David,
Michael Whitaker is the guy to talk to about this particular question.  He knows that end of the strand pretty well, I think.  I know the golf courses reasonably well, but always stay way up on the north end.

I haven't been to Myrtle Beach since 1990.  If you could stay at either Pawley's or Litchfield for the same price, which would you?  Is either significantly nicer or is it a toss-up.

Thanks,

Dave

That depends on what Litchfield course you are talking about.  The Reserve at Litchfield is the private course (Greg Norman) there, it is the class of the South end of the Grand Strand.  If you have access and are talking about that one I say it wins over Pawleys.

If you are talking one of the other Litchfield courses, then I say Pawleys is the better track.  I think there are 3 courses at Litchfield and  some of them I was not impressed with at all, sorry I cannot recall any more specifics on which Litchfield courses names etc.

Dave - I'll steer you in the right direction. Send me an email and let me know what you are considering: md.whitaker@charter.net

There are lots of options for you in the Litchfield/Pawley's Island area.

Mike

David, do yourself a favor -- don't eat all day and then go to Lee's Inlet Kitchen on Hwy 17 for dinner. I am hungry just thinking about it!!!!!!

I second that emotion, I've been eating there once a year or so for most of my life. Lee's was the best seafood restaurant I knew of back when it was all fried. Now they also offer just about anything you want grilled instead and it is so very, very good. They also have excellent Kona blend coffee which complements a piece of Key Lime pie perfectly. Rob, now I'm starving too!

Mike - Inlet Crab House has the BEST seafood in Murrells Inlet! Everything is fresh, never frozen... and your meal isn't cooked until you order it. It is a "locals" place not usually frequented by tourists... so, what in the world made you go in there? Most visitors are put off by the "unassuming" appearance.

I'll be there Friday night! Yum!!!

"Carolina girls -- the best in the world."

Seeing as my family owns a place at Pawleys Plantation and has membership, I have to say I'm a little biased.  That said, I believe they are renovating/re-edging some/most/all of the bunkers on the course through February.  I'm going down for 3 days, the first weekend in February.  I like The Reserve, but I found that the style of the holes did not vary too too much.  It WILL be in very nice condition, I'd expect, though.  Pawleys has more different types of holes that it's a nice adventure.  You also can't miss with Caledonia, True Blue, and Heritage.  The difference in distance between Pawleys and Litchfield is a little more than 5 minutes, so that's not too big a deal.

Now for the food recommendations:
- Louis's: Probably the best upscale restaurant on the entire Strand.  The head chef if very famous, having previously won awards for his cooking in a Charleston eatery.
- Frank's: Another excellent restaurant, also pricy, but also very good.
- Austin's: same as previous two
- Orobosa's Lowcountry Café: A fairly new place; it doesn't look like much, but the food is terrific.
- Carolina Wings: Some of the best buffalo wings I've ever tasted, and there are a couple dozen diffeens flavors
- Pastaria 811: the best Italian restaurant with which I am familiar in that area.  Incomparable chicken parmagiana.
- Sam's Corner: phenomenal hot dogs
These are all within 5-8 minutes of Litchfield/Pawleys.  The South Strand is very much quieter and more low-key than the honky-tonky main city.  You can't go wrong, really.

Y'all have a good time, and IM me with any specific questions!

Seeing as my family owns a place at Pawleys Plantation and has membership, I have to say I'm a little biased.  That said, I believe they are renovating/re-edging some/most/all of the bunkers on the course through February.  I'm going down for 3 days, the first weekend in February.  I like The Reserve, but I found that the style of the holes did not vary too too much.  It WILL be in very nice condition, I'd expect, though.  Pawleys has more different types of holes that it's a nice adventure.  You also can't miss with Caledonia, True Blue, and Heritage.  The difference in distance between Pawleys and Litchfield is a little more than 5 minutes, so that's not too big a deal.

Now for the food recommendations:
- Louis's: Probably the best upscale restaurant on the entire Strand.  The head chef if very famous, having previously won awards for his cooking in a Charleston eatery.
- Frank's: Another excellent restaurant, also pricy, but also very good.
- Austin's: same as previous two
- Orobosa's Lowcountry Café: A fairly new place; it doesn't look like much, but the food is terrific.
- Carolina Wings: Some of the best buffalo wings I've ever tasted, and there are a couple dozen diffeens flavors
- Pastaria 811: the best Italian restaurant with which I am familiar in that area.  Incomparable chicken parmagiana.
- Sam's Corner: phenomenal hot dogs
These are all within 5-8 minutes of Litchfield/Pawleys.  The South Strand is very much quieter and more low-key than the honky-tonky main city.  You can't go wrong, really.

Y'all have a good time, and IM me with any specific questions!

Is the Mayor's House still open?
My friends and I loved that place.

-Ted

By the way... if you have not tried the food at Caledonia be sure and schedule a lunch in their grill. It is outstanding... so much so that 80% of their food busniness comes from non-golfers! My wife and her Mom always plan to have lunch at Caledonia at least once every trip. They only serve lunch and close at 3:00pm so plan accordingly.

The Mayor's House is still open and going strong. They now have the Mayor's Pub next door with more casual fare.

By the way... if you have not tried the food at Caledonia be sure and schedule a lunch in their grill. It is outstanding... so much so that 80% of their food busniness comes from non-golfers! My wife and her Mom always plan to have lunch at Caledonia at least once every trip. They only serve lunch and close at 3:00pm so plan accordingly.

The Mayor's House is still open and going strong. They now have the Mayor's Pub next door with more casual fare.

Great point regarding the food at Caledonia.
They make a chicken and steak club sandwich that is out of this world!! Lunch on that back deck watching people play up 18 is about as good as it gets for me . . .

-Ted

David,

I think I get 1/2 credit for that one.  Glad you enjoyed!  

Michael,

I played a lot (Willbrook, Pawleys, TPC, True Blue, Caldonia).  Murrels Inlet Seafood is my kind of place.  The second that I saw they had Christmas lights on the trees and the building, I knew it was where I wanted to be.  

I started with Crab Pizza.  It was an outright 10 - The dish was clearly Doakesque, as some might say over-the-top but it worked for me.  The mixture of Crab, sauteed onions, sauteed peppers and creole spices was a taste explosion.  I followed that up with the fish soup (I liked it a lot, 7 maybe 7 1/2, but like a Fazio, I can see others saying they have had it before).  Next course was the Sauteed Garlic Shrimp.  This was clearly a Dye dish.  It was spicy to the point that made your lips burn and kicked your butt while enjoying every bite.  I would have to give it an 8.  From there, I went to the Blue Crab claws.  They were Coore/Crenshaw to the bone.  The plate was overwhelming in the quantity of food provided.  They melted in my mouth.  WOW!  At first I tried them with the cocktail sauce but later realized that dipping them in my spicy bloody mary was the perfect compliment.  They are a strong nine.  Stettner and Reich would need to rate their meals for themselves but I would be surprised if there ratings differed from mine.  

Thanks again for your advice and I apologize for not giving Cirba proper credit as well.