Winter may be here, but that means one thing: spring is just around the corner. And there is no better place for a springtime golf trip than Myrtle Beach, and no better place to book it than at MyrtleBeachGolf.com. Here are five great courses and facilities you should target for an unforgettable golf getaway.
Ocean Ridge Plantation – Leopard’s Chase Golf Links
The Grand Strand’s southern end – Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet – supplies plenty in the way of quiet and refinement. But don’t count out the very northern reaches, because that’s where you’ll find Ocean Ridge Plantation and its four “Big Cat” golf courses. That includes Leopard’s Chase, the facility’s newest 18, which was designed by Tim Cate. Having opened in 2007, it is one of the newest courses on the entire Grand Strand, and it truly sparkles, thanks to white-sand bunkering, spectacular conditions and an unforgettable waterfall commanding golfers’ attention on the 18th hole. The Tiger’s Eye, Panther’s Run and Lion’s Paw layouts on site mean that you can have a terrific golf getaway without going anywhere else to tee it up!
Sea Trail – Rees Jones Course
For visiting golfers who love the feel and pace of life on the North Carolina side of the Grand Strand, Sea Trail is an ideal centerpiece of a golf getaway. And with three courses, it makes for an attractive all-in-one stay-and-play option. Its Rees Jones Course, authored by the “Open Doctor” in 1990, has hosted a U.S. Open qualifier, so it offers plenty of challenge for low-handicap players while not being overly penal to the more casual player. The same goes for its well-balanced sibling layouts, the Dan Maples Course and the Willard Byrd Course.
Barefoot Resort – Love Course
Those seeking a top-end golf and lodging experience while experiencing all Myrtle Beach has to offer need look no further than Barefoot Resort, with a wonderful variety of accommodations complimenting its four championship golf courses, by Pete Dye, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio and Davis Love III. Good-natured arguments over which of these courses is the best abound, and the Love course makes a strong case, on the strength of features like the ruins that serve as the backdrop of the par-4 fourth and sixth holes. When you visit, be sure to play all four courses, so as to join the debate over how best to rank them.
Myrtle Beach National Golf Club – King’s North
For decades, Myrtle Beach National has been home to the heartbeat of the Grand Strand golf scene. And within the 54-hole complex, the Arnold Palmer-designed King’s North is a fun, exciting layout with great challenges and surprises around every turn, as well as a complete lack of housing throughout the layout. In the tradition of all great courses, King’s North saves the best for last: a long par four with 33(!) bunkers surrounding the fairway and green. Be sure to check out the SouthCreek and West Course at Myrtle Beach National as well.
Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort – Tradition Golf Club
What’s more fun than a golf course with one island green? A course with two island greens, and Tradition has ‘em. Designed by Ron Garl, Tradition’s best-guarded targets come at the par-4 seventh and par-3 15th holes. The other 16 aren’t bad, either, mixing water hazards, fascinating mounding and impeccable conditioning. And its companion courses – Willbrook Plantation, River Club and Litchfield Country Club – provide three more great layouts around which to base your next trip.