With the Ryder Cup weeks away, the joys of match play – the wild swings in the momentum and pivotal risk-reward decisions chief among them – will come to the forefront.

While your golf trip won’t attract international attention, that doesn’t mean the drama won’t be real as you and your buddies battle down the stretch. If match play is the preferred format for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, here are five courses that need to be at the top of your list.

● We will lead with an easy one: King’s North at Myrtle Beach National. Any layout with a hole called “The Gambler” is a match play natural, and it’s not the only memorable risk-reward decision. Despite the notoriety of the par 5 sixth (aka The Gambler), the short par four third hole requires an even more consequential risk-reward decision, because every player has to decide how much of the water they want to challenge on the dogleg left. King’s North is an outstanding addition to any Myrtle Beach golf trip and that’s doubly the case if you prefer match play. (King’s North top photo)

● Playing through a stunning piece of Lowcountry property, Willbrook has everything you want in a match play course. Dramatic shots, daunting par 5s, and an island green are just a few of the attractions for this Dan Maples beauty. There will be wild swings at Willbrook, where birdies and double bogeys can come in equal numbers.

● May I submit any of the area’s Dye courses as one entry? Whether you are playing Prestwick (P.B. Dye), Moorland (P.B. Dye) or the Dye Course (Pete Dye), any of the trio is a masochist’s dream and an outstanding track to play. The par 4 16th at Moorland, which plays just 223 yards (white tees), is impossibly dramatic because everything from eagle to complete calamity are in play. Playing a Dye layout is always a winner.

● Wild Wing’s Avocet Course is one of our favorites and from the creativity of its greens complexes to the variety of the challenges, it’s an ideal match play layout. Your group will love every minute of this design and the par 3 17th, which includes a carry over wetlands, has swung more than one match over the years. (Wild Wing pictured right)

● Last but not least, World Tour. With holes that replicate Augusta National’s Amen Corner, No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass and so many more of golf’s most iconic challenges, how could World Tour not make the list?!

Match play is a fun-filled format and these layouts lend themselves to a great experience.