Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

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

The tummy has been tucked and the facelift completed, leaving Myrtle Beach’s favorite Granddaddy, Pine Lakes Country Club, ready to serve a cup of clam chowder with a memorable round of golf.

The oldest Myrtle Beach golf course, Pine Lakes, reopened on March 14 after a two-year, $15 million renovation that included an overhaul of the course and the clubhouse. Craig Schreiner handled the course renovation and his work reinvigorated the venerable layout.

After reviewing routing

Long Bay is one of the most challenging Myrtle Beach golf courses, an architectural gem that tests every part of a player’s game. The layout is very good from the first tee to the final putt, but we tasked head pro Jim Fellner with identifying his three favorite holes on the North Strand course.

After careful deliberation, here is Fellner’s list:

No. 3 – 401-yard, par 4 – The short par 4, given the pin placement, can offer all the challenge a golfer wants. If

Myrtle Beach has grown from a sleepy beach town into the world’s most popular golf destination, attracting players from across the globe to the Grand Strand. With the heart of the spring golf season rapidly approaching, the Myrtle Beach golf community took time to honor some of the people most responsible for its rise.

W. Cecil Brandon, Clay Brittain, Jr., Carolyn Cassidy Cudone, Jimmy D’Angelo, General James F. Hackler, Jr. and Robert White were inducted into the Myrtle

Pawleys Island is regarded by many as the hub of high-end Myrtle Beach golf. The relaxed pace of the life, soaring Oak trees and more top 100 courses than Hilton Head and Kiawah combined lend credence to that line of thinking.

Every course has postcard-perfect photography, but golfers play holes not pictures. As a result, GolfHoliday.com asks the pro at every course it reviews for their three favorite holes. At Founders Club it was general manager Rick Taylor who shared his insight about Myrtle Beach’s newest course. Without further ado, here are Taylor’s three favorite holes: No. 3, 190-yard, par 3 – The hole requires a shot over water and encapsulates several of Founders Club’s

Founders Club is defined by its par 4s on the back nine. The course's challenge and beauty converge on the 14th hole, a dogleg right that plays into an elevated green guarded by bunkers on each side. In general manager Rick Taylor's opinion, it's the toughest hole on the course, and he has provided a tutorial on how to play the

Take a pictorial and video tour of Pawleys Plantation's 13th hole with the course's assistant pro Dale Ketola, who walks you through what to expect on one of Myrtle Beach's most recognizable holes. The par 3 measures just 145 yards from the tips but plays into a virtual island green set amidst a saltwater marsh.

They congregated in the pro shop snack bar at Indian Wells, ordered a round of drinks and figured out who won skins. It looked like any other group that comes to Myrtle Beach – a lot of story-telling, laughing and cold drinks.

While the 39 golfers that came together for four days and four rounds carried on as if they were life long friends, the reality is they hardly knew each other.

The internet has changed the world in a myriad of ways, something the Myrtle Beach Golf

Myrtle Beach boasts 10 of America’s top 100 golf courses, two of America’s top 25 golf schools, and now the area is home to the 2009 National Golf Course of the Year.

The Grande Dunes Resort Club recently earned Golf Course of the Year honors from the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Grande Dunes is the second Myrtle Beach area course to capture the annual award, joining International World Tour Golf Links, which earned the honor in 2004.
Grande

Golfers pay lip service to hitting every club in the bag, thinking their away around the course, and the challenge of target golf. It all sounds goods, but it’s not entirely true. 

Perry Swenson arrived for the filming of the first episode of Road Trip: Myrtle Beach with more bags than she could carry and little idea of what to expect. Swenson was the final member to join the Road Trip cast and she did so just days before the show started filming.

When she arrived, she had trouble with names but little problem figuring out a good time was in store.

“I really didn’t have time to form any expectations,” Swenson said. “At the last minute, I

The parking lot at Glen Dornoch was full of late model cars, many of the high-end variety, until Road Trip: Myrtle Beach star Mark Bryan arrived.

Bryan pulled into the parking lot, ferrying his castmates, in a navy blue, 1988 Chevy Suburban big enough to haul Kanye West’s ego. With the understated Bryan at the wheel, hubris was never a factor when the wood paneled SUV was on the scene.

To be clear, the car, despite its age, doesn’t run like a two-decade old tank. Bryan

The Road Trip: Myrtle Beach cast had just reconvened from all parts of the country on a sun-splashed day at Thistle Golf Club in early October. Tee time was set for 2 p.m., but timeliness wasn’t a priority.

Josh Kelley arrived on a redeye flight from the West Coast; Mark Bryan drove up from his home in Charleston; Perry Swenson, fresh off attempting to advance in LPGA Q-School, and Charlie Rymer, who recently wrapped up filming of his first season as host of the Big Break, also