Dale Dunlop is “The Maritime Explorer,” and he’s traveled the world and written about it from his home base in St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia for more than three decades. South Carolina and its Lowcountry have been among Dale’s countless global visits, which have included golfing excursions to each of Mike Strantz’s masterpiece designs at Caledonia and True Blue. Dale’s love for Strantz’s work prompted him to offer his own hole-by-hole insights he gleaned from his experience at Caledonia. Here, in the first of three parts, is Dale’s take on the first third of his Caledonia journey.

Stuart Clark from the Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island, S.C. shows us one of his favorite drills that helps prevent, among other things, taking the club too far outside on your backswing and coming over the top on your downswing.

Dale Dunlop is “The Maritime Explorer,” and he’s traveled the world and written about it from his home base in St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia for more than three decades. South Carolina and its Lowcountry have been among Dale’s countless global visits, which have included golfing excursions to each of Mike Strantz’s masterpiece designs at Caledonia and True Blue. Dale’s love for Strantz’s work prompted him to offer his own hole-by-hole insights he gleaned from his experience at True Blue. Here, in the first of three parts, is Dale’s take on the first third of his True Blue playing journey.

Mike Strantz is known for his wild, constantly moving fairways, and at True Blue Golf Club we’re lucky enough to have many wide fairways that give every golfer a great chance at finding them off the tee. One of our favorite holes is the par-four 17th, which not only exemplifies this trait but is a great reminder of a hole that should not be overlooked if your mind starts to drift ahead to True Blue’s more renowned finishing hole.

You see how the tour players do it, so how can you? Steve Dresser of the Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island, S.C. demonstrates the difference between how professional golfers and amateurs rotate their bodies through impact, and show some exercises to help you do it more like the pros.

Picturesque. That’s the easiest way to describe Hole Number 18 at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, as the ultimate show of Mike Strantz’s brilliance. The clubhouse overlooking the green, the tidal water feeding from the river, and the beautiful surrounds make this hole one of most photographed holes in all of Grand Strand golf.

A key feature to many of Mike Strantz’s designs is the way he works his designs’ land movement within their natural surroundings. When you play at True Blue Golf Club you will notice the sloping fairways, the expansive waste areas, and the tall trees that frame a lot of fairways. The par-three 17th at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club also embodies this Strantz design trait.

In this video, Steve Dresser of the Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island, S.C. demonstrates a simple method of gaining the feel of proper body rotation in the golf swing.

When you tee it up at True Blue Golf Club, you’re treated to five great par threes. You visit the 3rd and 7th holes first. Each of these has a crazy green complex that can feed your ball toward the hole. The 11th sports a large green with a tier right in the middle of it. The 14th has the most unique bunkering on the entire golf course. Today, our focus shifts to the final par three at True Blue, the 16th hole.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club has a great mix of holes that offer chances to play either aggressively or with your thinking cap screwed on tight. In the former case, the par-5 10th hole is one example where you can attack it and walk away with a birdie or better. In contrast, the par-4 16th at Caledonia is one where you want to take your par, be very happy with it and move on to the next hole.