5 Par-5 Holes in Myrtle Beach That’ll Live Rent-Free in Your Head

Myrtle Beach has nearly 1,800 golf holes, but these five par-5s stand out for beauty, difficulty, and risk-reward drama. See why golfers can’t stop talking about them.

With almost 1,800 holes along the Grand Strand, picking standout par-5s is a bold move — but somebody’s gotta do it. Sure, No. 13 (“Waterloo”) at The Dunes Club and No. 6 (“The Gambler”) at King’s North are the obvious picks — every Myrtle Beach golf list name-drops them, and for good reason. But we wanted to dig past the usual suspects.

We judged the expanded field on three things golfers really care about: how gorgeous a hole is, how hard it can humble you, and whether the risk-reward gamble is worth the heart palpitations. Player reviews and course write-ups back up every pick that follows here.

Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, Hole 14

The final par-5 on this Jack Nicklaus Signature design curls right around an expanse of marsh, and it’s every bit the beauty you’d expect from a Lowcountry Nicklaus layout. But don’t let the scenery lull you: the narrow green is angled sharply from front-left to back-right, so the “safe” layup isn’t actually safe — the smart play is the longest shot you’re comfortable hitting, leaving a short pitch up the green’s length instead of across it. Gorgeous and genuinely tricky to think your way through.

Rivers Edge, Hole 9 — “Arnie’s Revenge”

Nicknamed for a reason, this 494-yard par-5 has been called one of the most frightening holes on the entire Grand Strand. The tension builds all the way to the green, which is a terrifyingly narrow 15 yards wide. Reviewers consistently point to this approach shot as the moment the hole earns its nickname — par here feels like a genuine accomplishment, not a formality. If you want a par-5 that tests nerve as much as ball-striking, this is it.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Hole 8

Caledonia is already one of the most beloved courses on the Grand Strand, and its 528-yard eighth is a textbook risk-reward proposition. A good tee shot opens the door to go for the green in two, but that approach requires a hefty carry over a stream guarding a green split into front and back tiers. Miss your number and you’re chipping from a spot you really didn’t want to be in. It rewards a great decision and punishes a greedy one.

Dye Course at Barefoot Resort, Hole 8

Pete Dye built four excellent par-5s at Barefoot-Dye, and No. 8 is widely considered the best of the bunch. Long hitters can reach it in two, but a cluster of centerline bunkers turns the layup into a genuine puzzle: play left for a clean look at the green and bring a pond into play, or lay up right and accept a blind approach. Classic Dye mind games — beautiful to look at, brutal to solve.

TPC Myrtle Beach, Hole 18

Tom Fazio’s finishing hole is arguably the best closer in Myrtle Beach, and its fairway has been walked by the likes of Tom Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Collin Morikawa. The reachable par-5 is bisected by a creek and guarded by a pond on the left, and laying up is no guarantee of safety with bunkers scattered on the right. Add a gallery of onlookers from the clubhouse deck, and this hole delivers pressure, scenery, and a genuine shot at glory all in one finish.

The Bottom Line

“Waterloo” and “The Gambler” will always get the headlines, but Pawleys Plantation’s 14th, Rivers Edge’s “Arnie’s Revenge,” Caledonia’s 8th, Barefoot-Dye’s 8th, and TPC Myrtle Beach’s 18th prove the Grand Strand’s par-5 depth runs a lot deeper than the famous names. Book a round, take the risk, and see if the reward shows up.