Attention is a fickle beast, often receding as quickly as it arrives. Sure, if you are Tiger Woods the spotlight never dims, but he is the exception
Just as the bright lights tend to fade on pop culture figures, the same holds true for golf courses, even in a market that enjoys the exposure of Myrtle Beach. There are designs that were among the area’s most prominent that no longer attract the same attention, but that’s not an indictment of the layout.
Here is a look at five “forgotten” Myrtle Beach golf courses for whom the spotlight has faded, but they remain very much worthy of your attention.
– Did you know Oyster Bay (pictured right) was once ranked among the nation’s top 50 public courses and Golf Digest voted the Dan Maples design “Resort Course of the Year” upon its opening in 1983? We
aren’t here to argue it’s currently a top 100 layout, but with multiple holes playing along the marshy waters of the Calabash River and two island greens, Oyster Bay continues to deliver a memorable experience.
– No Myrtle Beach area golf course brings you closer to the Intracoastal Waterway than Glen Dornoch, a Clyde Johnston layout that features five holes along the handiwork of the Army Corps of Engineers. While Glen Dornoch may not enjoy the same high profile it did 20 years ago, it continues to delight players.
– When the Woodstork, Hummingbird and Falcon courses closed (yes, I know the 9-hole Hummingbird course remains but it’s not the original), the attention once showered on Wild Wing quickly diminished. There is only one problem: the property’s best course, Avocet, remains open. The Jeff Brauer-Larry Nelson design is as worthy your attention today as it ever was.
– River Club (pictured right) was one of the first courses to open in Pawleys Island, helping introduce golfers to the area’s casual charm, and the Tom Jackson creation delighted players with its combination of
challenge and unforgettable risk-reward decisions (yes, I’m thinking about No. 18). Then Caledonia, Pawleys Plantation and True Blue happened, monopolizing the ample attention the area receives. Guess what? River Club is good as ever and deserves more shine than it receives.
– As recently as 15 years ago, Rivers Edge (top photo) was ranked among “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses,” by Golf Digest, a designation that helped shower attention on the Arnold Palmer design that plays along the Shallotte River. Rivers Edge, located in Shallotte, is one of the area’s northernmost layouts and that commute eventually deflected attention from a stunning property with seven holes along the river. Wake up, people! Rivers Edge is absolutely worth the trip.
It speaks to the strength of the Myrtle Beach golf market that courses of this quality could be “forgotten,” but if you are a group leader, this is a fivesome you would be happy to see.
