A Baker’s Dozen of Choices: 13 Award-Winning Courses Along Myrtle Beach’s Highway 501 Corridor

When people talk of a Myrtle Beach golf trip, they are often referring to an area that spans 60 miles of Carolinas coastline, ranging from Georgetown to Brunswick County, N.C. While the surrounding areas are vital to the Grand Strand’s popularity as a golf destination, the heart of so many trips is built around courses located along Highway 501.

When the Myrtle Beach golf boom was at its zenith, many of the most acclaimed new layouts were located along the 501 corridor, an area popularized by the opening of Myrtle Beach National in 1973. Home to three Arnold Palmer designs (the West Course, SouthCreek and most famously, King’s North, MBN was the area’s first multi-course property and it paved the way for others, most notably Legends Resort.

Home to 54 holes, Legends, with its Scottish-inspired clubhouse, was a groundbreaking property. Featuring the Heathland (Tom Doak), Moorland (P.B. Dye) and Parkland courses, Legends continues to deliver an outstanding experience.

Man O’ War and The Wizard, the two Mystical courses, deliver unforgettable experiences. All 18 holes at Man O’ War play around a 107-acre lake, including the only back-to-back island greens in North America. Meanwhile, The Wizard provides golfers a taste of what links golf is like before finishing along the lake.

Not to be overlooked are the standalone layouts along 501. The Avocet Course at Wild Wing is one of the area’s most enjoyable tracks. The Jeff Brauer design features one of Myrtle Beach’s  best short par 4s – the 265-yard 14th – and it’s a treat to play.

Burning Ridge, a former Myrtle Beach golf course of the year, is an underrated track, delivering a strong layout and outstanding conditions. The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University is another value-laden design. Run by the university’s professional golf management students, the Hackler gets better every year.

World Tour Golf Links provides golfers the opportunity to play a course inspired by the game’s legendary tracks. With holes that replicate Amen Corner at Augusta National, the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon, and No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass, World Tour is a must-play.

Located in nearby Conway, Shaftesbury Glen has remade itself over the last decade by installing new greens and 500,000 square feet of waste bunkers that brought needed visual definition to the course, further enhancing the Clyde Johnston design’s reputation.

The expansion of the Grand Strand over the years has been good for the area, but don’t forget about the quality of courses that await along the primary artery into the area.