FEATURE STORY

Myrtle Beach's most underrated golf courses are worth a look

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Nov. 14, 2005) - The Grand Strand as a whole gets more publicity than your average presidential candidate. But only a handful of Strand courses are really up there in the marketing stratosphere.

We've told you our opinion of some of the Strand's most over-rated courses. Here are some of the under-rated tracks worth a hard look.

• Myrtlewood Golf Club, Pine Hills: This course doesn't get as much notice as its sister course, Palmetto, but actually may be the better course, minus the views of the Intracoastal Waterway.

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"I really do think this is an under-appreciated course," golfer Wendell Hardee told TravelGolf.com. "It's more challenging than the Palmetto. It's target golf. You don't have a huge window. You've just got to get your ball into those small targets.".

Arthur Hill's redesign dramatically changed the nature of the course. It was nominated for Golf Digest's 1994 "Best new resort course" and measures 6,640 yards from the back tees. The fairways are narrow, squeezed in by condos, which detracts from the ambience but adds challenge.

• Oyster Bay Golf Links: Oyster Bay was voted the 1983 Golf Digest "resort course of the year" and ranked by the same publication among the top 50 public courses in the country in 1990. But, as new courses opened to great acclaim, Oyster Bay fell out of favor with the major golf publications and their rankings. Still, those who continue to play it swear by it.

"The real story is that Oyster Bay is still one of the must-plays of Myrtle Beach," a TravelGolf.com review said. "The haunting layout on the shores of Twin Lakes has a collection of holes that are as well-conceived and scenery-soaked as any in the Grand Strand.".

• Pawley's Plantation: Pawleys was one of the first plantation-style clubs on the Grand Strand 16 years ago, and has aged like fine wine. It doesn't get as much publicity as some of the newer, gaudier courses in Myrtle Beach, but it remains a favorite of Myrtle Beach insiders.

"Pawleys is very under-appreciated," golf packager Robet Klirtz said. "It has every element you want out of a golf course. You get more bang for your buck and it has the strongest par 5s in the South Strand.".

• Possum Trot Golf Club: First thing you should know: Possum Trot allows coolers. That gives you the first clue that this isn't one of those new Strand courses offering an "upscale" experience. Possum Trot opened in 1968 with a mission to serve the common man and it's stayed that way all these years.

It's a public course and a traditional coastal Carolina layout, and they space the tee times so you can enjoy the beer you brought. It's a very playable course, with a slope rating of 127, and the greens are TidDwarf Bermuda. A great bargain for the price.

• Lockwood Folly: Lockwood Folly is included because it is one of the Strand's most secluded courses. It's located about 30 minutes north of the North Carolina-South Carolina border, in North Holden Beach, N.C., at the confluence of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Lockwood Folly River.

The semi-private, member-owned course was a finalist for Myrtle Beach Golf Magazine's "most picturesque course" and "friendliest golf staff" in 2002. At 6,838 yards, the course has three par 5s longer than 500 yards, six par 4s that are more than 400 yards, and all the par 3s are 200 yards or longer. The course has views of a tidal estuary, and its non-parallel fairways wind through moss-covered hardwoods and pine.

• Diamond Back Golf Club: Diamond Back is sometimes included as being one of those soggy courses that sit beside low-lying Highway 9, but the course's drainage system prevents that from being as much of a problem as it is for other courses.

The course has been described as "daunting" and a "sleeper" and with its 6,928 yards from the tips and its slope rating of 139, it can be a lot to bite off. With elevation changes up to 65 feet, it offers challenges many other Low Country courses don't have.

• Crow Creek Golf Plantation: Crow Creek is a family-run operation that has bucked the trend of the corporate, herd-them-through mentality, thus becoming a favorite with locals and visitors alike.

"We aren't following the old Myrtle Beach mentality of cramming them in there and seeing how many rounds we can do," General Manager Patrick Crean told TravelGolf.com in a review. "So far, this approach seems to be working out really well. People would rather pay a little more and get more out of it.".

The front picks its way through old tobacco fields and vegetable gardens, and its flatness makes it susceptible to the coastal breezes that kick up in early afternoons. Overall, the course is a well-groomed, playable layout with large, bentgrass greens and a pleasing, traditional layout.

• Brick Landing Plantation: Brick Landing, at the northern tip of the Grand Strand in North Carolina, recently underwent a major renovation intended to make the course more player-friendly.

It's known as one of the more scenic courses in the area. The first and closing hole play along the Intracoastal Waterway and the tee box on No. 17 is set on a bluff overlooking the water. The course was designed by H. M. Brazea, and features some ocean views. The first two holes and the last two play along the waterway. Four holes on the back side are adjacent to Sauce Pan Creek, a saltwater marsh filled with wildlife.

• Blackmoor Golf Club: Opened in 1990, the course received bad reviews for its slow, flat greens, but the club responded with a greens restoration project in 2003, converting to TifEagle UltraDwarf. The switch made the greens faster and more durable, and officials also added movement to 12 of the 18 greens.

Gary Player designed Blackmoor, located on the Longwood Plantation along the Waccamaw River. The course features lakes, moss-draped oaks, pines and cypress, and is known as a shot-makers course. It's 6,614 yards from the tips and you must wield an accurate driver because of the eight doglegs and tree-lined fairways, where trouble awaits inaccuracy, slobbering like a big dog.

• Wild Wing Plantation, Hummingbird course: Avocet is the big name here, with Hummingbird being the least popular and, not coincidentally, the cheapest of the plantation's four courses. But, it's low visibility has more to do with the fact it is so difficult, so low-handicappers may actually get a better deal here.

The course is an "imposing collection of 18 holes that appear to have arisen from a myriad of protected wetlands," TravelGolf.com wrote in a review. "The course requires surgical precision on tee and approach shots and generally speaking, more hard thinking than a Mensa meeting."

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.