Myrtle Beach Golf Courses

When Jack Davis took ownership of the International Club in 2005, the first thing he did was order 365 palm trees and have them planted throughout the course. Davis bought the palm trees because he liked them, but the message it sent was clear: under his direction, International Club would strive to improve everyday. More than four years later, evidence of Davis’ commitment are obvious throughout the property, and Myrtle Beach golfers are getting the message.  The

International Club offers fast greens, friendly service and great value. Here is what golfers have to say about the Murrells Inlet favorite.

Determining ones favorite holes on a golf course is an inherently subjective task. Some people favor easy holes, other are swayed by aesthetic beauty, and some folks opt for the challenge.

International Club’s head professional, Jamie Roderick, knows every inch of the South Strand layout he oversees and his preference in holes will quickly become obvious. Enjoy an overview of Roderick’s three favorite holes at International Club and let us know what you

The first thing that stands out is the name – The Witch. Myrtle Beach golf course names typically include words like dunes, hills, creek and country club. A witch conjures up images of haunted houses, spells and any number of spooky scenarios. Don't be fooled by the name. The Witch is as hospitable as any course in the region, casting her spell on the Myrtle Beach golf scene for 20 years, much to the delight of players. After purchasing the 500 acres The Witch resides on,

The Witch golf course’s layout is as distinctive as its name and far prettier than the moniker might suggest. With the front nine playing through the Waccamaw Swamp and the back nine set amidst sand dune formations that give it unusual (natural) elevation, the golf course has many memorable holes. We consulted with head pro Graham Williams for his three favorite holes at the 4.5-star course, and he gladly obliged. No. 4, 386-yard, par 4 – With water down the left side and

The Avocet Course at Wild Wing, a Larry Nelson/Jeff Brauer design, has been a Myrtle Beach golf favorite since its opening in 1993. Avocet is a fun layout due in no small part to the diversity of challenges it offers. With that in mind, we asked Wild Wing’s head pro, Dave Harbaugh, to tell us his three favorite holes. Without further ado, here are Harbaugh’s choices: No. 6, 462-yard, par 4: The hardest hole on the course is No. 6. A long par 4 featuring a double green, the

Caledonia is one of the Grand Strand’s most acclaimed layouts, gaining top 100 accolades from every substantive list, and many players will tell you it’s their favorite Myrtle Beach golf course.

The expectations of players that turn onto Caledonia Drive and travel nearly a half-mile to the course’s clubhouse are higher than the soaring oak trees the line both sides of the road. Caledonia faces the daunting task of being the course everyone circles on their itinerary, and it always seems to deliver.

 “It will exceed your expectations every time,” said Al Serafino, a Brookville, Md. resident. “You get excited every time you play a new course and it always seems to not live up to the hype, but here it’s just the opposite. We love it.”

The late Mike Strantz was denied the opportunity to assemble an extended resume as an elite golf course architect due to the ravages of cancer. But Strantz was supernova on the architecture scene, shining brightly during more than a decade-long stint working on his own. Renowned as equal parts artist and architect, much of Strantz’s lofty reputation is derived from his work at Caledonia.

The Pawleys Island course was Strantz’s first design and he was given complete autonomy. Set on property that a thriving rice plantation called home through most of the 19th century, Strantz crafted a course that is as good technically as it is beautiful.

A 6,500-yard, par 70, Caledonia isn’t exceedingly long, but it is a thinking man’s golf course that delivers one memorable hole after another. Players shouldn’t be fooled by the distance, three front nine par 3s, make the course seem a little shorter than it plays. Caledonia has several meaty par 4s, particularly on the back side, and isn’t susceptible to being gouged by anyone with a new driver and a sleeve of Pro-V1s.

Caledonia has greens that are three clubs long (60 yards) in some instances and are typically defended by sand, water or even the centuries old oak trees on the property. Ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest and the Top 100 You Can Play by Golf Magazine, Caledonia is a second shot course.

With the size of some of the greens…

Looking for an argument everyone enjoys? Ask them to name their three favorite holes at Caledonia. The quality of the highly regarded layout doesn’t relent, making debate over favorite holes even more subjective than usual.

That being said, no one knows Caledonia better than Todd Weldon, the only head pro the course has known. Weldon started with Caledonia upon its opening in 1994, and his stewardship has been vital to the course’s development into one of the nation’s

Caledonia is one of the most acclaimed Myrtle Beach golf courses, earning Top 100 honors on every relevant list. But more important than rankings is what Caledonia's most important constituency – its players – say.

Possum Trot is one of Myrtle Beach’s 10 oldest golf courses and the Russell Breeden design has gotten better with age. The course is nearly always in impeccable condition and has grown into one of the area’s most popular layouts.

We consulted with Possum Trot staff and players to determine the course’s three favorite holes and after much deliberation, here is our list:

No. 11, 460-yard, par 4 – The Big Possum, as it’s affectionately known, is the

Possum Trot opened its doors in 1968 and has been a Myrtle Beach golf institution ever since. Under the stewardship of the Glens Group, the layout has evolved over time, maintaining its place as one of the Grand Strand's most popular layouts.

Golf Digest dispatched more than 900 raters to play the best courses America has to offer, and its team of experts came to the same conclusion millions of golfers have – there are more great layouts in Myrtle Beach than any destination in the country.

Golf Digest unveiled its prestigious biennial ranking of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” in its May issue, and the list included seven Myrtle Beach area golf courses, more than any other destination. To put that number into perspective, California (9) was the only other state to have more than seven courses on the list and Florida had just four layouts make the cut.
The highest rated Myrtle Beach golf course was No. 33 Heritage Club, followed by the Dunes Club (No. 38), Tidewater (No. 41), Caledonia (No. 66), Grande Dunes Resort Club (No. 77) and the Fazio (No. 96) and Dye courses (No. 99) at Barefoot Resort & Golf.

Golf Digest ranked courses on a scale of 1 to 10 in seven categories – shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience. The magazine didn’t list the score for America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, just the order of finish.
 
Heritage, Dunes Club, Caledonia, Tidewater and the Fazio Course were all ranked among the Top 100 on the 2007-08 list. Grande Dunes and the Dye Club are making their Top 100 debut, though neither is a surprise entry.

Grande Dunes is a Roger Rulewich design that features generous fairways and stunning views of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Dye Club is the third course at Barefoot Resort & Golf to earn a Top 100 ranking from Golf Digest (Love is the other). Designed by Pete Dye, the challenge is substantial but universally regarded as fair.

Built on 600 acres of property that used to be home to a pair of historic plantations, Heritage improved 13 spots in the new rankings. The course plays along the Waccamaw River and oozes lowcountry charm with an abundance of live oaks, fresh water marshes and lakes.

The Dunes Club is a member of every meaningful ranking of America’s top public courses, the only real suspense being where it will be ranked. The Robert Trent Jones design is the Grand Strand’s most decorated layout.

Tidewater is arguably the most scenic Myrtle Beach golf course. Tidewater has several holes that play along Cherry Grove Inlet and the nearby Atlantic is visible in spots.

The question at Caledonia is also where, as opposed to if, it will be ranked. Like Heritage, Caledonia is built on the grounds of an old plantation and the views are stunning. The centuries old oak trees and landscaping that rivals that of a botanical garden make the Mike Strantz design one of the area’s most popular courses.

The Fazio Course is yet another repeat member of the list. Tom Fazio is one of the game’s leading architects and his work at the Barefoot course leaves no doubt as to why. The Fazio Course is outstanding from beginning to end and equally pleasing to the eye.

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In the few steps its takes to climb from the cart path to the fifth tee box, the architectural and visual beauty of the Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort reveals itself in full, leaving little doubt as to why the layout is ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” and one of the best Myrtle Beach golf courses.

A large pond runs up the right side and fairway bunkers loom on both sides, framing the fifth hole like a favorite family portrait. An elevated green flanked by two bunkers looms 499 yards in the distance, golf gold at the end of a rainbow.

Tom Fazio’s reputation as his generation’s greatest architect is secure. He has designed more than 20 top 100 layouts and redesigned Augusta National, plaudits his contemporaries are unable to match. When Barefoot Resort & Golf launched one of the most ambitious projects in travel golf history – opening four high-end layouts at the same time – it was only natural that Fazio was one of the architects involved.

He didn’t disappoint.

The Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort is a top 100 course and there are no shortage of players who believe it’s the facility’s best layout, though the Love, Norman and Dye courses can also make a persuasive case.

The fifth hole is Fazio at his finest, combining beauty and challenge to create a memorable golf experience. Visually the tee shot is intimidating. The bunkers create the illusion of a landing area that appears much smaller than it actually is, but the hole is more than fair from tee to green. Good shots are rewarded, bad shots are punished. It’s a simple premise for good golf course architecture and Fazio abides by it.

While No. 5 stands out, it’s hardly alone. The layout’s greatest asset is…

Tom Fazio is regarded by most as the greatest golf course architect of his generation. No architect has as many Top 100 courses and Fazio’s work at Barefoot Resort has only enhanced his reputation.

The Fazio Course at Barefoot, which features ample bunkering, is ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. Locals regard it as one of the best Myrtle Beach golf courses, with its greatest asset being the strength of all 18 holes.

But we asked Barefoot Resort & Golf’s general manager, Dave Genevro, to name his three favorite holes and he produced. Without further ado, here are Genevro’s three favorite holes on the Fazio Course:

No. 5 – 499-yard, par 4 – A monster par 4, No. 5 is the most difficult hole on the course. Water looms on the right and fairway bunkers that spike any chance of getting on in regulation are on the left. The fifth hole is visually intimidating off the tee as the bunkers create the illusion of a narrow fairway, but there is an ample landing room.

The largest landing area, approximately 250 yards from the back tee, still leaves a lengthy approach to an elevated green. A par on No. 5 is a job well done.

No. 13 – 379-yard, par 4 -A short par 4 made unique by the fact it has two greens. The “primary” green is straight-away, making it the easier of the two options. The alternate green makes the hole play with a 90-degree dogleg left and requires a short iron over a combination of sand and water. The fairway runs from left to right and as a result, the prime landing spot for the alternate green often demands a shot off a side hill lie.

The second green, which is postage stamp size, gives the hole a quirky feel, but in this case, that is a good thing. The green that is chosen is based on maintenance.

No. 14 – 380-yard, par 4 – A relatively short par 4, but Fazio again proves that there is much more to a challenge than distance. After clearing wetlands off the tee, a waste bunker runs all the way to the green. A generous landing area is provided but there is movement in the fairway so a tee shot down the middle is much more rewarding than one that nears the rough.

A short iron is typically all that is required on the approach, but there is little margin for error shooting into a sloping green. No. 14 is Fazio at his best. The hole is visually challenging and it’s certainly not easy, but No. 14 is also exceedingly fair. Good shots are rewarded and the penalty for a bad shot is graduated.

What are your favorite holes on the Fazio Course? Do you agree or disagree with Genevro’s choices?

South Carolina is home to some of the best golf in America, and as Golfweek’s recent rankings make abundantly clear, the Palmetto State’s best is in Myrtle Beach. Led by Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and the Dunes Golf & Beach Club, six of South Carolina’s top 10 public courses are located in the Myrtle Beach area, according to Golfweek. Nearly 475 raters helped Golfweek compile its annual ranking of America’s Top 100 Classic Courses, Top 100 Modern Courses, and