When folks ask me which courses need to be on their bucket lists, I can get specific. Five holes in particular have shaped my opinion of Grand Strand golf more than their brethren.
They stretch the imagination of the game, and with one or two good ball strikes, your mood can be elevated right along with them. These five holes are a must-play.
In my opinion, you haven’t experienced Myrtle Beach golf fully until you’ve checked them all off the list.
TPC MYRTLE BEACH, NO. 3
Arguably one of the toughest holes on the Grand Strand, No. 3 at TPC makes you feel like the salmon swimming upstream. Aside from the
vertical climb from start to finish, there’s plenty of trouble along the way. The forced carry off the tee might as well be water, as the vegetation is too thick to even think about traversing. From there, the dueling tree lines squeeze the fairway right on up to an elevated green that could be three times as wide as still give you fits. (Pictured right)
MYRTLE BEACH NATIONAL, KING’S NORTH, NO. 6
Island greens are common. Island fairways are not. In fact, the area’s only such one exists here, on The Gambler. Not everyone tries to hit that patch of green stuff hoping for a shorter trek to the green. But for my money, why tee it up here and play it safe? Those lucky (skilled?) enough to find the back half of the island have a shot at the pin in two. If that’s not a recipe for a creative and fun Par 5, we’re not sure what else you could ask for.(Top photo)
PAWLEYS PLANTATION GOLF CLUB, NO. 13
Even on non-windy days, hitting an tee shot less than 100 yards in perfect flight to the green brings in a bit of miniature golf frenzy into this doozy. Countless Titleists fall into the marsh weekly here, and even reaching this monstrous green is foretelling nothing. I’ve seen folks land it, only to drop a long putt off the edge into the marsh. No matter your score, bring your phone to the putting surface and snap a few pics. (Pictured left)
GRANDE DUNES RESORT COURSE, NO. 14
When Grande Dunes opened for business in 2001, the first impression was often of the super-wide
fairways and players’ ability to pump up their drivers knowing they didn’t have to be perfect. When anyone gets to No. 14, however, all that falls off the cliffs you’re standing on looking down the green of the Par 3. With the Intracoastal Waterway a few unlucky steps away, the view from up top is worth the price of admission.
CALEDONIA GOLF & FISH CLUB, NO. 18
On a straight line, the finisher at Caledonia is 362 yards from the white tees. What I love about it is how a straight line simply won’t cut it. A relatively short drive should fade slightly to the left to allow for every inch of the landing area to do it’s thing – and by that, we mean taking some of the water out of your second shot. A well-played first will allow for a short iron over the pond and into the green. And seeing as how onlookers will be watching and judging from the backside of the clubhouse, the pressure to perform her is very, very real.
Photos for this feature from our Instagram Account MyrtleBeachGolfTrips
