Story by Chris King

For many, golf is a game that was first played with family. Parents – most often, but not always, Dad – pass along their love of the game. Here is a look at the five Myrtle Beach golf courses you will most want to play with the Old Man:

— One prerequisite on a trip with Dad is playing a course both of you will remember, and King’s North fits the bill. The Arnold Palmer design is home to some of the area’s most memorable holes – “The Gambler,” the par 3 12th with the SC bunkers, and, of course, No. 18, which is lined with more than 40 bunkers. It’s a round neither one of you will forget.

— If you are playing with Dad, isn’t the Love Course at Barefoot a natural stop? Featuring an open design and the faux ruins of an old plantation home, the Love Course is Barefoot’s most popular layout and one you guys will enjoy.

— A round with Dad is also a time to reminisce and what better place to look back than Pine Lakes, Myrtle Beach’s first golf course? The property oozes history and the layout, while challenging, is certainly playable. The Pine Lakes clubhouse is an ideal spot to enjoy post-round lunch, capping a great day for you and Pops.

— Not every round with the Old Man needs to be on a top 100 course. Take him to Farmstead, where the conditions are good, the fairways are wide, and he will get to play the par 6, 18th hole. The 767-yard monster tees off in South Carolina and concludes in North Carolina. He won’t forget it and neither will you.

— Nobody wants to watch their Dad struggle, particularly as he gets older, so take him to the West Course at Myrtle Beach National. With a slope rating of 118 (the USGA’s measurement of a course’s difficulty for bogey golfers) from the white tees, the West Course is the area’s “easiest.” The words easy and golf shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, but the margin for error at the always well-conditioned West Course provides is appreciated.

Let us know which course you would most like to play with Dad.