The Aquaman Trail: 40 Courses, 40 Water Holes to Remember (or Forget!) – Nos. 20-11
By Jim Maggio
I’ve been living and working in “The Golf Capital of the World” for most of the past two decades now, and have played or filmed at virtually every Play Golf Myrtle Beach member course along the way. Between the imagery I’ve gathered and the wayward shots I’ve attempted to hit, water has come into play much more often than not.
In that spirit I’ve compiled my own ranking of courses that comprise “The Aquaman Trail” – a personal top 40 list, if you will, of Myrtle Beach golf courses and their one water hole that stands out in my mind for reasons either scenic, or for where my golf ball has made one or more splash landings.
We continue our countdown this week with the debut of a host of par 5s and 4s among Nos. 30 through 21:
Long Bay #18 – I was first inclined to go with the par-3 13th hole here that features an island green, but this one presents a far bigger challenge to my tendency to miss right from the tee.
Oyster Bay #16 – The captive audience at this beauty typically includes a dinosaur-sized gator or two sunning themselves along the banks as you tee it up.
Thistle-Stewart #4 – Like most dogleg par 5s that wrap around a big body of water, it’s only as hard as you risk it in going for the green in two. I’m never smart enough to take the safe route.
Arrowhead-Cypress #4 – The 5th on the Waterway nine here would have been an easy choice, but I like the twist this one brings with the Intracoastal Waterway by your side.
Barefoot-Dye #10 – Holes 9 and 18 are easy choices here as well, but to have this as a starting hole to your back nine sets one heck of a tone for what will greet you at the finish.
Blackmoor #14 – Gary Player loves his doglegs, and none are more prominent at his lone Grand Strand signature design than this beauty of a par 4.
Leopard’s Chase #18 – Of the four “Big Cat” courses at Ocean Ridge Plantation, Leopard’s Chase offers the property’s most dramatic finale. Don’t go chasing this waterfall!
Myrtlewood-Palmetto #18 – Pretty straightforward here, but as dramatic a finishing landscape as you’ll encounter anywhere in Myrtle Beach golf. Be sure to wave to the boaters escorting you to the finish.
Legends-Moorland #2 – The Dye Family knows how to make a statement. What do you think of P.B.’s right here?
Glen Dornoch #17 – It’s the dramatic second of the course’s three-hole finishing sequence that brings the ICW in to play. You simply won’t forget it, no matter how well you play it or how many tee balls you deposit into the marsh.
Next week brings our top 10, and you won’t want to miss it!
