Golfers have never exactly been known for staying in one place. Give them a promising new course, some scenic terrain, and the suggestion of a weekend escape, and suddenly state lines start to feel like a minor technicality. That is part of what makes Candyroot Lodge, a new public golf retreat taking shape in South Carolina’s Sandhills, worth watching.
Set across 1,210 acres of rolling sandy landscape, the destination is planning to debut its first 18-hole course with preview play in November ahead of a spring 2027 opening. The first layout comes from architect Mike Koprowski, who said Candyroot has turned into “a really old-school test of golf,” shaped less by heavy intervention and more by the natural movement of the land.
Koprowski noted that the course will feature small, sharply tilted greens, restrained bunkering, and fairway lines that create much of the strategy. He also pointed to the visual deception built into the terrain, with landforms that can make uphill and downhill reads feel anything but obvious.
That connection to the landscape is central to the project’s broader vision. Candyroot proprietor Aaron Oberman said the team saw “a clear opportunity to create a publicly accessible destination inspired by the land.” Beyond the fairways, plans call for more championship courses, a par-3 course with night play, lodging, trails, and wellness amenities designed to turn a round of golf into more of a full retreat.
For Raleigh-area golfers who do not mind a road trip in the name of a memorable round, Candyroot may be one to keep an eye on.
