With The Masters coming up the week of April 3, many attendees find staying in the Columbia, SC area convenient and cost effective. Columbia is only 70 miles or so east of Augusta, but the difference in hotel and golf rates is significant. Whereas a La Quinta in Augusta is being advertised for $549, you can stay at an Embassy Suites for $166 in Columbia! Green fees in the Augusta area also are inflated to 3X the normal rates during Masters week as well.

In terms of golf, the former University of South Carolina Golf Club, now Cobblestone Park is your best bet for an upscale daily fee golf offering, but there are half-dozen others in our guide to the best public golf courses in Columbia that are worth considering depending on your budget.