Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Jeff Marsh
Old Barnwell Golf Club
Aiken, SC • Private
Overview
The Old Barnwell property, 12 miles southeast of Aiken, shares much in common with the nearby Tree Farm, which was constructed at virtually the same time in 2022 and 2023. The latter is a better pure golf site, but the more enigmatic, if less aesthetically endowed, Old Barnwell property is profound in other architecturally advantageous ways.
The course plays around and through a treeless basin at the center of the 500-acre site, shooting the occasional sortie of holes into thinned-out sections of pine along a perimeter rim. The landforms surrounding the amphitheater are nakedly muscular, and eight holes traverse and tumble off these fallaway ridgelines.
First-time lead architects Brian Schneider and Blake Conant used those movements to prop up wide holes that skirt the edges and handled the less suggestive parts of the property by constructing an assortment of contemporary and antique architectural features: old bathtub bunkers recalling hazards at Garden City Golf Club and Myopia Hunt; linear shaggy-grass berms that evoke military entrenchments; open waste areas and geometric chasms of sand; and vertical grass embankments protecting bunkers and greens.
On top of this are a set of putting surfaces that crash any conversation of the game’s most profoundly contoured, pushing the limits of playability without crossing into needless ornamentation.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Debut appearance.
2025-'26 ranking: 131st.
Best in State: Debut appearance.
Current ranking: 5th.
Best New, Private: Second place, 2024.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Old Barnwell is a fun course. Overall, in great condition and plenty of variety, but the challenge was less off the tee (very wide fairways). Shots into the green were challenging though. Well worth a visit if you can."
Read More2026
Review
“Old Barnwell reminds me a bit of a Melbourne Sandbelt course. The routing flows well. Generous driving areas and challenging green complexes. The par threes are challenging. 6 green is a tough target. I really liked the 10th green a lot with the challenging 11th next. 13 is a crazy Alps type whole that I still have no idea how to play. I would love another crack at that. 17 is an enticing short hole that requires discipline and precision."
Read More2026
Review
“I was able to play Old Barnwell yesterday. A beautiful warm day to walk around and experience the course. First and foremost, the property is fantastic: vast, open, and airy. The course gives more than ample room off the tee, which gives the player a bit of a false sense of comfort, as if placed in the wrong spot, the approach shot can be quite difficult. The bunkering is world class. Unique layouts and positioning, including epic placement of the bunkers on #10. The greens are quite large, but have serve undulations, which means that a two putting is not a given when on the green in regulation. There is a stretch of 5 par 4s in a row, which I found to be a bit of a slot, although one of them is a drivable hole for a long hitter, which added some character. The ending is a blast, with 3 par 5s in the last 7 holes plus another drivable par 4, which is pure joy. I can see why folks enjoy the course; I can see why one would want to play there daily."
Read More2026
Review
“Old Barnwell is a masterclass in width-and-angle strategy. While the fairways are expansive, the "ideal" landing zones are surprisingly tight due to subtle crowning and strategic bunkering (like the "dinosaur bunkers" on the 10th). The challenge isn't finding your ball; it's finding the correct side of the fairway to navigate the complex, often multi-tiered green surfaces. The par 73 layout—featuring five 5s—provides a rhythmic variety that tests every club in the bag. Architects Brian Schneider and Blake Conant avoided modern clichés. The course features: • Unique Routing: Only three par 3 which forces the 4s and 5s to carry the narrative. • The Ground Game: Firm, sandy turf allows for (and often requires) the "Texas Wedge" or low-running approaches, a rarity in the Southeast. • Green Complexes: Heavily influenced by English Heathland (think Sunningdale or Walton Heath), the greens feature "short grass as a hazard," where misses result in 40-yard chips rather than lost balls. The aesthetic is "Rugged Elegance." It’s built on the same geological vein of sand as Pinehurst. The visual contrast between the stark, jagged bunkering, the towering longleaf pines, and the manicured TifEagle Bermuda greens creates a "dramatic yet inspired" atmosphere. It feels like a course that has been there for 100 years, despite opening in 2023. Playability: Extremely high. There is very little "forced carry," making it accessible for higher handicaps, while the firm conditions and tricky pin positions keep scratch players honest. • Memorability: Several holes are instant classics. The 10th hole is a standout, with a dogleg-left guarded by a massive 250-yard "string" of bunkers. The short par 4s (three of which are under 320 yards) provide the "humor" and risk-reward excitement that raters look for. Old Barnwell is a "provocative" response to modern minimalism. It manages to be bold and adventurous without ever feeling gimmicky. It is a "firm and fast" playground that prioritizes fun and strategy over raw difficulty. I could see it being very challenging in the wind."
Read More2026
Review
“Old Barnwell is defined by is the amount of choice it gives you and how carefully you manage those choices. The fairways are wide but angles into the greens really matter. You’re rarely forced into a single shot, yet every option carries consequences depending on where the pin is and how boldly you want to play. The ground game is always available, the greens subtly repel careless approaches, and misses tend to roll into spots that leave you thinking instead of just scrambling. It’s the kind of course that never tells you what to do, but rewards players who pay attention, manage their aggressiveness, and commit to a strategy."
Read More2026
Review
“Really innovating in certain spots, esepcially the drivable 14th hole which almost feels like it's designed to play backwards on the second shot, but with a green complex that allows that approach."
Read More2025
Review
“Terrific condition as course is extremely firm and fast! Terrific set of par 3 holes, as well as some unbelievable short risk/reward par 4. 2 is possible but so is 6. Really fun to play. The golf course looks as if it has been there forever."
Read More2025
Review
“A must see if in the area. Great balance of long and short game requirements. Challenging without being punitive. Beautiful, playable for most."
Read More2025
Review
“A fine new golf course in the sandhills of South Carolina. It lacks a little at the beginning and the end, but the middle holes are quite special."
Read More2025
Review
“Old Barnwell is an incredibly unique new course in the Sandbelt area near Aiken SC. Expansive is an understatement as Old Barnwell's scale is nearly unmatched in my golf career. Conditions near the top of any I've ever played with respect to firm surfaces and surrounds which allow a multiple of shots around the greens. Ample area to hit the ball off the tee and certainly a course of positioning your tee shot effectively to have a chance at approaching the pin effectively. A good match of short and long, left and right and up and down throughout. Wonderful use of a rumpled, rolling landscape. A couple of greens which teeter on the the dramatic to severe are the only detriments I found on this compelling property."
Read More2025
