COURSE REVIEW

Who cares who designed Tidewater? It’s a Grand Strand grand slam

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

CHERRY GROVE, S.C. (April 3, 2006) — Tidewater Golf Club is one of the best golf courses on the Grand Strand and in the Southeast, no matter who designed the damn thing.

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You see, there is a bit of an issue behind the true architect of the terrific course in the town with the too-cute name. The architect of record is Ken Tomlinson. You are to be forgiven if you don't think of Tomlinson as being among the great architectural names of our times, up there with Pete Dye, Tom Fazio or Rees Jones. Tomlinson is a tax attorney.

And speaking of Jones, he is the one who did the layout, the routing and the clearing plan. The problem is there were some murky maneuverings going on behind the scenes. Jones told TravelGolf his contract was never signed, and so his name doesn't appear in connection with the course. It's generally acknowledged Tomlinson did design the greens and most of the bunkers.

Most of the regulars who play the course credit Jones with the design.

"You come out and take one look at this course and you know no amateur is going to come in here and design a course like this in a swamp," said Stuart Nickerson, who lives on the course and plays it nearly every day. "It's one of the best. You never get tired of playing it. Nothing compares except the Dunes Club."

Whatever the combination, it works. The Grand Strand is home to more than 100 courses, dozens of them excellent, so good that only a few stand out. Tidewater is one of them. Laid out along the Intracoastal Waterway, a little north of North Myrtle Beach, the layout will dazzle you with scenery and shots.

It's a gorgeous course, with overhanging oaks, marsh everywhere and high bluffs overlooking the sun-sparkled Intracoastal Waterway, complete with cruising sailboats and dotted with local fishermen. Everywhere you look, the conditioning is top-notch, even in the autumn when many other Strand courses are suffering.

It's a little longer than 7,000 yards, but you'll feel like you traveled much further than that when you walk off No. 18. The course dips and rises, twists and bends, and nearly every hole has some feature that makes it stand out. Pick your tees wisely: the slope rating is 144 from the back tees and 139 from the gold.

"If you can carry 250, play from the gold," Nickerson said. "If you can carry 220-230, play from the silver and you'll have fun."

There are numerous holes to highlight: No. 3 was voted "Best par 3 on the Grand Strand," by the Sun News, a short one-shotter with four big bunkers, a sloped, slanting green dropping off to the marsh bordering the waterway. It's a beautiful hole, with wide vistas.

No. 12 has an intimidating peninsula green, with water everywhere, and a bunker all the way across the front and right. The big green slopes sharply toward water.

You can see the ocean from the 13th green, and the 457-yard No. 14 is another pretty layout, a visually deceptive hole that looks longer from the tee than it is. Then there's the 210-yard, par 3 17th - uphill.

And of course, No. 18 may be the toughest on the Strand, a 450-yard dogleg left in which you must reach the dogleg or you're screwed. Even then, your approach must still carry the marsh that cuts across the fairway, to a deep, sloping green. It's long, tricky and unforgiving, with marsh to the right.

The verdict

Tidewater is a must-play if you want to play the best of Myrtle Beach. Most everyone familiar with the Grand Strand scene puts it in the top two or three. It's scenic and very challenging, to the point it can overwhelm you if you try to play beyond your ability. Women may not find the course enjoyable, with all the forced caries.

It's a nationally recognized course. It was rated the best new course in America in 1990 by Golf Digest, and one of the top 10 new courses by Golf Magazine. It has slipped a bit in recent years, and it's hard to understand why.

The only drawback is that it is set amidst golf communities and you have long treks between holes; it is not walker-friendly. Still, most of the houses are hidden by trees, and you rarely see other golfers. There is a nice feeling of isolation.

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.

Getting a yardage book at Tidewater is a must if you're playing for the first time; there are several hidden hazards that wily veterans may not tell you about.

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.

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.