Long Hole Brings Lot of Fun to Farmstead
A Myrtle Beach golf vacation isn’t complete until attempting to tame Farmstead Golf Links’ monster home hole: a 767-yard par-6.
Not a misprint. Literally there is not another hole in the area like Farmstead’s signature offering.
Easily the l-o-n-g-e-s-t challenge on the Grand Strand, the 18th at Farmstead begins in South Carolina and ends in North Carolina. Booming drives can rest near a yardage marker that reads 525 yards to the middle of the TifEagle Bermuda green.
From the ladies’ tees it plays 635 yards. According to the USGA, the hole qualifies as a par six, because it’s longer than 691 yards from the men’s championship tees and 575+ yards from the women’s markers.
Prior to Farmstead’s 2001 opening in Calabash, N.C., the course owner wanted a unique feature to differentiate his layout from the more than 100 courses in the area. The idea came to fruition as the Grand Strand’s first and only par-6.
In early 2011, Golf Digest’s architecture editor, Ron Whitten, tagged Farmstead’s unique par-6 as one of the 18 “most fun holes in America.’’
But Farmstead is more than one memorable hole. It’s neatly routed on what once was a tobacco farm. Players are pleasantly greeted by a links-style layout with modest coastal winds. Scenic views of rolling fairways and sparkling freshwater lakes are part of the focus throughout this 7,242-yard layout.
Lead architect Willard Byrd designed the course with a majority of his par-4s extended from the back tees. In fact, eight of the nine par-4s are more than 400 yards. The five par-3s mesmerize first-time players, as well as regulars. The long sixth – playing 223 yards from the back tees and 166 yards from the blues – and No. 12 – different looks from different tee boxes – are unforgettable par-3s.
Because of its outstanding layout, conditions and player-friendly rates, Farmstead is one of the most fashionable Myrtle Beach golf courses.
Score par or birdie on Farmstead’s 18th and the trip surely will be forever stamped in your golfing lore.
