‘Tis the season for getting outside. While Charleston is famously home to plenty of beaches for lazing about in the sun, it has just as many opportunities to get moving in the great outdoors. Whether it’s sailing along the harbor, surfing the city’s best breaks, or practicing your tennis serve and golf swing, summer sports enthusiasts are spoiled for options in Charleston. We spoke to local experts to get their picks on where to spend your summer days in the Palmetto State. Just don’t forget sunscreen.
Colonial Lake Courts
Causing a Racket: Tennis & Padel
Alison Riske, Former Professional Tennis Player
“The Colonial Lake public courts are just so special. You can find an open court the majority of the time. I love going to Alcove Market for a coffee after hitting there with my family. We take our 20-month-old daughter with us and usually only last 15-20 minutes on the court— we always tell her that Alcove is her treat! I also love Hazel Parker Playground. That tennis court is idyllic and I love that it’s a little hidden gem. We always stroll through the American Gardens on our walk home, which has been such a wonderful addition to our city! I love watching tennis at home where I can fully indulge and dissect, but I love that the American Gardens has a viewing area while the Credit One Charleston Open is taking place on Daniel Island.”
The recent addition of Padel to the Credit One Charleston Open tennis tournament shows just how far this popular cousin of pickleball has come. You can now find nearly two-dozen courts in the city and its surrounding areas, including two outdoor courts at the Kiawah Island Resort, the upcoming six-court pATL, set to open later this year on Mount Pleasant, and the public courts at LTP Daniel Island, the first of their kind in South Carolina, where they hold the Open each year.
Isle of Palms
Riding the Wave: Surfing
Sarah Clark, Former Surf Instructor & Concierge at The Pinch
“For surfing, I always recommend Isle of Palms for beginners. Take a lesson with Brycen, who owns IOP Surf Lessons— he grew up on the island and is the absolute best. Then I would 100% pop over the inlet to Sullivan’s Island to get the best food. Hometeam, and Mex1 are super laid back with GREAT food. Then buy yourself something nice from Goldbug, which sells crochet hats, sandals, and swimwear for the beach— plus some lovely handmade jewelry.”
One of the oldest surf shops in the country, McKevlin’s Surf Shop in Folly Beach is a Lowcountry institution for all things surf: board shorts, board bags, board wax, leashes, traction pads, and hundreds of surfboards for rent or purchase. The shop first opened in 1965 by Dennis McKevlin and his son Ted, operating out of the storage room of the Folly Bowling Center, and after several moves and even some forays into politics, it’s still in the family. (In the 70s, Dennis joined the City Council, where he advocated for local surfers, helping block a movement to ban surfing on Folly Beach; in the ‘90s, the family continued the fight, rewriting the law that prohibited surfers from the Washout, the beach’s best break.) If you need an update on the conditions before heading out to Folly, call into McKevlin’s for a daily Surf Report.
Kiawah Island Golf Courses
Hitting the Links: Golf
John Sebelist, Former PGA Teaching Pro
“If any of my friends were coming to Charleston from anywhere in the country, I’d say first you have to go check out Kiawah. There are five courses down there— there’s Oak, Cougar, Turtle, Osprey, and Ocean. The Ocean Course is world-ranked. It’s 54 in the world and number one in the United States for public resort courses. Six holes are on the ocean, so it’s our version of a links course. The slope rating on it makes it absolutely the hardest course. Any golfer— I don’t care if you’re a complete hack or a single-digit ranked pro– that’s one you can check off. But you can’t go wrong down there. Each one of those courses has its own pro shop, restaurant, bar, and showers— it’s like you’re a member at a club for the day. In terms of other public courses you can book, my own personal golf club is Stono Ferry, which is fifteen miles from downtown Charleston. Over in Mount Pleasant, you have Dune’s West and RiverTowne. If you want to stay more locally and you just want nice views and a decent experience, you can head to Patriots Point.”
For those who prefer a smaller-scale experience, you’ll find some of the best minigolf courses in the state at Legendary Golf in Hilton Head. Two fully outdoor 18-hole courses, shaded by oak trees, feature fun challenges that go far beyond the standard windmill. At night, everything is lit up. Alternatively, Charleston Fun Park in Mount Pleasant is a family-friendly adventure sports destination with a shaded, 36-hole minigolf course with a pirate theme — plus paintball, a climbing wall, and arcade. At TopGolf Charleston, the draw is a high-tech driving range, but there’s a full-service bar and restaurant too, if you prefer your tee time a little tipsy.
Shem Creek Boat Tours
Rocking the Boat: Boating & Fishing
Sarah Clark, Former Surf Instructor & Concierge at The Pinch
“For boating and being out on the water, I would definitely check out Coastal Expeditions at Shem Creek for the best boat tours and paddle boards. Plus, you are always able to see dolphins, and to me, that never gets old. For fishing, go with Headshaker Charters— Robert also grew up on Isle of Palms and can show you how to fly-fish, which is big in Charleston. He’s also a wonderful inshore fishing guide.”
The best places to try out some local, just-caught seafood include the beloved Chubby Fish, a dock-to-table spot where the catch of the day is served whole and prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients. In Mount Pleasant, Abundant Seafood is a seafood market focused on sustainable fishing, where you can sample fish both fresh and smoked in-house; Geechie Seafood, a Shem Creek staple run by local shrimpers, is the place to find the best just-caught shrimp (and crab); and Mt. Pleasant Seafood has been selling the daily catch to locals for over 75 years. On Sullivan’s Island, there’s Obstinate Daughter, a romantic seaside haunt, where the menu includes hyper-local offerings like the “Pesce a la Plancha,” lemon-caper brown butter shrimp with Carolina gold rice.