Everything You Need To Know About Tidewater Golf Club

Tidewater Golf Club is on every list of Myrtle Beach’s best courses. The only question is how high the coastal gem will rank on your list.

If you’ve never played Tidewater (or haven’t been the last couple years), here is what you need to know about the Ken Tomlinson design that has been ranked among America’s top 100 public courses.

Round to Remember
Great layouts create memories players carry with them long after they’ve left the course, and Tidewater absolutely delivers on that account. Eight holes play along either Cherry Grove or the Intracoastal Waterway, creating visuals that are among the East Coast’s best, and the inland holes, highlighted by a pair of short par 4s, are outstanding as well. This is a bucket list Myrtle Beach course.

About Those Views
The marshy water of the Intracoastal come into play on holes 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18, but Tidewater’s most memorable challenges are framed by Cherry Grove. The 3rd and 12th holes are the Grand Strand’s prettiest pair of par 3s. Forced to make a choice between the two, I’d favor the 12th, which requires a daunting carry over water, by the slightest of margins. The 13th is the only par 5 in the Myrtle Beach area that provides a view of the Atlantic Ocean, and No. 4, a gentle dogleg left that plays along Cherry Grove, might be the area’s best two-shotter. There is a compelling argument to be made that Tidewater is the area’s prettiest course.

Something Better Than The Views?
Pretty as Tidewater is, course conditions might be the layout’s greatest attribute. Tidewater installed new greens, improved drainage and removed hundreds of trees in a 2014 renovation project, and the course has been in superior condition since. The greens are among the area’s best, and if you don’t believe me, checkout the 281 reviews the course has received from Facebook, Google and TripAdvisor.com users.

Best Way to Play Tidewater Is …
Tidewater is the centerpiece course for a variety of packages, but the Elite Package with Myrtle Beach Golf Authority is among the best. It provides accommodations and your choice of golf at Tidewater, Prestwick, Arrowhead, Arcadian Shores and Sea Trail. Per-golfer pricing ranges from $275 to $460 and is hard to beat.

After the Final Putt Drops
Tidewater is just minutes from the Atlantic, so there is no shortage of landing spots for happy hour or dinner. If you are looking for a casual, local experience, go to Duffy Street Seafood Shack. The raw bar happy hour (4-6 p.m.) features .45 shrimp, .75 oysters and $7.99 crab legs and is the ideal way to start your evening.