Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

Located in Sunset Beach, N.C., just over the Carolina border from North Myrtle Beach, Oyster Bay offers one of Myrtle Beach golf’s most relaxing settings, but players need to be prepared for strong test of golf.

A golf vacation to Myrtle Beach presents unique experiences not found at other destinations. One of the qualities a trip to Myrtle Beach offers is a who’s who list of PGA Tour players who have left their signature on the Grand Strand.

Arrive in Myrtle Beach and you can challenge a course designed or co-designed by major championship winners like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ray Floyd, Greg Norman and Davis Love III. There is even a major titleholder, who along with

King’s North is home to some of the most photographed and popular holes on the Myrtle Beach golf scene – No. 6, the Gambler, No. 12, the island green par 3, and No. 18, which has 40 bunkers flanking the left side of the fairway come immediately to mind.

But when we went to long-time head pro Michael Burnside for an insider’s look at the layout’s best, he placed a premium on holes that allow players to make risk-reward decisions. Here are the three best holes at King’s North from Burnside’s perspective.

The official title says it’s the International Club of Myrtle Beach, but it's technically located in Murrells Inlet, an historic fishing village just 20 miles south of the Sun Fun City.

But International Club seems like a world away from the bright lights and big city. The natural beauty of the South Carolina Lowcountry combined with the spotlessly maintained links makes it a favorite tee time among Myrtle Beach golf courses.

Tucked away amid acres of woodlands and wetlands,

Golfers travel from all over the world to tee it up in Myrtle Beach. Many choose to go the extra mile by playing and staying at a North Strand golf resort.

Extending from just north of the Myrtle Beach city limits to beyond the North Carolina border, the North Strand offers all the great accommodations and amenities of the Sun Fun City in a more laid-back setting. The North Strand is also home to some of the top courses and resorts in the Southeast.

If you're looking for a quiet

Mark Chapman, a 21-year Air Force veteran, played 11 rounds of golf in honor of Veteran’s Day in the Golf Capital of the World. Chapman completed all 11 rounds in a time of 10 hours, 19 minutes and eight seconds. Chapman played at Waterway Hills Golf Club, a Myrtle Beach golf vacation favorite. Proceeds from the event benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and Salute Military Golf Association. “What an amazing day; 198 holes in less than 11 hours, I’m exhausted, yet

Many players take a Myrtle Beach golf vacation to escape the hustle and bustle of home. Others escape the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach at a South Strand golf resort.

Stretching from Surfside Beach to Georgetown, the South Strand has all the great accommodations of Myrtle Beach in a more laid-back environment.

Whether you're looking for an oceanfront hotel or a country club-style resort, the South Strand has it all in a serene, South Carolina Lowcountry setting.

In addition

As 2011 nears its end, Golfweek magazine has provided a 2012 wish list – its ranking of America’s Top 100 Resort Courses – and a pair of Myrtle Beach golf courses rank near the top.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club was ranked the 21st best resort course in the nation and the Dunes Club followed closely behind at No. 26. Golfweek published the annual rankings in the November 4 issue of the magazine.

A Mike Strantz design, Caledonia is equal parts art and architecture. The

Don't let the name fool you.

The Witch Golf Club may sound like something golfers don't want to touch with a 10-foot driver, but it's a great course for those who want a good challenge on their next Myrtle Beach golf vacation.

Just as in the classic movie “The Wizard Of Oz,” there are good witches and wicked ones. The Myrtle Beach golf course has a bit of both in its split personality – natural beauty that can cast a spell on golfers while also providing some challenging shots.

Opened in 1989 and located on 500 wooded acres of wetlands between Myrtle Beach and Conway, the scenery is perfectly suited for a relaxing round surrounded by nothing but nature.

But the course can be wicked to those not up to the challenge of the par-71, 6,702-yard layout, 3,600 of which are located on a demanding front nine built amidst a swamp.

The Dan Maples design requires more than 4,000 feet of bridges to navigate the natural lakes and wetlands, most of which appear on the expansive front stretch.

There are some beasts on the opening nine – the 416-yard, par-4 No. 2 that plays over the water, leading up to the par-5, 592-yard No. 8 that requires three solid shots to reach the green.

But the toughest test comes at the turn on the relative short par-4, 349-yard No. 9, a dogleg left that is protected along the left side by thick forest. The good news, is a kinder, gentler back nine situated over more open spaces.

With a slope rating of 133 and a rating of 71.2 from the championship tees, The Witch provides one of the stern test, and also one of the most scenic layouts on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

Along with sister courses The Wizard and Man O' War, The Witch delivers great golf and value on a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
 

Awards continue to pile up for Lion’s Paw Golf Links and the other three Big Cats at Ocean Ridge Plantation, one of two four-course facilities on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

In June, Where to Retire Magazine selected the Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., facility as one of America’s top places to retire. It was the seventh time Ocean Ridge Plantation was chosen for the honor.

Lion’s Paw opened in 1991 as the first “Big Cat’’ course. A top 50 selection in the

Twenty four golfers gathered around the bag drop at Barefoot Resort. Smiles were as plentiful as the fall sunshine and from a distance the group looked like the countless others that flock to Myrtle Beach for a golf vacation.

But when half of the group started talking, accents rarely heard on Myrtle Beach golf courses began filling the air. We aren’t talking about a New Yawk accent or even the one our friends from Bahston bring – they are among our most loyal visitors –

Beware of the Bear along the Myrtle Beach golf scene’s North Strand: the Long Bay Club.

Open for business in 1988, Long Bay Club is a distinctive, albeit totally diverse style course designed by golf’s all-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, one of two Myrtle Beach golf courses to his credit.

Nicklaus’ signature of favoring left-to-right shot making isn’t the focal part of this design. Instead, the Golden Bear and his design team force golfers to hurdle greenside

The name Indian Wells has a coast-to-coast connection with golfers.

Many are familiar with the Indian Wells located in California: the resort hotel founded by legendary entertainers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the ‘50s whose course eventually became the annual host for the PGA Tour’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

But the Myrtle Beach golf scene has its own Indian Wells: the one designed by architect Gene Hamm in 1984, renovated by Hamm in 2002 and two years later named

When we’ve ranked restaurants in the past (everything from seafood and steak to chicken wings and oysters), we’ve tried to stay with locally owned establishments. But a lot of people find comfort in chain restaurants where the food is a known quantity.

With that in mind, we offer you a look at the area's five best restaurants that have familiar names and, in most cases, multiple locations for your convenience on a Myrtle Beach golf trip.

1. Ruth’s Chris – It