By 
⭐ GCR Score: 4.3 / 5
Verdict: Recommended — a golf-first private club with superb conditioning and a difficult value equation
Best For: Columbia-area golfers who practice often and value fast rounds over country-club extras
Avoid If: You want public access, a pool, tennis, or transparent membership pricing
Last Reviewed: June 30, 2026
The old water tower tells you this is still Indian River land. Everything beneath it now feels sharper, faster, and far more exclusive. That tension drives this Solina Golf Club review.
My direct answer is simple: Solina makes sense for committed Columbia golfers, not curious YouTube fans. The conditioning, practice culture, and quick single-rider-cart rounds are compelling. Private access and rising costs make the decision harder.
This review covers current access, reported fees, course changes, dining, and the mistakes first-time guests make. Compare more golf club reviews before choosing a long-term home course.
The Bryan Bros connection built awareness. The more important story is how a tired public course became a serious golf-only club.
For locals, the real test is whether those improvements justify replacing variety with one familiar home course.
Solina is not a creator attraction with a course attached. It is a demanding private course that happens to be famous online.
Club Overview
Image: Solina Golf Club
Solina is a private, golf-centered club built from the former Indian River Golf Club near Columbia. Bluebird Golf Management now operates the property alongside Columbia Country Club.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Club Type | Private golf club |
| Location | West Columbia, South Carolina |
| Original Course | Indian River Golf Club |
| Reopened as Solina | 2024 |
| Course | 18 holes, par 71, about 6,850 yards |
| Membership Type | Full, national, corporate, and combined Bluebird options |
| Initiation Fee | Not publicly disclosed; recent community reports cite about $10,000 |
| Monthly Dues | Not publicly disclosed; recent reports cite about $450 |
| Public Green Fee | Only selected Azalea Season access; $1,200–$2,000 published tee-time prices |
| Best Time to Visit | October–April |
| Dress Code | Golf shirt or golf top; no denim or cargo shorts |
| Reservations Required | Yes; member, guest, or limited public request |
| Official Website | Solina Golf Club |
| Phone | (803) 881-9971 |
What I Liked
Image: Solina Golf Club
Solina rewards golfers who care about turf, practice, and pace more than prestige rituals. Its strongest features directly improve the weekly playing experience.
- Conditioning transformed the old property. Recent players repeatedly praise firm fairways, fast greens, and winter overseeding.
- Single-rider carts improve pace. Members report sub-four-hour rounds without losing the social rhythm of a foursome.
- The routing has real character. Water, elevation, blind landing areas, and the water tower create memorable decisions.
- The club feels golf-first. Serious players can practice, compete, and play without subsidizing a large amenity campus.
- Investment is visible. The clubhouse, pro shop, bridge, locker areas, and maintenance infrastructure all received attention.
The transformation was not cosmetic. A new bridge and major site work addressed access, drainage, and daily maintenance.
What I Didn’t Like
Solina’s exclusivity now conflicts with the broad audience that helped make it famous. Many golfers know every hole from videos but cannot book a normal round.
- Current fees are hidden behind an inquiry. That makes honest budgeting difficult before speaking with membership staff.
- Public access is deliberately expensive. Azalea Season prices reach $2,000 for the most demanded dates.
- Blind drives punish newcomers. Local players describe several landing zones as “poke and hope” without course knowledge.
- It is not a full country club. Golfers seeking pools, tennis, fitness, or broad family programming should look elsewhere.
Longtime Indian River players also carry mixed feelings. They appreciate the rescue, yet miss affordable public rounds on familiar ground.
Membership & Fees
Solina does not publish its current initiation fee or dues. The official inquiry lists Full, National, Corporate, and wider Bluebird memberships.
An older Solina agreement listed a $5,000 full initiation fee and $425 monthly dues. It also required annual dues increases of at least 5%. Those figures are historical, not a 2026 quote.
Recent member discussions repeatedly cite about $10,000 to join and $450 monthly. Treat those numbers as planning estimates only. Taxes, carts, food, guest play, and combined-club access can change the real total.
The official 2026 Azalea Season schedule opens selected public times from March 30 through April 22. Published prices range from $1,200 to $2,000.
Before joining:
- Request the complete 2026 fee sheet in writing.
- Confirm cart, guest, food, locker, and cancellation charges.
- Ask whether Columbia Country Club access is included.
- Play as a member’s guest before paying initiation.
Facilities & Amenities
Solina’s facilities support a polished golf day, but they do not mimic a family country club. The investment stays close to golf and hospitality.
- Golf: Renovated 18-hole course with winter overseeding and multiple new teeing options
- Practice: Full range, short-game areas, fittings, and PGA instruction
- Transport: Single-rider carts with Bluetooth connectivity
- Golf shop: New pro-shop building with premium branded merchandise
- Member space: Updated lockers, lounge areas, and outdoor patio
- Dining: Gregory’s Restaurant serves handmade pasta, Southern dishes, and seasonal cocktails
- Unexpected detail: Gregory’s is public even when the golf course is not
Gregory’s at Solina overlooks a pond and the course. That gives nonmembers one legitimate way to experience the property.
Best Time to Visit
Image: Solina Golf Club
October through April gives Solina its best combination of turf color, temperature, and playability. Winter overseeding keeps the course visually strong while Bermuda elsewhere turns dormant.
March and early April bring ideal weather, but Masters demand changes the value equation. The club’s Azalea Season public pricing peaks from April 5 through April 13.
May through September can be hot and humid. Afternoon storms also make a drainage-conscious property more complicated. If you are a guest, choose an early morning time and carry water.
Dress Code & Etiquette
Wear a collared shirt or golf-specific top, tailored golf bottoms, and closed-toe shoes. An earlier club policy prohibited denim and cargo shorts.
Ask your host for the current policy before arriving. Solina’s public website does not display a complete 2026 dress-code page.
Keep devices quiet outside content events. Replace divots, repair ball marks, and trust local guidance on blind shots. The single-rider carts move quickly, so remain level with your group.
Who Is This Club For?
Image: Solina Golf Club
This club is a good fit if you want excellent year-round golf near Columbia and expect to play often.
This club is a good fit if fast rounds, practice access, and competitive players matter more than family amenities.
Skip this one if YouTube fame is your main reason for joining. Novelty fades faster than monthly dues.
Skip this one if you want a traditional private-club campus. Read our Bayonne Golf Club review for a more elaborate private experience.
People Also Ask
Is Solina Golf Club private?
Yes, Solina Golf Club is primarily a private membership club in West Columbia, South Carolina. Full, national, and corporate options are available through an inquiry. Nonmembers usually need a member host, although the club releases limited public tee times during its premium Azalea Season.
How much does a Solina Golf Club membership cost?
Solina does not publish current 2026 membership prices. Recent local reports commonly cite a $10,000 initiation fee and roughly $450 in monthly dues. Those are unofficial estimates, so request a written quote covering carts, guests, food, taxes, and lockers.
Can the public play Solina Golf Club?
The public can play only during selected access periods or special events. For 2026, Solina advertised Azalea Season tee times from March 30 through April 22. Published prices ranged from $1,200 to $2,000, making a member invitation the more practical route for most golfers.
Do the Bryan Brothers own Solina Golf Club?
George and Wesley Bryan joined a business partner to purchase the former Indian River property in 2023. Their videos helped document the transformation. Solina now appears within Bluebird Golf Management’s portfolio, and its official membership inquiries run through that operating group.
What was Solina Golf Club before the renovation?
Solina was previously Indian River Golf Club, an affordable public course familiar to generations of Columbia golfers. The property required major turf, drainage, building, and infrastructure work. It reopened as a private club with stronger conditioning, updated facilities, and a golf-centered membership model.
Does Solina Golf Club have a restaurant?
Yes, Gregory’s Restaurant operates inside the renovated clubhouse and welcomes the public. It serves Southern, Italian, and American dishes, including handmade pasta and house-made sauces. The dining room and deck overlook a pond and the golf course, providing access without a golf membership.
Verdict & Score
GCR Score: 4.3 / 5 — Recommended
Solina earns its score through conditioning, pace, practice culture, and a memorable revival. It loses points for opaque pricing, limited access, and a narrow amenity mix.
Our review methodology places extra weight on transparent costs and realistic access. Those factors keep Solina below the very best private-club scores.
If golf dominates your free time, request a tour and member round. If your household needs broader recreation, choose a full country club.
Last reviewed: June 30, 2026
Author Note
I have watched many tired public courses chase a luxury label before fixing their turf. Solina reversed that order, which explains its momentum. Learn more on the David Luis author page.
