Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Designed by Tom Jackson

With almost 100 Myrtle Beach golf courses to choose from, all the big-name designers have built links on the Grand Strand.

Names like Nicklaus, Fazio, Dye and Palmer, just to name a few, have all left their marks on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

But perhaps none left their fingerprints along the Grand Strand more than Tom Jackson, who has had a hand in designing six courses on the Grand Strand.

One doesn't have to look hard to find Jackson's handiwork, a craft he honed while working for such legendary architects as Robert Trent Jones and George Cobb.

Learning from some of the best during his early years in the industry, Jackson took those lessons and merged them with his own special talent for building challenging yet affordable layouts.

With more than 75 courses around the Southeastern U.S. to his credit, some of his best work can be found around the Myrtle Beach area, not far from his Greenville home.
Most of Jackson's work can be witnessed on the north end of the Strand, including Aberdeen Country Club's 27-hole layout  and River Hills in Little River.

Built in the late '80s and early '90s, Jackson's courses reflect his own keen eye and distinctive touch. He designed each layout around the terrain in every project.

Nowhere is that more evident than the River Club and River Hills. No. 17 at River Hills and No. 18 at the River Club are two popular holes that are typical of Jackson's work – good risk/reward holes that require brains and brawn.

Aberdeen presented the unique challenge of constructing 27 holes around an area filled with small lakes and ocean bays, as was Black Bear Golf Club in Longs.

The Highlands, Woodlands and Meadows courses present tough tests to golfers while staying true to the central themes of Jackson's work – courses that reward precision over power. None of his five Myrtle Beach golf courses measure more than 7,000 yards from tees to holes.

Although Jackson co-designed Arrowhead with Ray Floyd, his vision is reflected in the 27-hole layout. He also collaborated with Gene Hamm on River Oaks Golf Plantation.

All six courses share something in common beyond Jackson's magic touch. They rank high on many to-do lists for players taking a golf vacation.