COURSE REVIEW

Scenic wetlands - not Scotland - is the draw at Aberdeen Country Club near North Myrtle Beach

By Brandon Tucker,
Staff Writer

LONGS, S.C. - The authentic Scottish heritage isn't exactly going to jump out at you at Aberdeen Country Club near North Myrtle Beach.

But who needs plaid kilts and expensive beer anyways? The Grand Strand's version of Aberdeen does just fine - offering 27 holes of value-laden golf stretched out on scenic, forested wetlands.

Book tee times at Aberdeen Country Club in Myrtle Beach Course review: Long Bay Club Photo gallery: Aberdeen Country Club in Myrtle Beach Course review: TPC Myrtle Beach

Aberdeen Country Club is the sister club to Long Bay Resort next door on Highway 9. But aside from ownership and location, there isn't a great deal similar between the two in terms of design. Whereas the Jack Nicklaus-designed Long Bay features wide fairways and chews you up around the greens with sinister bunkering, Aberdeen's swampy location equals tighter landing zones, especially on the Woodlands nine.

Another key to scoring well at Aberdeen is paying attention to the green depth, which can vary greatly.

"Some of our greens are 50 yards long," said Jim Fellner, head professional at Aberdeen. "You have to be real careful to add or subtract 10 yards on your approach shots in order to eliminate three putts."

The Meadows' opener is a daring, too-good-to-be-true kind of hole. It's less than 300 yards to the green, straight away. But the fairway bottlenecks so tight headed up to the green only the most confident golfers should think "big stick." It's a common theme at Aberdeen. You can swing away and be rewarded - or spend all day in the woods. Those who play this hole as the first of the day must be mighty confident in their big stick.

Each nine at Aberdeen features a stern finishing hole with plenty of places for disaster, most notably the Highlands' ninth, which Fellner calls arguably the toughest on the Grand Strand. It's a sharp, dogleg left through tight trees, over swamp to a green with little room for error on either side.

On the Woodlands, the finale is a dangerously tight par-5 with water hidden on the right-hand side of the fairway. That's a common theme at Aberdeen, be sure to watch for the checkered yellow and black flags that signal where the hazard comes out to, because they are often partially hidden from the tee.

Of the three nines at Aberdeen, it's the Woodlands nine that steals the show. It plays through the most scenic of natural wetlands, winding around the Waccamaw River with nary a home in sight. It's also the tightest of the nines, full of woods and wetlands on every hole. Each shot is a recipe for potential disaster, but stand-out holes - like the long, par-4, dogleg second hole that snakes tightly through trees - make it well worth it.

The Highlands nine is probably the least scenic, since it mostly plays through the accompanying residential development, and two holes play along Highway 9. But even still, the hole variety among all three nines is solid. Chances are you won't be looking at the same shot twice, no matter which combination of nine you play.

Aberdeen Country Club: The Verdict

Aberdeen is probably the most scenic course on Highway 9 in the Longs-Loris region about 10 minutes from North Myrtle Beach, thanks to its forested wetlands location.

Aberdeen Country Club Hwy. 9 North Myrtle Beach, SC Tee times: (866) 409-2177 Click here for a golf package quote.

Regarding the name, don't expect too much of a Scottish theme here other than a little plaid on the clubhouse walls, but that's okay. Aberdeen still finds a niche among the North Strand golf offerings. Architect Tom Jackson's design offers solid hole variety - enough for skilled players to feel continually challenged - and offer duffers a fighting chance. The course was built in 1990, so the length isn't overboard. The Highlands-Woodlands combination plays under 6,900 yards from the championship tees.

Aberdeen is also one of the North Strand's better bargains, with green fees ranging from $31-$89.

January 25, 2008

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.