FEATURE STORY

Our Myrtle Beach dream golf course - the back nine

By William K. Wolfrum,
Staff Writer

With more than 100 golf courses sporting the biggest names in golf architecture, Myrtle Beach is well-known as a prime golf-vacation destination. If you need a little more convincing, we've taken our favorite Grand Strand golf holes and combined into what would be our dream Myrtle Beach play.

Our front nine took in spectacular tracks like the Long Bay Club and King's North at Myrtle Beach National. Now, we head home - our back nine closes the show in style. Each hole on our "course" corresponds to its placement on the actual course.

A dream Myrtle Beach back nine

A dream Myrtle Beach front nine Myrtle Beach course reviews MB courses score in Golf Digest rankings The Grand Strand's hidden gems Grand Strand golf complements great surf 'n' sand

No. 10 - Prestwick Country Club: Prestwick's 383-yard par-4 10th offers a delectable start to a delicious back nine - the same purpose it serves in real life, according to TravelGolf.com national golf editor Tim McDonald, who in his course review called Prestwick's second half "the front nine jacked up on steroids."

No. 11 - Caledonia Golf & Fish Club: You get what you pay for at this upscale Grand Strand club, and this 167-yard par-3 gives you the scenery and style that make Caledonia a Myrtle Beach favorite.

No. 12 - King's North at Myrtle Beach National: You'll be shooting downhill to an island green on this nerve-wracking 140-yard par 3. Bunkers and a tricky green make this not only one of the Grand Strand's prettier par 3s but one of the most challenging.

No. 13 - Tidewater Golf Club & Plantation: Tidewater's memorable holes are almost too numerous to pick just one. "It's a gorgeous course, with overhanging oaks, marsh everywhere and high bluffs overlooking the sun-sparkled Intracoastal Waterway, complete with cruising sailboats and dotted with local fishermen," McDonald wrote.

We'll go with the 539-yard, par-5 13th so you can savor the ocean views.

No. 14 - Palmetto at Myrtlewood Golf Club: There's plenty to choose from among Myrtlewood's 36 holes. but you'll want to save your best swings for this 366 par-4 that will have you dodging water.

No. 15 - Willbrook Plantation Golf Club: Listed in the book The 100 Greatest Holes Along the Grand Strand, Willbrook's 15th cements the course's sterling rep. While many praise the club's women-friendliness, this 538-yard par-5 will require some heavy hitting.

No. 16 - Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links: Plenty of golfers will tell you Glen Dornoch is about as good as it gets in Myrtle Beach. This 431-yard par-4 begins what many consider the most treacherous closing trio on the Grand Strand.

"The 16th is classic strategy hole, with a hill on the right and the fairway narrowing to a trickle on the left. Hit to the crest of a hill to have the best angle down into the green, over marsh. And put away your driver or suffer the consequences," McDonald warned.

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No. 17 - TPC of Myrtle Beach: Tom Fazio shows a little more sympathy for the duffers than usual on this Grand Strand standout, but it still packs considerable punch, as the 145-slope rating attests.

This par-3 17th is a scenic 193-yard delight that will have you shooting to a near-island green. Victory or a two-shot penalty could be yours.

No. 18 - Heritage Golf Club: You might as well finish strong, and this Pawleys Island delight brings it home right. The grand oaks frame your way through this 530-yard par-5 that shows off everything that's grand about Grand Strand golf, from clubhouse to green.

Back nine stats

Par: 36
Yardage: 3,231

Total stats for a dream 18 in Myrtle Beach

Par: 72
Yardage:6,576

June 11, 2007

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.