What is the best golf course in Myrtle Beach? It’s a question everyone asks, but few have tried to answer with anything other than individual opinion. We decided to change all that. MyrtleBeachGolfTrips.com surveyed the Grand Strand’s most knowledgeable constituency – PGA professionals – and asked them to rank Myrtle Beach’s 20 best courses. More than 50 local pros completed the poll, providing the most comprehensive ranking of Myrtle Beach golf courses ever assembled. Sure Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and many others have previously rated area courses, but the results were determined by a select few people. These rankings are based on the votes of a large and educated electorate. Here are Myrtle Beach’s top 20 courses, according to folks who know the area best, local PGA professionals:
No. 20 Long Bay Golf Club – The Jack Nicklaus design is tough but memorable. Waste bunkers, mounding and the Golden Bear’s creativity combined to make this one of Myrtle Beach’s premier inland layouts.
No. 19 Willbrook Plantation – Located in Pawleys Island, the Dan Maples design is occasionally overshadowed by high profile neighbors like Caledonia, True Blue and Heritage, but locals know how good the course is.
No. 18 Arcadian Shores – A 2017 renovation project transformed the layout. If you are surprised to see Arcadian Shores here, you haven’t played the course in the last 18 months.
No. 17 Rivers Edge – The seven holes that play along the Shallotte River are stunning. It’s a bit of a drive from downtown Myrtle Beach, but regardless of where it’s located, Rivers Edge is a must-play layout.
No. 16 Pine Lakes Country Club – The Granddaddy was Myrtle Beach’s first course and remains one of its most revered. A Craig Schreiner-led redesign in 2009 helped ensure the course maintained its lofty standing in the market.
No 15 Thistle – The 27-hole facility, with its Scottish-inspired design, has always been popular, and the clubhouse might be the Grand Strand’s best.
No. 14 Heritage Club – Only surprise about Heritage’s spot on the list is that it’s not higher. The scenery is stunning, the layout is demanding, and the greens are, arguably, the area’s most challenging.
No. 13 Barefoot Love – The first entry from Barefoot Resort is the acclaimed Love Course, a layout Golf Magazine ranks among its “Top 100 You Can Play.” It highlights the strength of Myrtle Beach as a destination that the Love Course and Heritage are this “low.”
No. 12 Arrowhead Country Club – This was our first surprise, not so much because Arrowhead made the list but because it was this high. The Raymond Floyd design is a 27-hole facility that plays along the Intracoastal Waterway.
No. 11 Pawleys Plantation – This is one of the area’s most memorable layouts. The Jack Nicklaus design will challenge every aspect of a player’s game, and six of the final nine holes play along a tidal saltwater marsh.
No. 10 King’s North at Myrtle Beach National – This Arnold Palmer design is one of Myrtle Beach’s iconic courses, highlighted by “The Gambler,” the unforgettable par 5 sixth hole. King’s North is scenic, creative and leaves players talking long after they’ve returned home.
No. 9 Dye Course at Barefoot Resort – The longtime host of the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am, the Dye Course is as challenging as architect Pete Dye’s reputation would suggest.
No. 8 Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort – There isn’t a signature hole or defining trait that pushes the Fazio Course near the top of the heap. It’s just an outstanding layout from start to finish.
No. 7 True Blue – This Mike Strantz design is currently ranked among Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play and Golf Channel travel guru Matt Ginella has it among his personal top 50, so this might seem a little low to some. Either way, True Blue in unquestionably one of the area’s best.
No. 6 TPC Myrtle Beach – Earlier this year, Links magazine wrote of TPC, “I don’t think I’ve seen lusher, greener, or more perfect conditions.” What more needs to be said of a layout that has hosted the Senior PGA Tour Championship and been Dustin Johnson’s home course?
No. 5 Prestwick Country Club – This course has always been a favorite of Myrtle Beach insiders but finishing this high was shocking, nonetheless. That being said, our pollsters left little doubt as to their affinity for the Pete and P.B. Dye design. We can’t call Prestwick underrated any longer.
No. 4 Grande Dunes Resort Club – The waterway holes are unforgettable, highlighted by the par 3 14th, which is arguably the area’s most dramatic one-shotter. Throw in generous fairways and a procession of holes that leave you anxiously awaiting what the next tee box offers, and the popularity of Grande Dunes is hardly surprising.
No. 3 Tidewater Golf Club – Tidewater has long been on the short list of Myrtle Beach’s best courses. With eight holes that play along either the Intracoastal Waterway or Cherry Grove, Tidewater is the area’s most scenic track.
No. 2 Caledonia Golf & Fish Club – If traveling golfers were voting, Caledonia might top the list, but the highly acclaimed Mike Strantz design had to “settle” for second. This is a consensus top 100 public course that never fails to live up to lofty expectations.
No. 1 Dunes Golf & Beach Club – Myrtle Beach’s most storied course was the runaway winner, collecting 24 first place votes. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. classic has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open and six Senior PGA Tour Championships, among numerous other events. A semi-private layout, the Dunes Club is Myrtle Beach’s best golf course.
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