Sage Valley Golf Club is an ultra-exclusive, member-only golf course located in Graniteville, South Carolina, about 15 miles from Augusta National—featuring a Tom Fazio-designed championship layout limited to just 200 members nationwide with no public access available.
The only way to play here is through a personal invitation from a member, and guest visits include mandatory professional caddies, world-class accommodations, and strict etiquette policies that mirror the refinement of Augusta itself.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about accessing this private sanctuary, what to expect during your visit, and why this course has earned its place among America's most prestigious golf destinations.
What Makes Sage Valley Golf Club One of America's Most Exclusive Courses
Sage Valley sits just 15 miles northeast of Augusta National in Graniteville, South Carolina, and shares more than geography with its famous neighbor.
The club's exclusivity stems from a founder who refused to wait for an invitation that might never arrive.
Weldon Wyatt built his fortune partnering with Sam Walton starting in 1974, developing Walmart stores throughout the Southeast.
After selling his development company in 2001, he had the resources to pursue a different kind of project.
Rather than hoping for an Augusta National membership, Wyatt spent five years hunting for the perfect property to create his own private golf sanctuary.
He found it at 2240 Sage Valley Drive, where 500 acres became the golf course itself, surrounded by an additional 1,000 acres serving as a buffer zone.
This preserved Southern pine forest ensures complete seclusion—you won't stumble upon Sage Valley accidentally.
The philosophy driving everything here: “Golf as it should be.”
Wyatt focused on creating world-class member experiences through exceptional service and meticulous attention to detail.
His son Tom now guides the club's development and operations alongside him, maintaining the vision that shaped Sage Valley from its inception.
The numbers tell part of the story:
- Membership is capped at 200 people nationally
- Golf Digest has ranked it in their Second 100 Greatest courses from 2013-2018 and again in 2023-2024
- The club consistently appears in Best in State rankings—fourth from 2021-2024, then 10th in 2025-2026
- In 2005, Golf Digest placed Sage Valley in their “Top 100 Clubs” list at number 6 in the Golf Retreat Category, where it has remained
But exclusivity isn't just about small membership rolls.
You can't book a tee time here, and the website won't explain how to gain access.
The course never appears in travel packages or public access programs.
This isn't a club trying to fill tee sheets—it's a sanctuary designed for 200 members and their invited guests, period.
Tom Fazio's Masterpiece: Course Design and Layout
Tom Fazio brought a unique perspective to Sage Valley—he serves as consulting architect at Augusta National.
Working with Beau Welling, Fazio designed and constructed the course in 2001, and the Augusta influence shows in every detail.
He didn't just plant young saplings and wait for them to mature.
Instead, Fazio transplanted hundreds of fully grown trees and planted thousands of azaleas and flowering shrubs to create an instant sense of establishment.
The specifications:
- Par 72 stretching 7,344 yards from the championship tees
- Plays anywhere from 4,901 to 7,325 yards across all tee boxes
- Course rating of 74.9 with a slope of 131
- Bermuda grass greens equipped with air-circulation systems beneath each surface for perfect year-round conditioning
That last detail matters more than you might think.
Wyatt took maintenance so seriously that he purchased the entire company providing sub-surface aeration and moisture-removal technology after learning how it would preserve playing conditions for the bentgrass greens even through harsh summer heat.
Superintendent Chuck Green has maintained the course since opening day using state-of-the-art technology and resources most clubs can only dream about.
The design clearly pays homage to Augusta National.
You'll see pine straw everywhere, perfect conditioning that rivals any course in America, symmetric mowing patterns that create visual harmony, and pristine bunker sand that looks almost too perfect to disturb.
But Fazio made a deliberate choice to differentiate Sage Valley from its more famous neighbor.
While Augusta features drastic green complexes that punish anything but perfect approach shots, Fazio's greens at Sage Valley give higher-handicappers opportunities to run balls onto putting surfaces—similar to how Dr. Mackenzie originally designed Augusta before decades of modifications made it more severe.
The routing takes full advantage of natural terrain.
You'll encounter significant elevation changes, stately pines framing every hole, streams cutting through fairways, and water hazards that come into play on multiple holes.
The fairways offer generous landing areas with plenty of room off the tee, but the holes themselves vary dramatically—some go left to right, others right to left, playing uphill, downhill, and over or around water.
The opening stretch sets the tone: The first hole drops substantially to the fairway below, giving you an exhilarating start.
The second hole might be the most photographed on the property—a gorgeous par-three that drops across part of the main lake to a stunning peninsula green framed by those transplanted pines.
The third hole doglegs left around the same lake, creating a fine driving hole where placement matters more than distance.
Other memorable moments include the second shot to the fifth green, a tempting short par-four sixth that dares longer hitters to take aggressive lines, and the gently rising closing hole that brings you back to the clubhouse with a proper sense of completion.
Fazio didn't stop with the championship course. In fall 2019, Sage Valley opened a 9-hole par-three course that operates daily from 11:00 am until 1:00 am.
This addition serves as both a practice facility and a fun evening option for members who want to play a quick round after dinner.
The club also features three practice “Dormie” holes and a comprehensive learning center—everything you need to work on specific shots or simply warm up before your round.
Membership Structure and Guest Access
Sage Valley operates as a national membership club, drawing its 200 members from across the country rather than relying on a local base.
The initial membership fee sits at $120,000, though that figure comes from 2018-era information and may have changed since then.
Here's what you need to understand about access: there's no pathway except through a member invitation.
The club maintains a strictly member-invitation-only policy with no public play and no tee time booking system for non-members.
Visit the Sage Valley website and you'll notice it doesn't explain how to book a round—that's intentional.
The course never appears in travel packages or public access programs because the club has zero interest in opening its gates to anyone beyond members and their invited guests.
If you're determined to play without knowing a member directly, some visitors report success connecting with local residents who have contacts at the club.
Your best window might be Masters week, when the club sees increased play and members often bring guests to the area.
This isn't a guaranteed strategy, but it's one of the few potential inroads if you're not already connected to the membership.
The financial structure keeps things straightforward.
All charges and fees associated with your visit get applied to your host member's club account.
This includes everything from meals to range balls to round fees.
However, purchases at the Golf Shop or Gun Club Shop can be handled with cash, check, or credit card if you prefer to pay directly rather than having those charges flow through your host's account.
Caddie fees work similarly—they'll default to the member's account, but you can pay separately if you want to handle that expense yourself.
Just know that settling caddie fees with a credit card comes with a 3% convenience fee, so cash or check saves you that surcharge.
The takeaway: if you don't know a member, your chances of playing Sage Valley are slim.
This isn't a club trying to attract new business or fill unused tee times.
The 200-member cap exists for a reason, and the invitation-only policy reinforces the exclusivity that defines the entire Sage Valley experience.
World-Class Amenities Beyond the Golf Course
Sage Valley provides overnight accommodations across 20 different lodging options.
The property features 10 member-owned cottages located just off the entrance drive, 6 club-owned cottages within the club gate, and 4 clubhouse suites.
All are well-appointed and available to members and their guests.
The cottages carry names honoring golf legends and architects: Old Tom Morris, Fazio, Founder's A & B, Gibbs, Ross, Mackenzie, Flynn, Owner's Cottages 1-10, and EZGO.
The Old Tom Morris cottage stands out as the largest, housing twelve players in twelve separate bedrooms with a conference room, multiple common areas, wet bar, shuffleboard table, and pool table.
This setup works well for corporate outings or large groups who want to stay together.
The clubhouse and dining experience centers around a 35,000 square foot facility that includes a full-service spa.
Three meals are served daily, seven days a week, combining Southern hospitality with classically inspired cuisine.
The dining program reflects the same attention to detail you'll find on the golf course—no shortcuts, no compromises.
Five years after Sage Valley opened, Wyatt added the Gun Club to expand beyond golf.
The facility features a 6,000 square foot log cabin lodge situated in the heart of 3,000+ acres of rolling pine hills with lakes and streams.
Marty Fischer designed the 12-station sporting clays course, and the complex includes lighted trap and skeet courses, five-stand, and wobble trap.
The Gun Club operates with the same service philosophy as the golf course.
All sport shooters receive Beretta shotguns and ammunition, and you're hosted by a “Trapper” who assists with the shooting facilities.
You don't need to bring your own equipment or worry about logistics—everything is handled.
The Sage Valley Junior Invitational has become one of the club's most significant contributions to golf.
Hosted annually since 2011, Golfweek recognizes it as the number one junior event in golf.
The tournament originally featured only boys but expanded in 2022 to include girls for the first time.
Now 36 boys and 24 girls compete in this three-day, 54-hole tournament, typically held in March.
Winners receive a gold jacket—a clear nod to the Masters tradition just 15 miles away.
The alumni list reads like a who's who of current professional golf: Scottie Scheffler won in 2014, and past participants include Justin Thomas, Colin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Anna Davis, and Megha Ganne.
Aldrich Potgieter's 2023 victory proved particularly prophetic—he went on to win at Augusta National, then became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history.
Beyond developing elite junior talent, the tournament has generated over $2 million for local First Tee chapters in Augusta and Aiken since its inception.
This charitable impact extends Sage Valley's influence beyond its gates, supporting youth golf programs that might never have access to the club itself.
Planning Your Visit: Practical Information for Guests
Getting there: Three airports serve Sage Valley, each with different advantages depending on your travel needs.
- Aiken Municipal Airport (15 minutes away): Closest option with a 6,500-foot runway, ideal for private aviation
- Bush Field in Augusta (25 minutes away): Offers commercial service with more limited flight options
- Columbia Airport (45 minutes away): Farthest but provides the greatest selection of carriers and connections
Sage Valley offers transportation to any of these airports, so your choice depends on whether you're flying private or commercial and which connections work best for your schedule.
Shipping your clubs works through standard carriers. Send them via UPS, FedEx, or Ship Stix to 2240 Sage Valley Drive, Graniteville, SC 29829.
The key detail: include both your name and your host member's name on the shipping label.
This ensures the club knows which member to connect your equipment with when it arrives.
Reach the club directly at (803) 663-0900 or visit www.sagevalleygolf.com, though remember the website won't provide booking information since all access flows through member invitations.
Plan around seasonal operations.
Sage Valley closes in September and reopens in spring.
This schedule protects the course during the hottest months and allows for maintenance work, but it means you can't play year-round even if you secure a member invitation.
If you're in the Augusta area during a week when Sage Valley isn't accessible or you're looking for alternatives, Palmetto Golf Club offers another historic option.
Alister MacKenzie designed Palmetto immediately after completing Augusta National, making it one of the oldest courses in the United States.
Unlike Sage Valley, Palmetto allows guest play—but only for one week in April each year, so you'll need to plan accordingly if you want to experience MacKenzie's work beyond the Masters venue.
Conclusion
Sage Valley delivers an Augusta-caliber experience for the 200 members lucky enough to hold a spot and the guests they choose to invite.
Access remains the biggest challenge—without a personal connection to a member, you're unlikely to see Tom Fazio's masterpiece in person.
If you do receive an invitation, expect world-class golf, impeccable service, and the kind of attention to detail that sets Sage Valley apart from nearly every other private club in America.
