Four of Myrtle Beach’s Most Underrated Golf Courses

Sure, everyone wants to play Caledonia, Tidewater and Grande Dunes, among a host of other top 100 caliber layouts that call Myrtle Beach home, but at the heart of the area’s appeal are the abundance of under-the-radar courses that deliver a quality round of golf.

These unsung heroes help groups fill out their itinerary with layouts that exceed expectations, and if you are looking to play one of the area’s quiet stars on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, here are four North Strand courses that always deliver.

• Located just across the state line in Brunswick County, N.C., Meadowlands offers one of the Grand Strand’s most player-friendly layouts, giving golfers every chance to score. The Willard Byrd – David Johnson design features generous fairways, few onerous forced carries, and a commitment to customer service that brings groups back year after year.
• Eagle Nest’s claim to fame is being the longest course in South Carolina, playing more than 8,000 yards from the black perch tees, but you aren’t going to play from back there. What your group will remember is the value price and a trio of unforgettable closing holes, highlighted by the 603-yard 17th hole, one of Myrtle Beach’s longest par 5s.
• A Tom Jackson design, River Hills is thriving after a 2022 greens restoration project saw the putting surfaces restored to their original size and specs, and a 2023 bunker renovation project that overhauled every trap on the course. River Hills provides a stern test and is on the short list of Myrtle Beach’s most underrated courses.
• A little further north, Lockwood Folly plays through massive live oak trees and Carolina pines and along the Lockwood Folly River, providing the coastal beauty golfers covet on a Myrtle Beach golf trip. This classic Willard Byrd course is ideal for a day of arrival or day of departure round of golf.

You have plenty of options on a Myrtle Beach golf trip, but if you are looking to play a lower profile layout that delivers big value, Meadowlands, Eagle Nest, River Hills and Lockwood Folly are all winners.