3 Best Holes at Pearl Golf Links – West Course

March 17, 2011

Our three best holes at the Pearl's West Golf Course - Myrtle Beach, SCThe West Course at Pearl Golf Links, completed in 1989, has a links-style feel complemented by a series of golf holes that play along the Calabash River.

The West Course at Pearl Golf Links earned 4.5 stars in Golf Digest’s prestigious “Best Places to Play” guide and has a reputation for playability, making it popular amongst all level of Myrtle Beach golfers. This also makes it a very popular addition to golf packages when choosing which golf courses to play. With that in mind, we asked head pro Jimmy Biggs to tell us the course’s three best holes.

If a final impression is a lasting one, Biggs left little doubt as to why the West Course is popular, ranking the closing three holes as the layout’s best.

No. 16, 604-yard, par 5 – With the Calabash River running along the right side, danger and beauty are the hallmarks of the back nine’s toughest hole. The tee shot can be treacherous, especially for players with a natural left-to-right ball flight, but the hole, which nearly cracked the list of the Grand Strand’s longest, offers an opportunity to pick up strokes late in a match.

“The typical golfer is looking at the trouble on the right, but you aren’t looking for trouble,” Biggs said of how to negotiate No. 16. “You are saying hit the fairway twice and give myself a chance to get on the green in three and make the birdie putt.”

This is a true three-shot hole so the first two shots are about positioning for the third. Play smart.

No. 17, 151-yard, par 3 – Sandwiched between two closing par 5s, No. 17 appears to be a docile par 3. The Calabash River is on the right and the hole is short, even from the tips, but don’t lulled to sleep. The green is longer than it is wide and shots that leak right can find trouble.

Take your time with an eight or nine iron, make a good swing, and par is an achievable score.

No. 18, 534-yard, par 5 – An outstanding finishing hole, No. 18 is a double dogleg with water that runs up the right side of the fairway before crossing in front of the green. The closing hole is reachable in two, even for mid-handicappers, but risk is everywhere.

From the corner of the fairway the green is 205 yards, but it’s all carry and the price for coming up short is a watery grave for your ball.

“It’s definitely risk vs. reward,” Biggs said. “It’s not a very good angle at the green but you can get there in two. If you need to risk it, go for it.” 

What are your favorite holes on the West Course at Pearl Golf Links, a North Strand favorite?

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