Relaxing South Strand Delivers On And Off The Course

From a stroll on the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet to the drive down Oak Alley on the way to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, the South Strand has its own distinct flavor. In a vacation destination renowned for its surplus of activities, the southern end of the Grand Strand is a relaxing alternative.

Running from Murrell's Inlet, the seafood capital of South Carolina, through Litchfield and Pawleys Island, the South Strand is home to a charming string of locally owned businesses.

The four-mile stretch of Murrells Inlet, a fishing village, that runs along a salt marsh is as stunning as any property in the Myrtle Beach area. The Marsh Walk offers a stroll along the water with a panoramic view of the marsh, the area's native wildlife, and boats entering and exiting the marina.

Restaurants like Drunken Jacks present an almost irresistible temptation to people enjoying the Marsh Walk – fresh seafood, a cold drink, and a great view are difficult to bypass.

The South Strand's charm only grows the further one travels South on Highway 17. Litchfield offers some of the area's most pristine beaches, and Pawleys Island is the centerpiece of the South Strand.

An eclectic blend of upscale restaurants, shopping and most importantly, golf, it wouldn't be hard to miss Pawleys Island on the drive through. From the road, little seems remarkable about a place that is devoid of excess. Towering live oak trees define a landscape that is almost barren of multi-story buildings.

The area's unassuming appearance may result in the oblivious driving by, but you shouldn't make that mistake.

As locals would tell anyone on a Myrtle Beach golf trip, you should give yourself plenty of opportunities to drive past the Hammock Shops, Brookgreen Gardens and everything else the South Strand has to offer. The area is chocked full of some of Myrtle Beach's best golf. 

Beginning with the TPC, located in Murrells Inlet, right on through Georgetown County, the area has nearly as many Top 100 courses as Derek Jeter has had Top 100 girlfriends. Heritage Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue, all located in Pawleys Island, were named to Golf Digest's “America's 100 Greatest Public Courses” list. 

But they are far from the area's only high-end layouts. Pawleys Plantation, a Jack Nicklaus design, and Founders Club, the area's newest course, are also superb. Willbrook Plantation, Tradition Club, River Club and Litchfield Country Club offer a quartet of courses worthy of planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip around.

For golfers that want to experience the some of the area's casual charm without having to travel to the Grand Strand's Southern-most point, courses like Wachesaw Plantation East, which hosted LPGA events in the late 1990s, Blackmoor, Prestwick, Indigo Creek, International Club and Heron Point offering appealing alternatives a little closer to Myrtle Beach.

Indian Wells and Wicked Stick are two of the area's most popular courses as well.

If Lowcountry charm and great golf sound appealing, then the South Strand might be the preferred locale for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip. 

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