Month: April 2020

Course’s 16th hole defines design’s rare, harmonious blend of beauty, difficulty

One of the first links-style courses in the Myrtle Beach area, Oyster Bay presents an innovative layout in a phenomenal Lowcountry setting, with picturesque marsh-oriented holes, freshwater lakes, rolling terrain and large, devilishly undulating greens. The course’s main challenge, water, comes into play on 15 of 18 holes, including No. 16: a mammoth par 4 that will no doubt force you to bring your A game on your next MyrtleBeachGolf.net vacation.

No. 16 is a long par 4 measuring 470 yards from the back tees and is split into two primary sections: The teeing area and fairway, and the green complex. From the tee box, you’ll hit your shot down a fairway that doglegs slightly and is protected narrowly to the left by a forest of Carolina pines, and to the right by a massive lake that runs the entire length of the hole, jutting in at the end of the fairway and protecting the front of the green. But if you’re playing from the correct set of tees, reaching the end of the fairway where the lake juts in shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Once you’ve found the fairway successfully — and you really must hit the fairway here to have any chance of getting on the green surface in regulation — a mid- to long-iron shot or even fairway metal will be required for a forced carry approach shot over the lake to a heart-shaped green with very little room to bail out. There is a small run-up area of fairway that slivers from the short left up to the green, as well as a large bunker behind the green. But other than that, it’s just water and putting surface, so step up and save your best shot of the day for this moment.

The green itself is also highly creative, with a large spine running through the center of the heart and creating runoff areas to the left and right of it. Best of luck to you and your group if the superintendent has decided to cut the hole on the spine that day!

A great drive, great approach and great putt: You must be great on No. 16 to have a shot of conquering it.

Elegant, timeless, classic golf pristinely set on the Carolina coast

The Sea Trail Golf Club in Sunset Beach, N.C., just a short drive north from the hustle and bustle of central Myrtle Beach, boasts three consistently high-rated courses that remain highly popular tracks on the Grand Strand. Sea Trail’s Dan Maples course presents a distinct golfing experience alongside Sea Trail-Byrd and Sea Trail-Jones. Right now we’ll spotlight the brilliance of the Maples course, but you should try to play all three with MyrtleBeachGolf.net!

Defined by centuries-old maritime live oaks, Sea Trail-Maples is characterized primarily by its seaside setting, with signature frozen hardwoods framing numerous holes, a feature only time can create. With a naturalized setting like the Maples course, it’s no wonder it also serves as an abundant home to the area’s local wildlife, like their iconic osprey nest, located just steps from the clubhouse – one with a convenient bar/restaurant and plentiful patio space to enjoy a cold one at your round’s conclusion.

On the course, Sea Trail-Maples’ unique look, with its trees and sandy waste areas and greenside runoff space, really has no comparison on the Grand Strand. This par-72 design measures just under 6,800 yards from the back tees and will constantly call for creativity to navigate throughout its many dogleg holes. The accuracy-demanding layout features five holes that wind along the scenic Calabash Creek, with elaborate landscaping and undulating greens. Still regarded as one of Maples’ finest, this is a beautiful par-72 course, with A1/A4 blended Bentgrass greens and numerous waste bunkers peppered throughout, including one which extends the full length of the fairway.

One of the course’s signature doglegs, and perhaps its most fun hole to play, the par-4 7th at Sea Trail-Maples is a 370-yard par 4 from the back tees, but it plays much shorter because the fairway runs virtually perpendicular to the tee boxes. With a large lake separating the teeing area and fairway, players must decide how far they can cut the corner over the lake to the left, as hitting it straight out makes for a much longer approach than hitting toward the green.

Sea Trail- Maples truly is an inviting golf experience. Check it out with MyrtleBeachGolf.net!