Long Bay
Long Bay

Long Bay, a Jack Nicklaus Design, Finishes with a Flourish

The 18th hole at Long Bay is a great finishWhile Nicklaus is one of the biggest names the game’s history, Long Bay flies under the radar, quietly delivering a memorable round of golf. Nicklaus lives up to his reputation for creating courses that deliver a stern test, but Long Bay is fair at every turn.

Mounding and waste bunkers help define a layout that earned 4.5 stars in Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play guide and have long made it a locals’ favorite.

The back nine at Long Bay is particularly strong. The 10th, a short par 4, plays to an elevated green and its fairway is surrounded by a waste bunker, creating a stunning a visual that makes it the course’s most photographed hole. Not to be outdone, No. 13 is an island green par 3 that requires steely nerves and a good golf swing.

Memorable as those holes are, neither was our Myrtle Beach Golf Hole of the Week.

 

 

No. 18 – Long Bay Club
Par 4

Yardage: 445 yards (black tees), 412 yards (blue), 368 yards (white), 272 yards (red)
Handicap: 2

This dogleg right isn’t a good finishing hole, it’s a great one. The hole plays around a lake that looms large on every shot. Ideally, you will play your tee shot up the right side (and hit it past the edge of the water), shortening your approach and providing the desired angle of attack.

Of course, that means flirting with the water and the possibility of a big number. Conversely, if you play it safe and pull the ball left, the 18th will be a long 368-yard hole.

Regardless of where you are off the tee, the second shot will determine your fate. The green is narrow and it borders water on the right. Mix in a deep, green-side bunker and the second shot is one of Long Bay’s diciest.

There is a risk-reward component to the 18th as players must decide how much they want to flirt with the water, and it’s a challenge Nicklaus designed with idea of having it decide matches.

Mission accomplished.

If Long Bay is part of your next trip, that’s a win for your group, and 18 is the perfect way to cap your your day.