They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and the same rule applies to golf courses. Some of the best layouts have dreadful names, and vice versa, so it's best to do your homework on a course beyond reading the marquis.
That's especially true when you're booking your Myrtle Beach golf package. With more than 100 courses on the Grand Strand to choose from, most of the names may be unfamiliar to you and your foursome.
With that said, Myrtle Beach has some interesting names for golf courses, as well as some unique nicknames. Here are a few of the more unusual ones, and the stories behind the names:
* Barefoot Golf Resort: Sorry, nature-lovers, but proper footwear is required on these four championship layouts in North Myrtle Beach. The names sound even funnier when you add the course designers' name to the end, such as Barefoot Love (foot fetish, anyone?) or Barefoot Dye (colorful feet for the fashionable golfer).
* Black Bear Golf Club: Nicknamed “The Beast,” this course in rural North Myrtle Beach lives up to its name with an abundance of wildlife, including the namesake black bears. Unfortunately, birdies and eagles are a little harder to find.
* Caledonia Golf & Fish Club: One of the top layouts on the Grand Strand and the Southeast has a rather fishy title. Built on a former rice and indigo plantation in Pawleys Island, it's not uncommon to see someone using a pole instead of clubs on this course's tidal creeks.
* Farmstead Golf Links: Sometime names are accurate descriptions of the course, like this farmland-turned-golf club on the Carolina border. In fact, the monstrous 767-yard 18th hole tees off in South Carolina and holes out in North Carolina.
* Hackler Course at CCU: Formerly known as Quail Creek, the name change sounds a lot like the word “hacker,” which is used to describe the worst kind of golfer. Never fear; the Conway course is named for General James Hackler, a local golf pioneer, and it serves as the home for Coastal Carolina University's golf management program.
* Man O' War: You may remember this name from one of the all-time great American race horses, but you don't have to be a thoroughbred to enjoy this layout. Built on a scenic preserve filled with wetlands, it might help to be a mudder.
* Possum Trot Golf Course: What could be more appealing than the sight of a running o'possum? How about a round of golf at this North Myrtle Beach favorite? You won't have to play possum to shoot a solid score here.
* True Blue Plantation: The French translation “pure laine” is a politically charged term for French Canadians. But the golf course True Blue couldn't be more laid-back. Built on a former rice plantation in Pawleys Island, the atmosphere is more mellow yellow.
* Wicked Stick Golf Links: Designed by the long-driving John Daly, the name tells you what you need on the tee box to play well on this Myrtle Beach layout. If your driver is a wicked stick, try hitting from the Daly tees.
* The Witch: Like the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz,” there are good witches and bad witches. This Conway layout falls in the former category, although some of the harder holes have been known to cast a spell on golfers' games.
* The Wizard: Like its sister course, The Witch, there's nothing supernatural about this Conway layout, although a bad round may have you repeating “There's no place like home.”