to carry the bunkers that cut into the fairway on the right side. The safer play off the tee—and much tougher angle to the green—is to the left. The challenge is that Jack Nicklaus has the green jutting into the pond, so a safer play to the left demands a long carry over water to the putting surface (or a bailout to the right). Pretty and penal.

*Hole numbers reflect Walnut Cove’s previous routing. As of fall 2026, the course has returned to Jack Nicklaus’s original routing, and the former 7th hole is now the 16th.

Hole 8 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE SPRINGS
PAR 5 | 528 YARDS

The first of four par 5s in a seven-hole stretch, the 8th follows the natural contour of the land, starting from an elevated tee before playing back uphill to a well-protected green and potentially wicked pins. It’s a perfect encapsulation of Tom Fazio’s design approach at Keowee Springs—a strategic hole that incorporates elevation changes and creative contouring as it plays through tree-lined corridors.

Hole 9 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE
PAR 4 | 424 YARDS*

The finishing hole for the PGA Tour event at The Cliffs, the 9th isn’t long but demands a precise drive and an accurate approach to a narrower green benched into a hillside near the clubhouse. For my taste, it just clips the par-5 9th hole at Keowee Falls in what is nearly a dead heat.

*Hole numbers reflect Walnut Cove’s previous routing. As of fall 2026, the course has returned to Jack Nicklaus’s original routing, and the former 9th hole is now the 18th.

Hole 10 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT MOUNTAIN PARK
PAR 4 | 387 YARDS

After hitting the halfway house, your tee shot to start the second nine at this Gary Player design plays over a massive waste bunker to a wide fairway that heaves and rolls toward a notably undulating green. The 10th is the first in a stretch of holes that play out to and along a lake, a precursor to the even more picturesque 11th and 12th holes that play to water-hugging greens. The short 10th hole at Keowee Falls checks in as a close runner-up.

Hole 11 / Par 3

THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE
PAR 3 | 244 YARDS*

This bear of a par 3 designed by Jack Nicklaus is backed by the Pisgah National Forest, an awesome entry point to the most forested section of the layout. The choice here really came down to a pick-your-par-3 adventure, as six of the seven courses at The Cliffs feature a “one-shotter” as their 11th hole; with the exception of the original in Glassy.

*Hole numbers reflect Walnut Cove’s previous routing. As of fall 2026, the course has returned to Jack Nicklaus’s original routing, and the former 11th hole is now the 2nd.

Hole 12 / Par 4

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE FALLS
PAR 4 | 388 YARDS

There’s talk of extending this uphill par 4 even more for tournament play, such as the Clemson Invitational. The hole swings to the right as it climbs, with an angled green that’s perched on the side of a hill. A precise approach shot to the narrow putting surface needs to carry the dropoff and the two bunkers fronting the green. My honorable mentions for No. 12 include the par 5s at Keowee Springs and Walnut Cove.

Hole 13 / Par 3

THE CLIFFS AT GLASSY
PAR 3 | 152 YARDS

Honestly, this one wasn’t set in stone prior to experiencing all seven courses. But when the fog that crept across Glassy Mountain lifted just before we got to the signature 13th—more than 3,000 feet above sea level—it was no contest. Simply one of the more scenic holes I’ve encountered anywhere (even without the full 75-mile views), making it easy to see why this area was picked for the first community of The Cliffs.

Hole 14 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE SPRINGS
PAR 5 | 497 YARDS

Talk about scoring opportunities to start the back nine at Keowee Springs; with its tempting downhill speed slot over a rise in the fairway, the 14th is the third par 5 in a span of five holes. The descent to a bucolic green site surrounded by well-placed bunkers pairs nicely with the par-3 15th at Keowee Springs and its S-shaped bunker that guards the raised green.

Hole 15 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT MOUNTAIN PARK
PAR 5 | 543 YARDS

There’s a lot going on at this quirky hole, one that seems to have an equal share of supporters and detractors. Count me in the thumbs-up camp. I loved the two trees in the middle of the fairway that play into the strategy and the peek-a-boo green hidden by mounds, one of which fascinatingly features a deep bunker with a revetted face. I found myself looking back after finishing the hole and wondering how I’d try to play it a second time.

Hole 16 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE FALLS
PAR 5 | 505 YARDS

Maybe I have a fondness for the opportunity afforded by par-5s down the stretch, or maybe this green complex was just one of the most special and strategic I came across during my trip. I know the 15th hole gets attention for its ancient North American pear tree, but the 16th green squeezed on the other side of the creek reminded me of Medinah No. 3 in Illinois. A tremendous hole where a big number can sneak up on you in a hurry if you’re not careful.

Hole 17 / Par 3

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE VINEYARDS
PAR 3 | 250 YARDS

Now this is a big-boy par 3. I see why Tom Fazio called it the most picturesque in the state of South Carolina. And the downhill tee shot—to the peninsula green that extends into the tranquil waters of Lake Keowee—is a stunner even if you don’t play the heroic back tee at 250 yards. The views of the surrounds are almost equally pretty when you’re on the green itself, making for a truly photogenic and unforgettable penultimate hole.

Hole 18 / Par 5

THE CLIFFS AT GLASSY
PAR 5 | 615 YARDS

There were some strong contenders here—as the closing holes are so good at many of The Cliffs courses—but I’m opting to start and finish my “perfect round” at the original. It’s a great last taste of mountain golf, with a par 5 that slaloms downhill before jogging hard to the right to a green that juts into a pond and is lined by stacked rocks. Three greenside bunkers can swallow approach shots that bail out to the left, leaving a potentially precarious sand shot toward the water on the other side.