I am going to Mount Vintage on Sunday. So I can report back. Also, I should be able to get a tee time on Fri or Sun (depending on my schedule) at West Lake Country Club.
Quick heads up that I was told PGC has not been allowing guest play due to the pandemic. Not sure if itâs true or if that will change by October.
Likely not change between now and then. Itâs been with a member only Iâm hearing.
That makes sense. I just inquired with the Green Boundary Club as they have some sort of reciprocity and she mentioned she wasnât sure if they were allowing guests but would have an answer for me in the morning.
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I had an invite to go a couple weeks ago as a guestâŚthink they are now beyond that.
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They are allowing you as a guest, but you must play with a member. Thatâs what I was told for this weekend.
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As far as hotel recommendations go, The Willcox and Carriage House Inn are the downtown spots that will have you closest to the action. Willcox is the best in town and has a great bar (not sure how thatâs been affected by COVID), and as such itâs also the most expensive option. Itâs held in very high regard by both locals and visitors. Carriage House Inn is a charming spot that is also super convenient in terms of being walking distance from everything downtown.
An under-the-radar suggestion is The Inn at Houndslake. Yes, it was the subject of an episode of Hotel Impossible, but that was mainly due to a weird brother-sister ownership/management dynamic plus super outdated decor. The place gets rave reviews for its service despite that. Itâs small (30ish rooms) and very quiet, as itâs sort of hidden back behind the golf course/tennis courts at Houndslake Country Club.
I know next to nothing about the Clarion, though I used to live basically across the street from it for 20+ years. Great location right there on Whiskey Road (the main drag through town), so youâre super close to the golf courses, bars, restaurants and shops of downtown along with some of the more scenic spots like Hopelands Gardens and Hitchcock Woods. Itâs also a straight shot the other way down Whiskey Road to, well, basically everything else in town. Taking a left out of the parking lot might get kinda dicey if thereâs traffic, and I imagine youâre going to be dealing with some outdated rooms for that rate, but itâs hard to beat that price in that location.
There are the national chain places that I assume are the same here as they are everywhere, like the Hilton Garden Inn, Country Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Quality Inn, Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, etc. I donât think any one of those is more than 5 miles from AGC.
And, yes, weâve got some of those âIâm only going to be sleeping/showering here, so I donât care what the room/hotel is likeâ options. Thereâs an Econo Lodge, a Knights Inn, a Days Inn, and the aforementioned Hotel Aiken all within 1-2 miles of the course. Would I put my family up in one of them? No. My buds who were coming into town strictly to party? Probably not, but maybe.
As far as the Hotel Aiken goes â man, what a shitshow. The main hotel building has been closed for a few years now and was planned to have a multi-million dollar facelift under the Courtyard by Marriott banner. Well, demolition started but is a very tricky â and expensive â business for the historic preservation of a century-old building. All of that has halted in recent months, so the building is basically a skeleton. The annex across from it is, to be frank, a grimy, shitty motel that operates its âbusiness officeâ out of one of the actual rooms. It sits right down the alley from all of downtownâs bars and restaurants, so it is by far THE most convenient option from that perspective. Itâs just an eyesore with a view of nothing but abandoned construction/demolition equipment.
I know next to nothing about the AirBnB scene here, but I can always answer questions about the neighborhood, etc. where a place is located.
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The main road is called Whiskey Road? This should go well.
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Bar I used to sneak into in college was behind a gas station.
Whiskey Junction.
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Our famous intersection is Whiskey Road at Easy Street. As you can imagine, there have been attempts (some successful, some not so much) to steal those signs. I remember rumors of the city putting cameras up to watch the signs, but I have no idea if that ever was true.
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Yes. Off the Monetta exit. âEventuallyâ
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I think weâve found our Friday roundâŚ
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Florida plays South Carolina this week - low stress weekend for the Gators!
Why?! Because I changed my name. Sorry I offended you
Thinking about playing Cobblestone on the way back SundayâŚ
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The boss lady and I are happy to open up our guest room for anyone coming in. We live in Cobblestone here in Blythewood about 1:15hr to Aiken. Just throwing the option out there. Cheers!
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I disagreeâŚ
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Do I sense a Refuge grudge match starting to buck its head?
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Guests are now allowed at Palmetto.