There are thousands of bunkers along the Myrtle Beach golf scene, but they weren’t all created equally – some are far more difficult to get out of than others.
I’m happy to report I haven’t been in every sand trap the area has to offer, but based on personal experience, here are five bunkers you want to avoid at all costs.
(Personal aside: I hated to see Heather Glen close but one thing I haven’t missed is the cavernous bunker that fronted the par 3 fourth green on the White Course, known as Devil’s Mistress. That bunker definitely would have made the list.)
— There are a lot of sandy hazards that are best avoided at Prestwick, but the bunker behind the par 5 ninth green (pictured above) induces night sweats in anyone unfortunate enough to have been in it. The bunker is narrow, deep and the green is running away from you. Players that get up-and-down have accomplished something.
— If the Devil’s Mistress at Heather Glen has an evil sibling, it’s the bunker that fronts the green on the par 4 fifth hole at King’s North. (pictured right) If you are less than six feet tall, you may not be visible from the putting surface, if that gives you an idea of the hazard’s depth, and the face is nearly vertical.
— The 16th hole at Moorland is known as “Hell’s Half Acre.” It’s a legitimately drivable par 4 – 223 yards from the white tees – but it’s fraught with danger and no hazard is more lethal than the little pot bunker behind the green. Small, deep and frightening are words that immediately come to mind. If you find your ball in that bunker, bogey becomes an outstanding score.
— Tidewater is one of the prettiest courses along the Myrtle Beach golf scene, due in large part to the holes along Cherry Grove, but things can get ugly in a hurry if you find yourself in one of the large bunkers in front of the third green. The bunkers are deep, the bottom shelf of the putting surface is small, and Cherry Grove awaits on the other side. It’s a delicate shot, to put it mildly, when the pin is on the bottom tier. If the flag is on the upper shelf, there is a lot more room but it’s a much longer shot. Pick your poison.
— The 18th hole at the Dunes Club is dramatic – what else would you expect on a course that has hosted USGA, PGA and Senior PGA Tour events? – but if you find the large bunker behind the green, a dream round could turn nightmarish.(pictured right) On the plus side, the bunker isn’t deep, but the Dunes Club is home to the area’s fastest greens and you will be playing a downhill shot with water on the other side of the green. You aren’t likely to hit the ball in the water, but it’s very difficult to get the ball close from back there.
What’s the most difficult bunker shot you have faced?
