Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

The South Strand of the Myrtle Beach golf scene is home to one of the best cluster of courses in the nation.

The course lineup reads like a who’s who of great golf. Caledonia, True Blue, Pawleys Plantation, TPC Myrtle Beach and Heritage Club are on the short list of the area’s best. With so many great layouts within a Dustin Johnson drive of one another, it’s inevitable that deserved attention will elude someone.

Don’t let Willbrook Plantation escape your attention. The Dan Maples design is outstanding; it’s arguably the most underrated Myrtle Beach golf course.

Willbrook has reached full maturity, and enjoys a beautiful piece of lowcountry property, winding through hundreds of live oak trees, and the creativity of Maples.

Set on land that once housed a thriving rice plantation, there is water on 15 of 18 holes but it’s not overwhelming. Most of the water sits well off to the side, meaning only shots that deserve to drown end up wet.

Playing 6,732 yards from the tips, Willbrook is widely regarded as…  

The north end of Myrtle Beach’s Grand Strand is chocked full of quality courses, many of them providing an outstanding experience while flying under the radar.

Count Brick Landing among the layouts that quietly delivers a memorable round.  The Dan Maples design starts and ends along the Intracoastal Waterway, providing a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The waterway views set the tone for an enjoyable day at the Ocean Isle Beach course. Affectionately referred to as The Brick, the course takes advantage of the area’s coastal beauty.

Once the layout turns inland, it’s equally charming, playing through a tidal, saltwater marsh and a hardwood forest. Measuring 6,586 yards from the tips, the layout places a greater premium on accuracy than raw power.  

Brick Landing is a very playable 6,024 yards from the white tees, but it’s a par 71 so don’t delude yourself into thinking the course is overly short. There are a pair of long par 4s (from the white tees) on the back nine, the 424-yard 10th hole and the mammoth 444-yard 17th hole.

The meaty par 4s are offset by a pair of short par 5s – No. 14 and No. 16 – neither of which plays longer than 480 yards. Mix in the short 12th hole, a 327-yard par 4, and the home nine offers an interesting collection of holes.

Brick Landing demands precision and execution, but offers in return a good, stern test and memorable waterway views.
 

Golf Channel stars Kelly Tilghman and Charlie Rymer were in Myrtle Beach to help support a fundraiser for the area First Tee chapters. Tilghman, who was raised in North Myrtle Beach, and Rymer, whose family vacationed along the Grand Strand, are both intimately familiar with the area.

The duo made live appearances on the hit Golf Channel show Morning Drive from Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, where the tournament was held.

Rymer and Tilghman took time to talk with us about

Myrtle Beach’s South Strand is renowned for its quality of golf and charm, and it all began at Litchfield Country Club, the area’s most enduring layout.

Litchfield Country Club blazed the trail along the South Strand, opening its fairways in 1966 and convincing golfers the short trek from downtown Myrtle Beach was time well spent. The timeless qualities that made the layout attractive upon its opening continue to please golfers today.

Litchfield is a good, traditional design. There are no tricks, no hidden hazards or unforeseen challenges. It’s is a course rewards creativity and shot-making.

Litchfield boasts a nice blend of doglegs and challenges golfers to hit fairways in the proper spots, without taking the driver out of the bag. Players that can move the ball and have good accuracy can thrive with the driver, otherwise don’t be afraid to downshift.

Litchfield’s fairways are tighter than many contemporary designs and the ability to find the short grass often helps determine success. What club players use to get there is a secondary concern.

“You have to think your way around the course,” head pro Christa Bodensteiner said. “You need to know where you want to put your drive.”

Water is visible throughout at Litchfield, aiding the course’s aesthetics, but it isn’t an overwhelming obstacle. There are few forced carries and an errant drive will more often require a shot from the trees as opposed to a drop from the water.

“If you can keep your drives…

A couple familiar faces and golf’s biggest media outlet will be in Myrtle Beach to call attention to one of the game’s greatest initiatives.

Myrtle Beach native Kelly Tilghman and former Myrtle Beach golf spokesman Charlie Rymer will be making live appearances on Golf Channel’s popular Morning Drive show from Caledonia Golf & Fish Club on Wednesday, July 31. The show airs from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and will be rebroadcast twice immediately following the live

In this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal heads to the North Strand to play one of the area’s hidden gems, Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club. The 27-hole facility was named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year in 2010 and has earned a reputation as one of the Grand Strand’s most player friendly layouts. The Sand, Piper and Bay nines each offer generous fairways and superb conditions. Sandpiper recently installed new MiniVerde bermudagrass greens and its putting surfaces are as fast and true as any along the Grand Strand.

Some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment come to Myrtle Beach every year for the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am. Among the stars who enjoyed a trip to the Grand Strand this year were Nancy Lopez, Rick Barry and Chris DiMarco.

Hear what they have to say about the Golf Capital of the World.  

Nancy Lopez (LPGA Legend): This is the first time I’ve been to Myrtle Beach. It’s just a great place.

Patrick Davis

One of Myrtle Beach’s premier big event venues has earned one of the area’s biggest honors.

The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort has been named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Golf Course of the Year. 

The MBAGCOA evaluates Golf Course of the Year nominees on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game. By virtue of

Golf is mostly a game of twosomes and foursomes, of friends getting together for a good time. But it doesn’t exclude single players, and that’s particularly the case in Myrtle Beach.

One of golf’s virtues is the common ground it creates amongst otherwise strangers, allowing a single to find an enjoyable group to play with. Whether someone is on a summer beach vacation and wants to sneak away for a couple rounds or his or her regular golf group has broken up, a single playing golf in Myrtle Beach is always welcome.

Many assume that a solo golf trip isn’t practical, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Singles have easy access to golf packages and the value remains appealing.

“There are always a lot of accommodations options that setup for singles,” said Myrtle Beach Golf Director’s Carson Courage, who specializes in booking individual golfers. “From hotel rooms to one bedroom condos, I book it the same way I would a larger group. They get multi-round discounts and confirmed tee times.”

While accommodations for a single are typically a little more expensive, the savings created by multi-round discounts often offsets the additional costs.

A common mistake of solo golfers is thinking they have to wait until 48 hours out to book a tee time. That maybe the case in other places, but a solo Myrtle Beach golf package can be booked at anytime.

“Even for the spring and fall seasons, we can pair you up when we book it,” Courage said.

For players traveling with a non-playing spouse, options are aplenty. Places like Market Common offer new accommodations and ample shopping and dining options for your significant other while you take to the course.

The moral of the story is the idea of playing as a single golfer shouldn’t be a detriment to anyone taking a golf trip. Myrtle Beach is a golfer-friendly destination, whether you are traveling with a large group or no one.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach’s most iconic layout, is undergoing a major renovation project this summer, and the course is progressing ahead of schedule.

The Dunes Club closed on June 4 for the installation of new greens and course enhancements spearheaded by renowned architect Rees Jones.

The installation of Champion ultradwarf bermuda grass greens is the most substantive change, transitioning the course away from bentgrass greens.

Dunes Club tested Champion

John Daly stood on the ninth tee at Wicked Stick and pointed to the green, like Babe Ruth calling his shot. Long John, playing barefooted, then unsheathed his driver and lashed a shot that ended up 12 feet from the hole.

On a spring afternoon in Myrtle Beach, Daly was doing what so many people do at Wicked Stick, enjoying a relaxing round of golf. Wicked Stick is the nation’s only Daly signature course, and when he checks in on the layout a full parking lot typically tells the story.

Built with Daly’s grip it and rip it ethos in mind, Wicked Stick is a player-friendly layout from the parking lot to the 19th hole. The atmosphere is relaxed and the course is inviting. The facility opened just after Daly’s 1995 British Open victory at St. Andrew’s, bringing much attention to the layout.

Much like Daly himself, Wicked Stick has assumed the role of the everyman’s course, appealing to people with its unique challenges and the opportunity to score. The layout wasn’t designed to crush the spirit of golfers, quite the opposite in fact.

Once you get beyond the 7,000-yard Daly tees, the blue (6,507 yards) and white (6,080 yards) tees are ideal in length (don’t believe me, just check the USGA’s new play it forward campaign!) for the average golfer.

Golf Channel designated June as Pace of Play Month, and our old friend Charlie Rymer worked with Matt Ginella to put together a series videos designed to help speed things up on the course.

Improving pace of play isn't as difficult as it might seem. Little things can knock 15-20 minutes off a round and Charlie and Ginella have provided some entertaining examples.

In keeping with the idea that speed benefits everyone, the videos are all less than a minute, and each demonstrates a

The Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet is one of the area’s most scenic and enjoyable attractions. In this edition of the Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal takes you to the Marsh Walk, a half-mile long walk-way through the heart of the Seafood Capital of South Carolina. Chocked full of outstanding restaurants and venues to enjoy live music, the Marsh Walk oozes casual charm. With stunning views of the salt marsh and accompanying marina, Blair takes you to a place everyone should visit on their next Myrtle Beach golf trip.

Blair O’Neal: Hi I am Blair O’Neal host of the Golf Buzz presented by Myrtle Beach golf holiday. Today, I am joined by Sue Sledz executive director of Murrells Inlet 2020 and right now we are actually standing on Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk.

Sue Sledz: Welcome to Murrells. We are the seafood capital of South Carolina. Blair: Thanks for having the Golf Buzz. We are excited to be here and to learn more about the Marsh Walk.

Sue: The Marsh Walk is a great place for golfers especially to come visit. We have a half-mile long walk way along the salt marsh, and it extends out into the marsh, too. So not only do you have a beautiful view of the salt marsh and all the water activities but there are eight fabulous restaurants and bars with a full offering of lunches, happy hours, and dinners and fabulous live music. It’s all casual down here, so you don’t have to be dressed up.

Blair: Okay, so you can come in your golf clothes.

Sue: Absolutely, we see it all the time. We see large golf groups and individual players. It’s definitely a playground for our golfers, too.

Blair: And for golfers who maybe need a break from the course. As you can see, there are a few boats behind us, so if golfers want to take a day off from the course, they can come out here and get on a boat.

Sue: That's right. We have access to the ocean, we are known for our deep sea fishing. We have several deep sea fishing trips, we have parasailing, kayaking, scuba diving, all sorts of sightseeing. And if the family happens to be with you, then there are also great trips for the family you can take onto the water.

Blair: And can you tell me, what is the body of water that is behind us? Sue: This is called the Murrells Inlet Salt Marsh. It is a salt water estuary and it opens up to the Atlantic ocean via the jetties. Blair: Are there going to be any events that maybe we should mark down on our calendars?

Sue: There’s always something happening down here on the Marsh Walk. We have the “Marshy Gra” activity and then there is the annual Oyster Roast. There is a chile cook-off that happens down here. Recently we had a fish taco competition, there is always something happening on the Marsh Walk or in Murrells Inlet.

Blair: And what about the Fourth of July? Because I have heard the Murrells Inlet it’s a big time for the Fourth of July, it is the place to be.

Sue: It is huge, we have our Fourth of July Boat Parade and there its just thousands of people lining the marsh and everybody goes out full board to decorate for the theme of the year.

Blair: So, if you’re looking for a good time and you are here during some of the holidays, this is definitely a place you want to check out.

Sue: Definitely.

Blair: And where can our viewers go to learn more information about Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk?

Sue: You can go to www.muruellsinletsc.com and you will find information about the Marsh Walk, as well as all of Murrells Inlet, because there is a lot we have to offer in the whole village.

Blair: Thanks Sue, for having us today.

Sue: It's been our pleasure, hope you spend some time with us and can explore the whole village.

Blair: I definitely will go exploring here. I am going to check out a little bit more of what the Marsh Walk has to offer.

I am Blair O’Neal thanks for watching the Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz and make sure when you’re in town you check out Murrells Inlet the Seafood Capital of South Carolina.

Ted Frick, owner and director of instruction of Classic Swing Golf School, explains why it's best listen for success on the greens as opposed to looking for it.

More Video Golf Tips, Please!

Any hunt for great golf along the Grand Strand will lead players to the home of Ocean Ridge Plantation’s most fearsome Big Cat – Leopard’s Chase. The newest of Ocean Ridge’s four felines, Leopard’s Chase has raced to the top of must-play lists faster than its namesake chasing prey across the savanna.

Leopard’s Chase opened to great acclaim in 2007, earning a spot on Golf Digest and Golf Magazine’s list of America’s best new courses, and vaulting into the consciousness of Myrtle Beach golfers. The Tim Cate design has proven worthy of the plaudits it received, providing an ideal combination of challenge and beauty.

Cate, who has worked almost exclusively along the coastal Carolinas, is one of the game’s most underappreciated architects and Leopard’s Chase is his signature design. He co-designed Ocean Ridge’s first course, Lion’s Paw, before creating Panther’s Run and Tiger’s Eye on his own.

Cate took elements from all three courses in creating Leopard’s Chase and the results were spectacular. He used locally harvested coquina boulders, abundant sand traps and environmentally sensitive areas to mold a course that is visually stunning without being deceptive.

Selecting a favorite hole at Leopard’s Chase is only slightly less difficult than naming your favorite color M&M. The choices are many and the differences in quality are non-existent. The fourth and fifth holes deliver consecutive island greens, providing an early glimpse of what makes the course special.

The green on the par 3 fourth hole is surrounded by water, a more “typical” island green. On the par 4 fifth, the green is enveloped by sand, leaving a bunker shot players don’t want to contend with. The front nine, which features three, par 3s, has water on every hole.

The back nine, with its three…