Prestwick Country Club offers one of Myrtle Beach’s stiffest challenges, and here are five things you will want to know before tackling the course.
1. Know Where You Are: The Atlantic Ocean isn’t visible at Prestwick but players feel its impact. The course is a less than a mile from the beach and the result is significant wind. In addition to what you can feel, take a look a look at the flagstick to make sure you aren’t being sheltered from the ocean breeze. Ignore the wind at your own peril.
2. Did You Know?: Prestwick is a 4.5-star course and was once named “One of the Five Best Kept Secret Golf Courses in America” by Golf Digest. We aren’t the only ones that think Prestwick is an underrated course.
3. Play The Right Set Of Tees: This entry could be made for every course in the nation, but playing from the right set of tees at Prestwick is vital. It’s a challenging layout so don’t make it more difficult than the Dye brothers intended. The right tees will add considerably to your enjoyment of the round and the course.
4. The Signature Bunker Is: Pot bunkers are a prerequisite for a Dye design and there is at least one you want to avoid at all costs at Prestwick. No matter what you do, don’t find the 20-foot deep pot bunker behind the ninth green. The only question for players that end up in that bunker is how far over par they will be.
5. Most Important Club Is: Spend time on the range getting your driver tuned up. The fairways at Prestwick Country Club are generous, but players can’t afford to miss them. Players need to be well positioned off the tee to avoid the trouble around the greens. Anyone coming in with long irons or out of pine straw is going to find it hard to hold Prestwick’s greens. A good day with the driver helps avoid both problems.