Author: Jim Maggio

Join us for an aerial tour of the penultimate hole at The Norman Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf, along with our suggestions of how best to play it!

The Norman Course at Barefoot Resort

Hole No. 17, Par 4

• Platinum – 409 Yards
• Black – 361 Yards
• White/Green – 316 Yards
• Gold – 282 Yards

Like its back nine counterparts at No. 10 and No. 14, this hole plays scenically along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Favor the left half of the fairway to leave the best approach angle, and to keep shots on this gently sloped fairway from feeding into the waste area on the right.

The front right greenside bunker was recently grassed over, but you still don’t want to miss there.

Get home in two, and you’ve got a great shot at birdie. Just be mindful of the slopes: gentle front to back, and toward the water.

Join us as we take you on a guided aerial tour of the par-4 18^th hole at The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University. See how it’s changed since transitioning from its former identity as Quail Creek, and how we suggest you play it.

 

The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University

No. 18 – Par 4

• Black – 362 Yards
• White – 340 Yards
• Bronze – 325 Yards
• Teal – 316 Yards

This is the fourth most difficult hole on the course.

As part of the changeover from Quail Creek to the Hackler Course, the 18th green was moved to border this lake.

A once-simple finishing hole is now a knee-knocker. Your tee shot must lay up right & short of the water for a clear approach shot to the green.

Of the same-site collections of championship courses in the Myrtle Beach area, there’s perhaps none more renowned than Barefoot Resort & Golf. And the Love Course is a notable entry among Barefoot’s four signature layouts that allows the resort to continue distinguishing itself as the most honored multi-course facility in the area.

With such a decorated career on the PGA TOUR, Davis Love III reflects a lifetime rich with learning experiences into his signature Barefoot design. Reflective of the prodigious length off the tee Love III showcased in the peak of his career, the Love Course stretches to more than 7,000 yards from the tips. Thankfully, multiple sets of tees bring playability for golfers of all abilities.

Always accentuating the natural landscape and history of each property he develops, Love III brilliantly worked an old, brick plantation-style home into his design that’s visible on holes 3 through 7. These “faux ruins” beautifully frame the shortest par four on the Grand Strand golf scene, and the visuals are as compelling as a golfer’s options off the tee. By the sixth green, these visuals become a unique feature that can alter your decision-making when pitching to the pin.

The 13^th is a compelling par five that bends right from tee to green with a split fairway, with a putting surface guarded by greenside bunkers to the right as well as a wandering creek. The most intimate part of the Love Course is experienced on holes 14 through 16. The best tee shot from the back tee of 14 leaves you well-positioned to reach an elevated green with multiple tiers. The par-three 15th offers a stern test, with a green that rests on a perch with swells and natural sandy areas standing ready to claim errant tee shots. And the par-four 16^th brings yet another split fairway, this one with a centered fairway bunker and water down the right running up to a sprawling green that’s conducive to long irons and fairway metal approach shots.

The finishing hole at Barefoot-Live is the course’s longest, a par five that stretches to just shy of 600 yards from the tips. Cat tails, bunkers and a lake surround the 18^th green, where a well-played match will likely be settled by your final putts.

The Love Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf continues to exceed expectations for members and guests every day. Let MyrtleBeachGolf.net help you see what makes Barefoot Resort & Golf such a popular stay-and-play option in the Myrtle Beach golf scene!

Centrally located along the Grand Strand’s Intracoastal Waterway, the Resort Course at Grande Dunes is a remarkable property featuring the very best Myrtle Beach has to offer.

Award-winning since opening in 2001 and co-host of the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship, Grande Dunes was named the 2009 Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association of America and continues to be rated among South Carolina’s and America’s top resort courses by renowned national golf publications.

This par-72 design offers several sets of tees and can stretch as far as 7,600 yards, giving golfers from the longest hitters to those of wide-ranging abilities ample options that best suit their game. Designed by Roger Rulewich, Grande Dunes boasts generous fairways for a welcoming tee-to-green experience that also includes large, undulating greens that present a compelling challenge to any player’s short game and putting skills.

Four holes, including the signature par-three 14th, run alongside the picturesque Intracoastal Waterway across from the Grande Dunes resort and marina, with a total of 16 holes having water in play.

A popular inclusion on many a visiting golfer’s vacation itinerary, the Resort Course at Grande Dunes is also considered by locals as one of the Grand Strand’s best venues year-round. And as one of 21 award-winning options among the Founders Collection of courses that also includes such renowned tracks as TPC Myrtle Beach, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National and Pawleys Plantation, the Resort Course at Grande Dunes is the perfect option to consider for your next multi-round golf getaway!

Year-round green conditions and a slew of recent upgrades are what you’ll find in abundance for your next round at Eagle Nest Golf Club.

This Gene Hamm design had already made a big splash a few years back by adding two new sets of tees, the farthest of which now make Eagle Nest the longest golf course in South Carolina at 8,000 yards when played from the new “Perch” tees. That’s not to say, though, that you don’t have plenty of distance options, which Eagle Nest offers with sets of tees that scale down as low as 3,800 – giving golfers of all skill levels a chance to enjoy an eminently player-friendly track.

As for the recent upgrades, they include the installation of new cart paths for a much smoother ride around this scenic property, and bunker renovations throughout the design that integrate dramatic new grass elements to their greenside facings.

Hamm eases you into your playing experience at Eagle Nest, and progressively ramps up the challenge throughout your journey. By the time you hit No. 16, you’re ready to take on what many consider to be the Grand Strand’s toughest three-hole stretch. Eagle Nest’s most difficult hole at the par-4 16^th makes you navigate a large swamp on your approach; No. 17 is a monster par 5 that stretches more than 600 yards from the tips; and the 18^th hole is a memorable par 3 with a forced carry over water to a green surrounded by bunkers on all sides.

Located conveniently near Highway 17 in Little River, Eagle Nest is an ideal option for including in a North Strand-themed golf getaway. It’s available in a range of package options, including one of our PGA specials that include a $100 gift card for each player in your group. Check it out!

While Bay Hill is famously known as Arnold Palmer’s stomping grounds in Orlando, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National is undeniably Arnie’s place in South Carolina.

As one of three championship courses at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club, King’s North remains a “must play” for visitors and locals alike, year after year. It originally opened in 1973 in the midst of Mr. Palmer’s hall of fame career, and by the mid-90s King’s North had undergone a full restoration, propelling it to national acclaim among America’s “Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” in 2004 by Golf Digest.

The design is simply unforgettable, featuring a combination of parkland-feel holes seamlessly integrated with picture-perfect par 3s, dogleg par 4s and risk-reward par 5s – the most notable being King’s North’s famous par-five No. 6, aptly named “The Gambler.” Here is where players must choose to either play safely out to the right or hit to the island fairway for a chance to reach this par five in two, albeit with considerable risk as a watery demise awaits an errant approach.

Water, bunkering, mature trees and a plethora of Mother Nature’s finest offerings defines this 18-hole experience that extends to more than 7,000 yards from the tips. The par-three 12^th remains one of the most notable par 3s in the Palmetto State, as its signature “SC” bunkers form an indelible memory of playing it.

King’s North’s finishing 18^th hole features 40 bunkers from tee to green, offering stunning visuals and unparalleled challenge to close out your round.

King’s North at Myrtle Beach National is an iconic tribute to Arnold Palmer’s playing and design career, with memorabilia and historic photographs on full display throughout the clubhouse. And with year-round pristine course conditions, there’s no wonder Arnie’s Army continues to grow here in Myrtle Beach. Be sure to explore our tee time options at this great course for your next visit!

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club offers the golfing experience of a lifetime, delivered by the renowned “maverick” of golf course design with modern touches amid a classic Lowcountry landscape.

Caledonia is the spectacular work of the late Mike Strantz – honored by Golfweek Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Greatest Golf Architects of All Time.” While Strantz makes it a point to put nature at center stage in all of his designs, Caledonia offers the ultimate combination of creativity with large, undulating greens guarded by strategic bunkering and many of the Lowcountry’s signature native elements; challenge enhanced by towering live oaks framing the fairways, putting your strategic club selection and shot-making skills to the ultimate test; and the “star” treatment that greets you upon arrival, and stays with you every step of the way.

The turn at Caledonia is highlighted by its famous chowder shack, where a cup of its renowned fish chowder awaits and offers the ideal sendoff to an unforgettable back nine.

And the true Caledonia experience continues even after your last putt on 18 drops to the bottom of the cup. Caledonia’s back porch is the renowned setting for savoring a post-round beverage while kicking back in a southern-style rocker, as you cheer your fellow golfers on to a memorable finish.

Since its debut on the Grand Strand golf scene in 1994, Caledonia has earned numerous national and regional honors including its designation as one of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, and Golfweek’s 2016 accolade naming Caledonia as one of the top resort courses in the United States.

With impeccable year-round conditions, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is always ready to provide the signature element to a one-of-a-kind golf getaway. Click here to explore our tee time options!

The finishing hole at any golf course is typically one of the most memorable, if not the most memorable, golf holes of your round. The 18^th at River Club is certainly no exception.

Measuring 518 yards from the tips, No. 18 at River Club is a very reachable par 5 with a tee shot that sets up everything. From the tee box the golfer is presented with a choice: play it safe and plan on three shots to get the green, or “grip and rip” and cut the corner of this dramatic dogleg left for your shot at an eagle.

The fairway glides from right to left, offering more than 500 yards worth of fairway for a golfer to play it as safe as they could possibly want to. But we all know one of a golfer’s favorite things to do is roll the dice. Tom Jackson, the designer of River Club, clearly wanted golfers on the 18^th hole to end their round with a big decision. Whether you go for it all or play it safely, you get to choose your own adventure.

The lake that separates you and your eagle bid is a big one, but it is conquerable. One beautiful swing with a driver is all it takes to give yourself a short iron into this par 5, but don’t miss or you will be hitting three from the same spot.

The green complex is no cakewalk, however. With a bulkhead fronting the green, water lurks all around. Going long is safe, but you’ll find yourself most likely in one of the many bunkers just beyond the edges of a very flat and simple green.

The 18^th Hole at River Club has everything you could ask for in a finishing hole, and then some!

A golf vacation is all about “checking the boxes.” Some golfers want views, some golfers want a challenge, and some golfers just simply want to play golf. How about a piece of Myrtle Beach golf that can check all three?

Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links certainly checks all three.

Beautiful picture-perfect views, one of the toughest finishes you will ever navigate, and an awesome golf facility position Glen Dornoch near the top of every Myrtle Beach golf wish list. Set into one of the best golf properties on the Grand Strand, Glen Dornoch touches the Intracoastal Waterway throughout the property and the layout beautifully utilizes the natural landscapes of Little River, South Carolina.

Set on the north end of Myrtle Beach, Glen Dornoch features one of the most memorable three-hole stretches of golf you can find in the area. Holes 16, 17 and 18 take the golfer through a gorgeous gauntlet that tests even the most skilled golfer, right down to the final putt. This final stretch of the back nine likely has golfers reaching for every club in their bag – and if you aren’t careful, every golf ball, too!

Designed by Clyde Johnston in 1997, the golf course at Glen Dornoch places a premium on a golfer’s accuracy and course management skills. Navigating the track with control and finesse is the name of the game for scoring out on the waterway. The layout lulls a golfer into biting off more than they can chew, even if they don’t realize it.

One of the best features of the Glen Dornoch golf experience is grabbing an ice-cold beverage and enjoying the golfers finishing on the famous double green of Holes 9 and 18 positioned just a few yards from the clubhouse steps. Place some bets, have some laughs, and see some golf shots with the perfect coastal Carolina setting as a backdrop.

Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links is the perfect stop to “check the boxes” on your next visit to Myrtle Beach. So, grab your clubs and definitely bring your camera, MyrtleBeachGolf.net is ready to help book your tee time!

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.