We all like new stuff. The latest iPhone? Gotta have it. A new driver? Ring me up. New golf course? Go ahead and rank it in the top 100.
The shiny new object is always the most popular one, but older doesn’t always mean lesser, especially when it comes to course design. Many of the game’s most revered layouts are decades old and Myrtle Beach is no different.
A two-decade long building boom that caught fire in the mid-1980s drove Myrtle Beach’s popularity, but some of the area’s best courses are among it’s “Golden Oldies.” Here are Myrtle Beach’s five best “old-timers,” defined in this case as being at least 50 years old.
— Our list begins with the Dunes Club (1948), the venerable Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that helped put Myrtle Beach on the national golf travel map. Alligator Alley, those diabolical greens complexes, and a course that is always in outstanding condition are just a few of the reasons the Dunes Club is perched atop the list.
— Pine Lakes Country Club (1927, top photo) was Myrtle Beach’s first course and it remains among its most enjoyable. Designed by Robert White, a native of St. Andrews, Scotland and the first president of the PGA of America, Pine Lakes is as fun to play as it is to walk. Survive holes 12-14, a trio of demanding par 4s, and you could be on your way to a great day.
— A George Cobb design, Surf Club (1960), which allows limited public play, is home to some of the area’s best greens and delivers on the “member for a day” experience. If you have a chance to play this gem, don’t pass it up.
— The PineHills (1966, pictured right) course at Myrtlewood has been among the area’s most popular since it opened. A central location and a quality, player-friendly design make the course a golf package favorite. A 2018 greens renovation project was an absolute success, making the course home to some of the areas smoothest putting surfaces.
— Litchfield Country Club (1966) was the first course to open in Pawleys Island. While some of the area’s higher profile layouts have surpassed the Willard Byrd design in popularity, Litchfield remains an outstanding course, delivering a good time and value.
Maturity is a good thing in life and golf courses, golfers who play our top 5 Golden Oldies can attest.
