Best golf courses in South Carolina
By: Jillian Scheeler
The Grand Strand
in Myrtle Beach truly is the golfing capital; this
thin, 80-mile strip of land along the Atlantic Ocean from Southport,
North Carolina to Georgetown,
South Carolina is filled with golf courses. From high-end courses to
low-end, there are golf courses to fit any budget or skill. Myrtle Beach
itself has over 100 golf courses - so you'll never run out of courses
to choose from. Whether you're traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
for a family vacation or a simple golf vacation in itself, here are
five great Myrtle Beach golf courses to try out.
Barefoot Resort - Dye Club
Barefoot Resort
has four great golf courses, but according to golf enthusiasts, the
Dye Club is the best and not for the amateur golfer. Bordering the natural
white sands of the Carolina Bays, this golf course was designed by Pete
Dye and is filled with infamous pitfalls and is extremely challenging.
The courses layout is beautiful and treacherous and can be played by
players of all abilities. It is a Par 72, 7,343-yard course with
a clubhouse, elegant lodging, fitness facilities and fine dining. While
the Dye Club is the best of the Barefoot Resorts, all the courses are
worth golfing and are some of the best golf courses in North Carolina.
Caledonia Fish & Golf Club
Since the courses
opening in 1995, it has been ranked as one of the top courses by many
and received a 5th place ranking as the "Best New Public
Course in America" by Golf Digest after its opening. The course
was recently named the "Top 100 America's Greatest Public Golf Courses"
for 2005-2006 by Golf Digest. The Caledonia Fish & Golf Club
is definitely a memorable golf course. Named after the Roman name for
Scotland, the course wraps through an old rice plantation and fishing
and hunting club. The course is scenic and abundant with wildlife. The
fairways are wide open, the greens are large and there are a few water
hazards. This Par 70 Myrtle Beach golf course is the talk of the Carolinas
and with good reason.
Oyster Bay Golf Links
One of the
first links-style Myrtle Beach golf courses, this scenic course is beautiful
and diversified. The fairways have generous landing areas, the greens
are newly renovated and there are marshes and lakes that come into play
on fifteen holes. The course was built on rolling hills, so carts are
mandatory. The course has two island greens, fresh water lakes and has
two signature holes, No. 17, a 165-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot
from an oyster shell-walled tee box to an island green build on a mountain
of shells, and hole #13, a 330-yard, par 4, featuring a lake that skirts
the entire right side of the fairway, requiring an approach shot to
an undulating green resting against an oyster shell wall that rises
out of the lake.
The Thistle
Located on
the northern strip of the Strand, the Thistle isn't the most challenging
Myrtle Beach golf course, but it is the most relaxing. While most Grand
Strand courses have eight-minute intervals between starting times, the
Thistle has 12-minute intervals, for a more relaxing and unrushed golf
excursion. This 27-hole course plays through and around water and marshes
and features an extensive mounding, wide landing areas, five sets of
tees and creative bunkering. It was voted among Golf for Women Magazine's
"Top 100 Fairways in America."
True Blue Plantation Golf Club
On the opposite
end of the Strand on the southern tip, True Blue Plantation Golf Club
was once dubbed "Golf Heaven and Hell." The course was softened
through a series of changes made by the late architect Mike Strantz,
who filled in waste areas, removed mounding from a number of greens
and filled in bunkers. The course is heavily-wooded, plantation-style
and features uncommon natural elevations, naturally rugged terrain with
six water holes, average size greens and hidden cart paths. The True
Blue Plantation Golf Club is one of the best golf courses in North Carolina
and one of the many great Myrtle Beach golf courses.
About the Author:
Jillian Scheeler is a spontaneous road-tripper and avid writer working on assignment for TravelPost.com - The Premier Source for Unbiased Hotel Reviews and Ratings. This article can be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active.