Myrtle Beach Golf News and Reviews -

Three Favorites for Each of Your Golf Directors

What are the best courses in the Myrtle Beach area? Your Myrtle Beach Golf Directors have set out to find out exactly that. As you know, we are all golfers here and try to play as many Myrtle Beach area golf courses we can so we are able to offer you candid commentary on their condition and quality. Take a few minutes to see what we think are the best of the best...

1) Caledonia Golf & Fish Club – This is the best Myrtle Beach has to offer. Designed by the late Mike Strantz, Caledonia is a golf course in which golfers insist to play on every golf package every year. We know why... It’s great! The entrance sets the stage that you know you are in for a very special round of golf. Every hole is different and every hole can stake its’ claim to be the signature hole. It is always in great shape. It’s also a fair golf course. You only get punished if you go where you are not supposed to go. There is not a lot of OB and water only comes into play on about half of the holes. And with the course sitting out on a retired rice plantation, you will see some sites that you will never forget.
           
2) Barefoot Resort - Davis Love III Course – The Love Course at Barefoot Resort was ranked #1 by Golf Digest back in 2005 and has not lost any luster. This is a very long course if you play the wrong tees. There are over 40 acres of mown fairway, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding the short stuff. Don’t miss the fairway by too much, or you will find your self in grass up to your waist. The bent greens are some of the quickest in the Myrtle Beach area and can be a little tricky if you are on the wrong side of the hole. The pars 3’s play a little longer than average, but a couple of the par 5’s are reachable in two. Some of the holes have collection areas that you rarely find in Myrtle Beach. It is definitely different if you find yourself there. The signature hole is a drivable par 4 with replica ruins behind the green. If you are a longer hitter you can go for the green and bounce your tee shot off of the wall, and it should end up being a good chance for eagle. You’ll love the Love Course.

3) TPC of Myrtle Beach – This Tournament Player’s Course has found its’ way into the top 3 because, lets face it, it was made for the pros. In fact, TPC used to host the Senior Tour Championship. Designed by Tom Fazio and assisted by Lanny Wadkins, TPC can get you where it hurts. Again, this course is long if you select the wrong tees. The greens have recently been overhauled with the same type of grass that TPC at Sawgrass has. It is a Mini-Verde, which does very well in the Carolina heat and still rolls like bent. This was a multi-million dollar renovation, so you know they know exactly what they wanted. The course itself has a couple of blind tee shots, but they aren’t that bad. There are a couple of multi-tier greens that were designed to make you hit the ball near the hole. Do that, and you’ve got yourself a decent chance at birdie. The signature 18th is very picturesque as you come back to the clubhouse. Don’t hit your drive too far, you’ll find the creek or the pond. But, don’t lay up too far, because you might lose a chance to go for the green in two (bunkers right and water left).

4) Barefoot The Dye Club – The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort boasts one of the toughest track in the Myrtle Beach area. It’s a Dye course, what do you expect? This course is layered with 5 different kinds of grasses, so you always know where you want to be. The greener the better. There are a lot of waste bunkers, so don’t miss the fairway. Numbers 9 and 18 are classic in Dye design where they mirror each other. The course can play very, very difficult from the back tees so choose wisely. This is where the annual Monday After the Masters by Hootie and the Blowfish takes place. Celebrities and pros join in year after year to play one of the best courses in Myrtle Beach. One of the most memorable aspects of the course is the clubhouse. There was a lot of money spent on the clubhouse as the Club was meant to be members only. The stool you sit on to have a beer may have cost Barefoot upwards of $1000. Don’t spill anything on it! There is memorabilia that lines the hallways that will keep your attention for a half hour after your round. Take it all in if you play The Dye Club. This is Carson’s favorite.

5) The Dunes Club – This is where the “old” Myrtle Beach money is. The membership is very picky on what companies they let book rounds on their course, and we made the cut. This is why it is as expensive as it is. Try to play here if you haven’t already. Remember TPC? The Dunes Club also holds the distinction as the other course that hosted the Senior Tour Championship. It was held here for several years longer than TPC, so there are some pretty neat plaques along the golf course and near the putting green. This is one of the few courses that you can see the ocean from, which is a big deal for some guys. We all agree that the back nine is better than the front, but number 9 is priceless. This uphill par 3 faces toward the ocean and is the best hole on the course. When you get to the back nine it starts off with a bang. Numbers 10, 11 and 12 will test your game to every level that you didn’t know you had. Go for it? Lay up? Spin? Check? Cut? Draw? I can go on and on for these three holes. When you are coming up 18, you can just picture what it must have been like with all the people behind the green. Imagine that! But don’t leave it short...

6) Grande Dunes Resort Club – This is definitely a must play. Several holes along the Intracoastal Waterway set this course apart from others. There are some homes out here that will blow your mind. Some reach up to 4 and 5 million dollars, so don’t hit any. Grande Dunes’ greens are always in tip-top shape and roll truer than true. Don’t miss on the high side of the hole, as you can’t stop the ball coming down the hill. This is the longest of courses in Myrtle Beach stretching nearly 7,500 yards. So, unless you intend on winning a U.S. Open, don’t play the back tees. The bridge and Marina Inn sit just off of the course and are visible for about six holes. When you see these structures, you get the feeling like “I’m here and the people over there aren’t. It’s quite a feeling and experience.

7) King’s North at Myrtle Beach National – Lucky number 7 went to King’s North (kind of ironic, and you’ll see why). This is probably the most popular course in Myrtle Beach. It was redesigned by Arnold Palmer and probably his army, too. It is more of a country club style course that is very affordable (especially if you play your cards right). If you want to play King’s North, be sure to book your tee time well in advance. About 6 months will suffice. This is home to three great signature holes; numbers 6, 12 and 18. Number 6 is dubbed “The Gambler” and has earned its name. It is a par 5 with an island fairway. Go for the island and make it, you have a shot at going for the green in two. If you play safe to the right off the tee, you are looking at no better than par. We choose to know when to hold em’. Number 12 is a par 3 island green that is one of the most photographed holes in Myrtle Beach. It’s not very long, but what gets you is that the bunkers on the left side of the green spell out “SC” for South Carolina. Number 18 may be even more demanding than the previous two as it boasts 43 bunkers down the entire left side of the fairway. If you land in one of these, you can kiss par goodbye. As if that were not enough, when you get to shoot for the green, there are bunkers left and short, not to mention the water close to the left side of the green. Are you feeling lucky enough to get a tee time? It’s a great course and definitely in the top ten. This is Tom’s favorite.

8) True Blue – Remember Caledonia? You can’t play Caledonia without playing True Blue. They are sister courses and were both designed by Mike Strantz. Strantz did a great job in that they are two very different golf courses. Caledonia catches your eye where True Blue catches your game. True Blue is more of the target golf type, meaning hit the fairway, you can hit the green. If not, take a double. There is quite a bit of water and OB on the course, but the waste bunkering is where the trouble is. There are a couple of reachable par 5’s and even a drivable par 4. The par 3’s demand good long iron shots that don’t stray too far away from the green. The greens at True Blue are different than Caledonia, so if you play these in the same day, you may struggle on the bent. Awesome track.

9) Barefoot Resort – Tom Fazio Course – In its’ third installment in the top ten, the Fazio course is going to challenge every facet of your game. Tom Fazio came in needing to produce a course that could compete with names like Pete Dye, Davis Love, and Greg Norman. He delivered. This course is easier that the Dye Course, but more challenging than the Love Course. You will need to shape the ball off the tee to be able to score here. There are a couple holes where there is more room than you think in places where you don’t want to miss. Fazio did a great job with this. The first hole is pretty cool because on your right you see the huge clubhouse and to your left you see number 18 green on the Love Course. Coming up number 18 you can tell that Fazio wanted a stadium course feel as there is plenty of room right and long, but don’t go left or your wet. This is Steve’s favorite.