3 Best Holes at the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort

Pot bunkers, railroad ties and yawning waste bunkers are hallmarks of legendary golf course architect Pete Dye. They are also staples of the highly regarded Dye Course at Barefoot Resort, one of seven Myrtle Beach golf courses ranked among America’s 100 greatest public layouts.

What qualifies as the best at the Dye Course may depend on your thirst for a challenge, but head pro Jeff Diehl shared the layout’s three best holes from his perspective:
 

No. 6, 195-yard, par 3 – The course’s signature par 3, No. 6 demands a precision iron shot. Water runs the length of the hole on the right side and large mounds and pot bunkers are on the left. Throw in a narrow green and challenges are aplenty.

“If you hit a draw, you have to hit over water and bring it back to the green,” according to Diehl. “It sets up nicely for a little baby fade.”

The hole plays 175 yards from the championship and 155 yards from the member tees so the length is manageable and visually the bulkhead green is striking.

No. 14, 475-yard, par 4 – This monster is arguably the Dye Course’s most difficult hole. Unless you are a sadist, don't even glance the tournament tees, but it still plays 429 from the championship and 367 from the member tees.  The hole is framed by a tee-to-green waste bunker on the left and mounds on the right.

The tee shot sets up for a drawl, because shots that fade won’t hold the fairway and will roll up the mounds. That being said, avoid that cavernous waste bunker like the plague. Finding the fairway off the tee on the 14th is vital.

No. 18, 471-yard, par 4 – One of the best finishing holes on the beach, the 18th is a great test of golf. Water runs from tee to green on the left, and avoiding that side of the fairway is preferable for more than one reason.

“Hit a low ball off the tee because it’s playing dead into the prevailing wind,” Diehl says. “Hit it up the right side of the fairway because it opens up the green. You have bailout room on the right and might be able to chip up and save par (if you miss the green).”

How good a test is 18?

“Moving through the back nine, I’m always thinking about 18,” Diehl says.

What do you think about Diehl’s three favorite holes on the