May 2009 Archives

Hello again from Dataw Island!

In addition to being one of the best communities in the South Carolina lowcountry, Dataw Island is also home to some of the lowcountry's most historically unique construction materials: tabby.

Tabby is a type of building material that was used in along the coastal Southeast from the late 1500s through the 1850s. True tabby is made of equal parts lime, water, sand, oyster shells and ash. It was normally used as molds for foundations, walls, floors, roofs, columns, and other structural elements.

Maintained by the Dataw Island Historic Foundation, the tabby ruins at Dataw are part of the original Sams family plantation that dates back to 1792, and now sit on what is Dataw Island. In addition to the plantation's tabby ruins, the family cemetery and various outbuildings are also unique features of our community. The Dataw Historic Foundation was established in 1997 to ensure the preservation of the historic structures and oversee the collection of artifacts, compile records and work on the preservation efforts at the ruins. These ruins represent one of the most intact examples of an early nineteenth century plantation community with all of its facilities. Some of the artifacts collected date back over 12,000 years.

In addition to these unique artifacts being enjoyed by Dataw Island residents, the Island opens its doors to area schools to explore the history of Dataw.

Recently, Beaufort's Lady's Island Middle School eighth graders enjoyed learning about the Tabby Ruins on Dataw. More than 40 students toured the ruins and cemetery as part of a history field trip.

These students thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Dataw and soon hopefully you will too.

Until next time,
Silvia

The Cotton Dike Course at Dataw Island, designed by famed architect (and winner of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America award) Tom Fazio, has been a jewel in the South Carolina golf scene since 1985. The club is augmented by numerous facilities, including a 25,000 square foot clubhouse. Dataw Island was cited in Golf Week as "one of the 50 most distinctive development courses in the Southeast United States". Although private, the course has reciprocal agreements with other clubs.

A par 72, with full championship yardage of 6,825 and a slope of 138 on Bermuda grass, Cotton Dike offers a challenge that can be appreciated by all, even the highest caliber of professional golfer. The location of the course is dramatic, with the surroundings of beautiful scenery of Dataw Island and St. Helena as the backdrop.

The course winds through marshlands and a series of dikes that were originally part of the namesake cotton marshes that the course is built upon. These marshlands create some challenging natural obstacles, as almost half of the holes on the course wind along Jenkins Creek, which meanders in and out of play, contesting many shots and forcing precision ball striking from tee to green.

The course is a pleasure to play, though it can be very challenging. While many of the par 4s on the course are relatively short, bunkers and hazards are placed very opportunistically, which makes errant shots especially damaging to scores. Imagination is required when approaching this course, as shot making is placed at a premium due to the relatively modest layout and demands placed by hazards. Careless planning on the part of the golfer is sure to introduce frustration, especially with carefully guarded greens.

The golfer underestimating or overshooting on this course is sure to bring a significant level of frustration to their day. A few holes are particularly memorable. When asked about his own course, architect Tom Fazio mentioned that "From a playability standpoint, the seventh hole offers numerous options as a three-shot hole or a reachable par-5 for long hitters, and if the golfer avoids the forest on the right and the lagoons on the left, a birdie is a distinct possibility".

Hole number 5 has a historical placard, which gives a detailed history of the development and transformation of the area. On this same hole, the high tee box offers a tremendous view of the course area, with miles of visibility across the terrain. The 18th is the challenging par 4, with an intensely undulating fairway that comprises your approach. Further complicating the approach is the slice of green that serves as the final target on the course. The green sticks out, well protected by Jenkins Creek, which guards numerous fairways and greens along the way. The 18th hole is emblematic of the course, where there is always a hint of danger complicating the shot of the golfer.