Confidence is everything. Building it in real time means that much more.
We don’t want to be given that confidence. We want to earn it. These five opportunities allow players to do just that. The designs aren’t gimmes; they’re chances to navigate different types of terrain and then reap the mental rewards.
We’ve included different types of tracks that will suit different types of players in different types of roles.
One of them will check your box.
PINE LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
Maybe the most “difficult” of the five courses on this list, the major trouble at Pine Lakes is relegated to a small number of holes (Nos. 5, 13 and 14, in particular) for those who aren’t trying to push themselves to the limit or take unnecessary risks. The Granddaddy is Myrtle Beach’s oldest course, and the fact that the Par 70 design is fast approaching its 100th anniversary should tell you that it’s not here to bust you up like Mr. T in Rocky. It’s a playable and beautiful track the keeps the body blows to a minimum. (Pine Lakes pictured right)
MYRTLEWOOD, PALMETTO COURSE
Even before Founders Golf re-invested some serious cash flow into a significant greens renovation project, we probably would have included it. But after those putting surfaces were converted to Sunday Bermuda and sized back out to their original dimensions, Palmetto was a lock. At 6,500 yards from the white tees, it does ask for a little more off the tee than many courses in the area. However, there’s a lot of room in most of the fairways and a chance to shave distance without flirting with a bunch of penalties. (Palmetto 18th top photo)
BEACHWOOD GOLF CLUB
You had to know we were going to include a Gene Hamm layout here. Actually, we’ll have two (more below). Frankly, his designs were cultivated to make golf more friendly for Common Joes who don’t have 50 hours a week to spend at the range. As such, Beachwood – his oldest local project – did exactly that. It measures at 6,250 yards from the whites and while there is a good bit of water along the course, most of it is either not really in play from the tee boxes or visible enough to avoid. We will caution you to remember the opposite is true on No. 3. Nonetheless, that’s the anomaly.
BURNING RIDGE GOLF CLUB
Some 35 yards shorter than Beachwood at 6,216 yards is another Hamm layout that probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Packaged with a handful of courses lining primary corridor into Myrtle Beach on U.S. 501, Burning Ridge is tucked inside a housing development without much of the housing development distractions, too. Players here just need to be able to handle the longest hole of the day, the 546-yard Par 5 opener and then use the five ensuing holes – two Par 3s and three relatively short Par 4s – to get into a solid rhythm that should carry throughout the rest of the round.
MYRTLE BEACH NATIONAL, WEST COURSE
A true local’s everyday favorite, West provides all the benefits of the Myrtle Beach National property without the difficulty of King’s North or even, to a lesser degree, SouthCreek. And because of its lack of pure distance, those of us who need a little extra work on our short game should be making West a priority. The Par 72 chimes in at 6,114 yards, and it doesn’t include a single Par 4 north of 393 yards. If that doesn’t scream par/bogey golf, we don’t know what will. Sneak in a few birdies, too, and you’ll be walking a little taller after the round. (West Course 18th right)
