COURSE REVIEW

Angels Trace: Come and get some scenic, core golf in Myrtle Beach while it lasts

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

SUNSET BEACH, N.C. (Jan. 16, 2006) - There aren't many pure, core golf experiences left along the Grand Strand. And with real estate booming and the golf business slipping, there are likely to be even fewer as time goes on and developers continue to wave their fat wallets around.

• Travelers still finding the deals on golf and more at Myrtle Beach • Myrtle Beach, S.C. has some great golf courses - just not these • River's Edge Golf Club in Shallotte, N.C., might keep you on the edge of sanity • Visit GolfBoards.com

Like Angels Trace Golf Links. Right now, the course doesn't have a house, condo, villa or caddy shack anywhere near it. That will change, and fairly soon. The property was bought by Coastal Properties, owners of Ocean Ridge, and the future will almost certainly see a major development at the scenic course in Sunset Beach, here in the northernmost reaches of the Strand.

No plans are definite yet, and there has even been talk Angels Trace will lose one of its 18-hole courses, either the North or South. Angels Trace is set amidst 807 acres of southern pines, so there is certainly room to build houses and not have them crammed onto the fairways.

"We're going to change, we just don't know what it's going to be yet," said Golf Director Charlie Nelson. "But, I know they want it to be upscale."

Upscale usually means higher green fees, and development - forgetting the business side for a moment - will mean the Strand will lose a great, core course.

Oh well. Play it before it goes condo.

Angels Trace is a nicely laid out course - a Clyde Johnston design that opened in 1995. It's a course known for the excellent, year-round condition of its greens: Myrtle Beach Golf Magazine said it had the best greens in the area three years running.

The greens are also large, severely undulating and very difficult to read. It isn't unusual to have a putt slip 15 feet past the hole while you're still in your putting stance, thinking you hit it perfectly.

In fact, that's where the course earns the majority of its 139 slope rating from the back tees, 130 from the whites. The fairways are wide and it isn't until you get close that it starts to whale on you.

"I think it's one of the better courses I've played down here," said Jim Wiggins, who moved to Sunset Beach recently. "I like the layout. Every hole is different. And every time I've played it, it's been in excellent condition. But, the thing I like best is the management. Every time I call over here, as a single, they've got me paired up with somebody, I don't care if I call 30 minutes ahead of time. Not everybody down here does that - they all want foursomes. Any time I have guests, this is one of the courses we play."

The verdict

Get some while it lasts. Angels Trace is a very playable course that can be challenging, especially from the back tees. It's also very scenic, with the pines, oaks, poplars and its sprinkling of dogwoods.

Natural creeks and ponds are all over the course, bordered by yellow wildflowers and oyster shells. Set in the South Brunswick Isles, it's a terrific, natural golf setting.

Watch for No. 5, a 382-yard, risk-reward par 4. It's a dogleg left, but you'd better go for the whole enchilada if you want to cut it because there's unseen water lurking at the bottom of the hill.

The par-5 No. 9 is a killer, too, a short three-shotter that bends left, with a creek fronting the green as well as two large pines on a peninsula. Clear the creek like the man you are and you'll be at the short end of a birdie putt.

Rates vary from $53-$91 with cart, and the club offers local discounts.

Stay and play

Sea Trail has one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom accommodations, as well as mini-suites and luxury suites from $72 to $386 a night.

It's on the southernmost coast of North Carolina, and most of the golf villas are on the fairways of the courses, within walking distance of the Byrd/Jones clubhouse and the Magnolia Restaurant. The villas have full kitchens and the plantation has tennis, swimming and fitness centers. It's a terrific place to play the plantation's three courses, as well as the other courses located here at the northernmost Grand Stand.

River Oaks Golf Plantation, just to the west of the Intracoastal Waterway, is also a good, centrally located place for golfers to stay and play Myrtle Beach. It's easy to go north or south via Highway 17, and it's close to Broadway at the Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

They have one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, many of them overlooking the fairways of the 27-hole golf course on the property. It's also within walking distance of both Fantasy Harbour and the Waccamaw Pottery shopping complex. There are also indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis and walking trails.

Dining out

Myrtle Beach has more than 1,600 restaurants and they aren't all fried fast food. In fact, the area has some nice eateries: Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Frank's Restaurant and Bar on Pawleys Island, Bella Napoli, Islamorada Fish Company, just to name a few. The buffet at Sea Trail Plantation is said to be excellent.

Fast fact

The course has been recognized by major golf publications: Golf Digest gave it fours stars in its places to play listings.

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.