The masterpieces of “The Maverick” continue to rake in the national accolades, as the late Mike Strantz’s perennial award-winning designs at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club have now earned lofty spots in Golfweek’s Best 2021: Top 200 Resort Golf Courses in the U.S. rankings.

Mike Strantz designs can offer compelling examples of visual deception at any given turn, as you’ll see right away when you step to the tee of the 15th hole at True Blue Golf Club. This par five looks like a tough driving hole, but in reality you have some room to miss. Waste bunkers protect both the right and left sides of the fairway. Tee shots up the left side will leave the best angle for a layup, and give the longer hitters a chance to go for it.

A key point of every course architect’s work is in the designer’s choice of green sites, and Mike Strantz has produced some of the wildest sites the golf world has ever seen. At Caledonia Golf & Fish Club you see a lot of narrow greens with different sections to them. These greens are meant to make you really think about your approach shot into them. The 12th green at Caledonia is no different.

In this video tip, Mike Rugg from the Steve Dresser Golf Academy located at True Blue Golf Club and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, S.C. explains why it is so important to have a proper takeaway, and how to achieve it.

Mike Strantz is known for making some holes that are “easy” for most golfers. The short 9th at Caledonia is the first hole that jumps to mind. However, Strantz also makes some holes that are absolute brutes, including the 12th at True Blue, nicknamed the “shed hole.”

While most of Mike Strantz’s designs have some of the toughest holes in golf, he offers up his fair share of birdie chances, too. At True Blue you have the tough stretch of holes from Nos. 2 through 4, but you’re given a good chance to attack on 5 and 6. Another hole that many golfers take advantage of is the par-4 13th.

Mike Strantz is known for creating visually deceiving golf holes. The deep green on the 8th hole at True Blue comes to mind. However, some holes that Strantz created are just plain tough, and the 15th at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is the quintessential example.

In this video tip, Stuart Clark from the Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club shows you how to hit a high flop shot from a tight lie.

Mike Strantz has created some greens that will dominate your dreams (or nightmares) when your head hits the pillow, in anticipation of playing all the great, challenging putting surfaces at Bulls Bay, Tobacco Road, True Blue and Caledonia. One in particular that stands out to us is the par-three 6th at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

When asked by Golf Club Atlas in 2000 who inspired his work the most, Mike Strantz didn’t hesitate to reference the aforementioned Scottish golf course architect whose course designs span the globe through four continents. And MacKenzie’s thoughts above serve as no better descriptor than it does with one of Strantz’s Lowcountry holes: the short, par-four 8th at True Blue Golf Club.