Spectator Sports
When most people in the Lowcountry think of sports, they think of grabbing their equipment and getting involved directly in a game of tennis, a round of golf, a dip in the swimming pool, and other activities. However, neither visitors nor locals should overlook the excellent professional, amateur, and collegiate spectator sports available for our enjoyment.
There’s nothing like taking off for a day at the stadium to watch the great American sport of baseball, and Charleston’s own RiverDogs provide an action-packed brand of play. There’s also the option of cheering for the big-name professionals who regularly show up at area golf and tennis matches. And who among us doesn’t enjoy an autumn afternoon spent cheering on the college football team, even if our own college days are but a dim, gilded memory.
Tennis, sailing regattas, soccer, ice hockey . . . you name it—if it translates into action, it can probably be found somewhere in the Lowcountry. So take some time off from your own sports regimen to sit and watch the following folks in action. You’ll probably find yourself screaming “Hey batter, batter, batter!” right along with the best of ’em!
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 360 Fishburne St.
2. Nationwide Tour Championship
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 971-3555
Description: For 3 years, October 2009–2011, the Daniel Island Club will host the Nationwide Tour’s season-ending event. The competition features the top 60 players on the Nationwide money list competing in a $1 million, 72-hole stroke play, no-cut event. The winner will take home $180,000, and the top 25 on the list after the event will earn their promotion to the PGA Tour for the next season. Typically, two-thirds of the players on the PGA Tour have come through the Nationwide Tour, so this is your chance to watch high-level golf up-close on the Rees Jones–designed Ralston Creek Course on Daniel Island. Call the number above for more information.
3. PGA Championship
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 266-4679, (800) 654-2924
Insider Pick:
Description: Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course will set the scene for the 94th PGA Championship held August 9–12, 2012. It will become only the 5th golf course to play host to the Ryder Cup (1991), the Senior PGA Championship (2007), and the PGA Championship. The Ocean Course’s oceanfront links-style layout designed by Pete Dye will test the skills of the PGA professionals at the final major tournament of 2012. Ticket sales are underway and information can be found by visiting the websites above.
4. Rice Planters Amateur Golf Championship
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 884-2600
Description: Since 1973, Snee Farm Country Club has hosted the Rice Planters Amateur Golf Championship. This tournament attracts top collegiate golfers, seasoned talent from across the United States, and terrific international amateur players. Past champions and competitors have included current pros Tom Lehman, Davis Love, III, Scott Hoch, Stewart Cink, Andy Bean, Hal Sutton, and Allen Doyle. Held in late June, this event is open to the public at no charge. Call Snee Farm for more information.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 3107 Firestone Rd.
6. Cooper River Bridge Run and Walk
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 856-1949
Address: 716 South Shelmore Blvd.
Description: Just because you don’t feel up to walking or running over the new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, don’t give up on the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) Cooper River Bridge Run. Each Mar or Apr (usually the weekend before Easter), you can be a spectator or a volunteer and get your own thrill from the collective energy of it all. Hit the streets and cheer the participants onward—hundreds of like-minded folks will be right out there with you. For more information, call the number above.
7. Charleston Race Week
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 722-1030, ext. 18
Description: The South Carolina Maritime Foundation in association with The Charleston Ocean Racing Association (CORA) presents the annual Charleston Race Week during the month of April. Race Week comprises the Palmetto Cup regatta, an inshore competition for sailboats from 20 to 70 feet, selected one-design regattas, and a harbor race. The Charleston Race Week Cup and overall Race Week winners are determined based on cumulative scoring results. Race Headquarters and the Race Village are located at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina in Mount Pleasant. More than 150 boats competed in 2010, and a good time was had by all.
8. Charleston to Bermuda Race
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (843) 722-1030
Description: Alternating years with the Daytona to Bermuda Race, the Charleston to Bermuda Race, also known simply as “C2B,” leaves our city in May 2011. The 777-nautical-mile race is hosted on the receiving end by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (formed in 1844), and the finish line is off the St. David’s Lighthouse in Bermuda. The 30-foot and larger sailboats are entered in either a double-handed class (two crew) or the fully crewed class with a minimum of four. Hundreds of spectators lined the Waterfront Park and the Battery and also watched from more than 100 spectator boats as the sailors set out on this challenge in May 2009.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 161 Seven Farms Dr.