The Ideal
South Strand Capsule:
Making the Turn
with a Full Plate

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

As we mentioned last week in the Myrtle Beach Travel primer, one concept that is emerging among visitors to the Grand Strand is the "compartmentalization" of the golf trip. To recap, pick a geographic area of the beach and do all your playing, eating, and shopping in that area.

If you should find yourself aiming for the South Strand, here is a golfing/eating capsule that should keep you in the short stuff.

Rise and Shine

Some golfers like to roll out of the rack, scarf down a Krispy Kreme donut on the way to the course, and inhale a hotdog at the turn for lunch. With all due respect to this habit, it could lead to an early retirement from the game, and life.

For a hearty breakfast that will hold you over until suppertime, check out Nibbles at the pier in Surfside Beach (11 S. Ocean Blvd. Surfside Beach, SC 29575; 843-238-5080.) Nibbles serves up traditional breakfast fare ranging from eggs and bacon to pancakes and French toast. With its wood paneling and southern hospitality, Nibbles is cozy and inviting - and incluces, of course, the obligatory waitress that calls you "Hun." Nibbles will reopen on February 12.

Off the Tee

The ideal South Strand capsule begins and ends with food, but boasts thirty-six holes of top shelf golf in between. If you're looking to take a break from the more highly publicized courses, such as Pawleys Plantation and True Blue, try on a couple of hidden gems instead.

Not to say that the word is not out, but the Tradition (1027 Willbrook Blvd., Pawleys Plantation, SC 29585; 843-237-5041) is one of the best maintained, most cleverly designed tracks in the South Strand. The Tradition is a Ron Garl design featuring an enticing compilation of well-defined, tree-lined fairways, clever bunkering with sand as soft as Cindy Crawford's lips, and greens that have stood up to the tests of hurricane Floyd and a freak winter snow storm.

Tradition appeals to a wide variety of players, as evidenced by the course's level of repeat play. Women may even find the course more exciting than men, what with the Tradition sporting two sets of ladies tees. Not to mention, the course was rated as one of the top 50 in the nation by "Golf for Women."

Buck the Trend

Instead of taking lunch at the turn, grab a banana and keep grinding. After your round at the Tradition, bolt for the car and a quick lunch at Murrell's Inlet's River City Café. River City is a man's man venue - old wooden floors, license plates on the walls, barrels of peanuts and shells all over the floor, and cold long necks.

And the food is as straightforward as Letterman punch line. Burgers are the specialty of the house, and River City can cook them up anyway you want. To meet your red meat quota for the month, order up a chile burger with onions and wash it down with a cold Budweiser longneck -the quintessential lunchtime beer.

Back on the Links

If you appreciate a golf course that quietly and gracefully builds like a crescendo during the front nine, and then explodes like a Tiger Woods tee shot over the back nine, then the Heritage Club is a must play while taking in the charms of the South Strand (Pawleys Island, SC 29585; 843-236-9318.)

The drive up to the clubhouse, and the edifice itself are enough of a reason to check out this Dan Maples designed track. While the front nine is somewhat "agua free", water comes into play on most of the back nine at the Heritage. Couple this with the fact that the Maples' designed bunkers, in the words of head professional Pete Hymes, "are designed to be hazards, so you better take your medicine and get it out," and you have yourself a serious test of golf on your hands.

The Home Stretch

Even after a hearty breakfast at Nibbles and a tasty burger at River City Café, thirty-six holes of golf calls for an ample supper. Look no further than T-Bones, where ribs reign and Lowcountry atmosphere prevails.

T-Bones, is not to be confused with "T-Bonz", the chain restaurant. The former is snuggled into a little cove of live oaks, just off of Highway 17 in Murrells Inlet. The décor is full-on country, with mounted animal heads, beers signs and other old paraphernalia.

While T-Bones offers up a great selection of steaks and chicken, it's the baby back ribs that keep locals and tourists coming back. Many rib joints claim that their ribs are the best in town, or that they fall off the bone. T-Bones is one of the only venues in the Grand Strand that can back those claims up.

Plan ahead, let your Fingers Do the Walking

Disclaimer: the itinerary detailed above could be habit forming. But as always, make sure you call ahead for tee times and restaurant hours. Until the season gets going full force in Myrtle Beach, many restaurants keep limited hours.