The Player’s Digest: Prestwick Country Club

This week, PGMB’s David Williams takes us on a scenic journey through the Dye Family’s collaborative effort at Prestwick Country Club. See how they’ve infused their hallmark design traits into this popular design, and learn how best to approach playing its most notable holes.

The Dye Family’s legacy runs deep in golf history books, and one of the more underrated Dye courses is the Pete and P.B. Dye-designed Prestwick Country Club, right here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Located a couple miles from the ocean, golfers get the full Dye experience when they visit Prestwick. This layout stretches to more than 7,000 yards with Scottish flair features and, of course, Pete Dye’s original signature railroad ties. Scenic par 3s, classic Scottish mounding, strategic bunkers, and tricky putting surfaces are just some of the features you will encounter.

The par-four 1st hole is meant to ease you into your round. You will want to avoid the deep waste area up the right. Making birdie or par here should be the goal.

Some of the best bunker complexes at the Beach sit near the par-five 9th green. A group of four bunkers sits 30 yards out from the green. If you go for this green, your bailout shot must carry these, but stay short of the deep bunker on the right. Those aren’t the only tough spots on this hole. A pot bunker short and grass bunker long protect this wild green.

There are many great four-hole stretches at the Beach, but my favorite is holes 11 through 14 at Prestwick. The par-four 11th is a hole that requires you to shape the ball left to right off the tee and left to right into the green. The best part of this hole is the green. The shaved runoff areas on the front and back make it tough to get up and down.

Another great green complex sits on the par-five 12th. If you want to make a birdie or an eagle, you must find the right section of this green. Missing in the wrong spot will leave a tough uphill or downhill putt.

Who doesn’t love a tough par three? The 13th hole at Prestwick requires you to carry your shot all the way to the green. Any shot with spin will rip back into the water.

The final hole in this stretch is like fighting the final boss in a video game. The 15th is a long par four that has out of bounds left and right. Tee shots will have to carry a good amount of water to find the fairway. Approach shots that miss right will find bunkers, and misses left will be left six feet below the green. This green slopes away on all sides, so finding the putting surface here is a success.

Your round comes full circle when you get to the 18th hole. If you get on the right side of the fairway you will have the best angle into this green. Make sure you don’t find any of the long grass or bunkers around this green. That is an automatic bogey!

Come see for yourself what makes Prestwick Country Club so special on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip.