Myrtle Beach Trip

[Jim Dawson]

Going to Myrtle Beach next month, help

[JC Jones]

Are you searching for someone to rescue you or a recommendation for post-trip counseling?

[Jim Dawson]

Have never been there and am looking for help planning a weekend trip.
Thanks,
JD

[Brent Hutto]

Two words. Pawley's Island.

[Jud_T]

There should be several other threads you can search for...We liked Legend's Heathland and TPC Myrtle.  Apparently the Dunes is worth seeking out as well:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=46353.0;num_replies=3

[Cory Lewis]

Two words. Pawley's Island.

I would agree with this. If you like peace and quiet and less tourist traps, Pawley's is the place.  Courses to name a few would be  Caledonia, True Blue, Heritage, Reserve, and Pawleys Plantation.

[Ron Csigo]

Agreed.  Pawley's Island has the best courses in close proximty to one another.  

Must plays include Caledonia, True Blue and Heritage.  Pawley's Plantation has good holes as well.  Be sure to make time and sit on the porch at Caledonia after your round.  Great place to sit and have a few pints while watching golfers tackle #18.

[Ronald Montesano]

Also on the island, one that I like that garners little mention here, is Wachesaw East (don't confuse with Wachesaw.)  This is the one that the LPGA used to play.  Honest driving and approaching, lined with houses at certain points, but overall an enjoyable round with much strategy involved.

[Richard Hetzel]

Two words. Pawley's Island.

I would agree with this. If you like peace and quiet and less tourist traps, Pawley's is the place.  Courses to name a few would be  Caledonia, True Blue, Heritage, Reserve, and Pawleys Plantation.

Caledonia for sure. Pawley's Plantation was in incredibly terrible condition back in April FWIW. Heathlands is fun and I actualyly liked Moorland as well.

[Bill_McBride]

Avoid the fried seafood!

[Eric Smith]

Echoing Mr. Tigerman, play Heathland @ the Legends.

[rboyce]

The Dunes, True Blue, Legends Heathland, Tidewater, Drinks.

[Tim Leahy]

I really liked Nicklaus Long Bay and Legends Heathland.

[Stewart Abramson]

What people refer to as Myrtle Beach  stretches about 70 miles, so it pays to focus on part of the specific area where you will be staying in order to avoid a lot of driving.

At the South end, as others have said, Caledonia and True Blue are very good. I'm not a fan of Pawleys Plantation. The two nines are very different and inconsistent. Willbrook Plantation is a decent Dan Maples course but has some tight fairways if that is an issue. Founders Club at Pawleys is not bad, although if you play True Blue before you play Founders, you will be disappointed in Founders.


In the  center of the starnd in addition to Doak's Heathland at Legends there is also a PB Dye course called Moorland at Legends. That makes a pretty good 36 hole day. Pete and PB also did a course called Prestwick which has some good holes. Robert Trent Jones' Dunes Club is a good choice in central Myrtle.

In North Myrtle Beach  there are four courses at Barefoot resort. the Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Davis Love courses are the ones to play if you are in that area. There are also two courses at Grande Dunes, a public course by Roger Rulwich and a private club that you may be able to get on which is pretty good. I don't know who the GCA was.

If you will be staying even further north in  Brunswick County NC, I would play Tigers Eye and Leopards Chase both of which are Tim Cate designs

Out of 100 courses in the area, these would be the dozen that I'd focus on.

[Tim Gavrich]

Jim--

My family vacations at Pawleys Plantation and I am fortunate (though some people of particularly high taste on this site would disagree) to have been able to spend a lot of time there and to have played many of the golf courses down there.

If you are going down there for a weekend, I would pick a small area and spend your time in that area, because driving up and down Rt. 17 Business and Bypass and the other roads down there can be a time drain.  If you want to make a point of playing Caledonia and True Blue, then playing Pawleys Plantation (which is, happily, in FAR better shape than it was earlier in the year, due in part to its sale to the Myrtle Beach National Group) and Heritage would round out the trip well, IMO.  Founders Club is okay, but I'd place it behind the four I already mentioned.

If you want to stay in the middle part of the Grand Strand, you have courses like Indian Wells (older-school; good warm-up course to play on the trip), Prestwick (interesting enough Pete/PB Dye collaborative effort), the three at Legends (one designed by our very own Tom Doak and the other two are pretty interesting), Wild Wing (designed by our very own Jeff Brauer), the Witch (amusing Dan Maples course) and World Tour (if you like 'replica' courses).

If you want to go a bit north, the four courses at Barefoot Resort are pretty well-respected, as are Tidewater and the Dunes Club.  Grande Dunes gets a good bit of love, but I am not a fan.

If you're looking for anything more specific (restaurant recommendations, other-than-golf amusement), drop me an IM.

Have fun on your trip.  Myrtle Beach is an interesting place with a bunch of very good golf courses.

--Tim

[Tommy Williamsen]

I just got back from Pawley's Island.  It has better golf and is quieter.  I stayed in a three bedroom condo at Lichfield beach and Golf for $125 a night. 

[Brent Hutto]

Another advantage to staying south-ish is that it's easy to go to Murrell's Inlet for some seafood. I recommend Lee's Inlet Kitchen but there are several other fine establishments on the main drag there.

[Michael Whitaker]

Jim,

Contact Caledonia Golf Vacations: http://www.fishclub.com/caledonia-golf-vacations/

It is run by  the pros at Caledonia and True Blue. Talk to them, tell them what you are lookin for, and they will hook you up with a great trip at a good value.

As has been mentioned, the Grand Strand is over 100 miles from one end to the other. Many pleasant hours on the beach or a fine pub have been squandered sitting in traffic while driving to or from golf courses. Stick to one main area. My favorite is the South Strand which contains Pawleys Island. You can't go wrong here.

[Jason Connor]

Two words. Pawley's Island.

Agree. I could take a vacation and never leave the island.  I would skip Pawley's Plantation Golf Course.

But wouldn't miss The Heritage, Caledonia, True Blue, or Willowbrook Plantation.  The Heathland is then a bit north.

[jonathan_becker]

In my opinion, you can't not play The Dunes or Caledonia.

[A.G._Crockett]

Jim,

Contact Caledonia Golf Vacations: http://www.fishclub.com/caledonia-golf-vacations/

It is run by  the pros at Caledonia and True Blue. Talk to them, tell them what you are lookin for, and they will hook you up with a great trip at a good value.

As has been mentioned, the Grand Strand is over 100 miles from one end to the other. Many pleasant hours on the beach or a fine pub have been squandered sitting in traffic while driving to or from golf courses. Stick to one main area. My favorite is the South Strand which contains Pawleys Island. You can't go wrong here.

Michael is the guy to pay attention to on this thread; I'd suggest that you IM him if you are in need of more specific info.  And I'll add that playing Caledonia and True Blue in one day is one of the great 36 hole days that you'll find anywhere.  I like to play TB in the morning, then Caledonia in the afternoon so that I come in on 18 as the sun is setting; it is truly beautiful.  But if you are going in Nov., that sort of day may or may not be possible because of daylight.

If you do go to the Legends, play Parkland and Heathland.  Moorland is, IMO, a pretty funky mess that you might want to see once just so you've seen it.  The other two are excellent.  If you happen to end up on the north end of the strand (Calabash, Little River, etc.) IM me and I'll give you suggestions.  The courses up there are very solid, though not as well known as the south end.  They might also be a bit more affordable if you are looking for deals off the rack rate.

[Jason Connor]

It's further north than Pawley's, but I also love the Surf.
It went private, but you if you have your pro call, you can usually get on.

It's a straight forward course that I just love.

[Niall C]

Jim,

Contact Caledonia Golf Vacations: http://www.fishclub.com/caledonia-golf-vacations/

It is run by  the pros at Caledonia and True Blue. Talk to them, tell them what you are lookin for, and they will hook you up with a great trip at a good value.

As has been mentioned, the Grand Strand is over 100 miles from one end to the other. Many pleasant hours on the beach or a fine pub have been squandered sitting in traffic while driving to or from golf courses. Stick to one main area. My favorite is the South Strand which contains Pawleys Island. You can't go wrong here.

Mike

Sound advice indeed. But can someone please tell me why when visitors come to Scotland the travel to all parts of the country to play different courses when they could do as you suggest ? I suppose it comes down to your tolerance on how far you will travel for a game, assuming one game in a day. 70 to 100 miles doesn't seem totally excessive particularly if you take the 100 miles each way as an extreme. If a course fires your imagination your going to play it.

BTW, only been once to Myrtle Beach, played True Blue, Caledonia and Heritage amongst others and would definitely recommend them.

Niall

[cary lichtenstein]

Stay away from girly places, rampant with bad stuff

[Jud_T]

Stay away from girly places, rampant with bad stuff

Well theres always the Chippendale room if your tastes run that way.....