3 Clyde Johnston Courses in Myrtle Beach That are Prime Inclusions to Your Golf Trip Itinerary

How does a three-round golf trip on layouts that play along the Intracoastal Waterway, have challenged World Golf Hall of Famers, and undergone a transformative renovation in recent years sound?

If that’s a potentially intriguing itinerary, your group will want to check out a trio of Myrtle Beach golf courses designed by Clyde Johnston. Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links, Wachesaw Plantation East and Shaftesbury Glen have the potential to form the heart of an outstanding golf vacation, and here is a closer look at each.

● There isn’t a course in South Carolina that offers more dramatic Intracoastal Waterway views than Glen Dornoch. The Waterway comes into play on five holes – 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18 – bringing players to the water’s edge. The course is renowned for its closing stretch, which begins with the downhill, par-4 16th hole that plays to a green buffeted by marshy waters. The approach to 16, which offers little margin for error, is one of the Grand Strand’s most imposing. The 17th is a daunting par 3, featuring a bunker with soaring railroad ties on the right and water on the left. Golfers are happy to make par on the often-vexing 18th. The inland holes are a collection of quirky, yet memorable challenges. Leave time to enjoy a drink on the clubhouse deck, which overlooks the double green the ninth and 18th holes share along the waterway.

● Johnston designed Wachesaw Plantation East to host an LPGA tournament, and the Murrells Inlet course challenged the game’s best female players immediately upon its opening. For those who believe great courses identify great champions, Hall of Famer Karrie Webb won the event twice. Just as Wachesaw challenged the LPGA Tour’s finest, it will test your group as well, demanding accuracy off the tee and precision approach shots from players who want to go low.

● Shaftesbury Glen has added 500,000 square feet of waste bunkers in recent years, providing visual definition to an enjoyable layout. Johnston was inspired by the work of legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast in creating the finger bunkers that protect Shaftesbury’s elevated greens complexes. For golfers scared by the idea of that much sand, don’t be. The waste bunkers are flat, making them easy to play out of while enhancing the look of the course.

Playing this trio of Clyde Johnston designs is a recipe for a memorable golf trip.