My Big 3 Takeaways from “The Big 3” Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach
By Jim Maggio
In the early 1960s, sports agent Mark McCormack secured golf’s biggest names as his clients. In doing so, he labeled his A-list stable of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as “The Big 3” – creating a moniker and brand that has symbolized the best in golf to this day.
And with each of “The Big 3” making his impact on the Myrtle Beach golf scene along the way, it got me thinking about the three biggest takeaways you can expect from your next Myrtle Beach golf trip that includes a Player, Palmer or Nicklaus signature design on the itinerary.
At Gary Player’s lone Grand Strand signature design, Blackmoor, it’s impossible to score well without successfully managing its bevy of doglegs throughout the layout. Nearly half of Blackmoor’s holes play with a sharp turn right or left, and at a course that tips out at a modest 6,600 yards (and a tick under 6,000 yards from the white tees), proper club selection is key to posting a good number on your scorecard here.
(When you’re playing my favorite dogleg here, the par-4 14th, be sure to wave to the dinosaur-sized gator that’s frequently sunning himself along the banks as you drive by!)
Arnold Palmer put his name to four Myrtle Beach-area designs at two locations: the renowned three-course complex at Myrtle Beach National Club, and the stunning waterside setting at Rivers Edge. Disparate landscapes, for sure, but they share one big element in common: memorable holes. Visual standouts at Myrtle Beach National include No. 10 at SouthCreek, which wraps majestically around a large lake from tee to green; No. 18 at West Course, one of the Grand Strand’s few par-3 finishing holes; and the unforgettable trio of holes 6 (“The Gambler”), 12 and 18 at King’s North. Rivers Edge sports multiple spectacular views of the Shallotte River tidal marshes, and none more compelling than at No. 9 (“Arnie’s Revenge”).
(King’s North is in the midst of a two-year renovation, focusing this year on the front nine and next year on the back. They’ll keep the visual integrity of the three aforementioned holes intact, but I’m excited to see the refinements they ultimately make to each).
Jack Nicklaus bookended the Grand Strand golf landscape in the late 1980s with Long Bay to the north and Pawleys Plantation to the south, and their differing topography nonetheless make bunkering a predominant factor of your playing experience at each. At Long Bay it’s all about the massive waste bunkers that surround and run alongside many holes, most dramatically at the par-4 10th. And at the newly renovated Pawleys Plantation, Nicklaus Design shifted the course’s bunkering strategy from expansive to strategic that makes this popular design more player-friendly than ever.
So why not include a Player, Palmer AND Nicklaus design on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip itinerary? No matter which combination you choose, you’ll be sure to create unforgettable “Big 3” memories of your own!
Click an icon below to browse photos of “The Big 3” courses in Myrtle Beach!
