Author: Jim Maggio

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!

Elevation, water represent prevalent challenges on No. 14

Pine Lakes – the first course built in Myrtle Beach – embraces golf’s historic past with a par-70 layout that is traditional yet challenging. One hole perfectly encapsulates this balance: No. 14. Here’s what you can expect to encounter on Pine Lakes’ second-most-difficult hole when you play it with MyrtleBeachGolf.net:

No. 14 is a long, straight par 4 measuring 438 yards from the back tees. The challenge from the tee box is to hit one far and, most importantly, straight, as out of bounds comes into play quickly down the left side while a sizeable forest, which blocks players’ views of the green, guards the right side of the fairway.

Meanwhile, another prominent feature of the hole is the “U”-shaped elevation change, with a severe downhill slope off the tee, to a second shot played into a raised green complex. If you don’t hit it far enough off the tee, you won’t make it to the bottom of the “U,” leaving an awkward downhill lie for your second. But be careful! You don’t want to hit it too far off the tee either. There’s a small lake placed some 100 yards before the green.

With an optimal tee shot played to just before the lake at the bottom of the “U,” a mid- to short-iron into the elevated green awaits. Barring some sort of real disaster (don’t hit it fat!), the lake isn’t a huge factor for the second shot, but you’ll want to avoid the two bunkers which guard the green, one to the left and right.

The green itself is a tricky one, undulating and sloping prominently back toward the lake and the bottom of the “U.” Your best chance of finding a straight, makeable putt is to fit it in there just below the flag, but not too far below or your ball may roll off in front.

The challenge at Pine Lakes’ 14^th hole is traditional and complex. It’s a great hole you should look forward to on your next MyrtleBeachGolf.net vacation.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club: As Good as It Gets in Myrtle Beach

A legendary masterpiece on the shores of South Carolina, The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is the second-oldest course in the Myrtle Beach area and often ranks as the No. 1 facility on the entire Grand Strand. With more than 400 properties to his credit and work, designer Robert Trent Jones created something special at The Dunes Club, building a course with a name that speaks to the incredible piece of land on which it lies, and fostering a legacy of high-level championship golf dating back to its founding in 1948. Put simply: A chance to play The Dunes Club on your next MyrtleBeachGolf.net vacation is one you won’t want to pass up!

Beautifully sandy dunes that create naturally rolling fairways and ever-maturing oaks that gracefully frame each hole set the stage for The Dunes Club’s staggeringly creative layout, with numerous signature holes that challenge even the best players in the world. Coined “Alligator Alley,” the three-hole stretch of Nos. 11, 12 and 13 quite possibly is the most famous stretch of holes in Myrtle Beach. Meandering along Lake Singleton and the Singleton Swash, these three holes are absolutely remarkable and sure to leave a lasting impression. Here’s why:

The dogleg-right, par-4 11^th extends into the Singleton Swash with mature oaks overhanging the green, while the intimidating par-3 12^th, with its forced marsh carry, plays into a wide but shallow green that is difficult to hit in regulation. Finally, the par-5 13^th stretches to a ginormous 640 yards (from the back tees) and has received recognition as one of the best golf holes in the entire country. It is nicknamed “Waterloo” because Lake Singleton hugs the entire right side of the hole, with a forced carry second shot and likely a mid-iron third into a two-tiered green complex.

Few courses in existence utilize natural terrain the way The Dunes Club does, and the result is beautifully special – so special that the course has played host to numerous professional events, including six Senior Tour Championships, one Women’s U.S. Open and several PGA TOUR Q-School finals.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is truly a remarkable experience for those who choose to vacation with MyrtleBeachGolf.net!

Experience the tradition of Burning Ridge for yourself with MyrtleBeachGolf.net

Less than 30 minutes from Myrtle Beach’s famous coastline sits Burning Ridge, a traditional Grand Strand golf experience that can be booked on your upcoming springtime vacation with MyrtleBeachGolf.net. There’s so much to love about this course! Here are some notables.

Designed by Gene Hamm, this par-72 layout features all those traits that make Myrtle Beach such a sought-after golf destination: long-leaf pines, thoughtful hole design, natural beauty, great year-round course conditions and, of course, affordability.

Throughout the course, Hamm visually disguises the fairways with bunkers and strategically placed tees, though players will discover ample room to be found in the landing zones when shots are properly struck. Burning Ridge offers a fair challenge from all sets of tees, with a priority placed on hitting the fairways, as there aren’t too many holes worth trying to overpower.

The longer hitters will find the par 5s very reachable should they find the fairways, though they will be challenged on the par 3s – especially Nos. 12 and 17, with water surrounding the peninsula greens. For many, No. 12 is the most difficult hole on the course. Though just a par 3, the hole requires a long, forced carry to a green surrounded by water on three of four sides: front, back and right.

Meanwhile, TifEagle Bermuda greens provide consistent putting surfaces that naturally drain well to offer appropriate green speeds for the noticeable undulation found on the majority of the greens.

One thing can be sure: players find Burning Ridge to be an inventive and inviting golf experience that rewards discipline off the tee and strong shot makers for taking creative approaches to the greens. A traditional golf experience awaits at Burning Ridge. Check it out this spring with MyrtleBeachGolf.net and feel the burn for yourself!

No. 15 represents the most challenging hole at International Club of Myrtle Beach

Determining one’s favorite hole on a golf course is an inherently subjective task. Some people favor easy holes, while others are swayed by aesthetic beauty, and some opt for the challenge. This article is for those who opt for the challenge, because No. 15 at the International Club of Myrtle Beach is the meanest hole you will encounter on this tremendous golf course, and if you can conquer it, you are well on your way to a great day. Here’s what to look out for when you play No. 15 on your upcoming MyrtleBeachGolf.net vacation this spring.

No. 15 is a long, straightaway par 4 measuring 436 yards from the back tees. Looking down the hole from the elevated tee box, the first half of the fairway is somewhat tree-lined, though wide enough that players of all skill levels should be hitting this one with regularity.

The challenge of this hole comes more with the approach shot, as two large water hazards guard the left and right sides of the fairway and green from about 170 yards out all the way to the pin. This means missing your second shot left or right is an absolute no-go. In addition, two “C”-shaped bunkers guard the left side of the green in between the water and the green. These bunkers are deep. They are nasty. You really won’t want to be ending up here.

There is a sliver of room to the back and right sides of the green, but not much. Thus, with a long-iron approach and very little room to bail out, the only option is to commit, step up and make your best swing of the day. The challenge of No. 15 will call for nothing less.

Then, if you are one of the few lucky ones to hit this large, undulating green in regulation, a tough, winding, often sloping birdie putt awaits.

No. 15 defines the challenge that the International Club of Myrtle Beach presents. The only question left to ask now is: Are you ready to accept the challenge this spring with MyrtleBeachGolf.net?

Hole spotlight: No. 9 on Thistle’s Stewart side

Located in Sunset Beach, N.C., just a short drive north from the hustle and bustle of central Myrtle Beach, Thistle Golf Club’s three nines (Stewart, Mackay and Cameron) were all designed by Tim Cate. Each nine is quintessentially Scottish, with design features like wide-open fairways, large undulating greens and hazard areas of thistle and thorn, but in a unique Lowcountry setting that makes the club a true must-play on your springtime golf vacation with MyrtleBeachGolf.net.

One hole, in particular, embodies what Thistle is all about: No. 9 on the Stewart side. The hole is a pulse-pounding par 3, and if it is your finishing hole of the day, it’s definitely one that will keep your attention until the final putt drops. Two strategically placed bunkers front a large, elevated green that is angled away from you. There is also a marshy water hazard which protects the green front, right and long. The wind is known to howl directly in your face, especially toward the end of the day as the springtime sun begins to fade. As for the green complex, it slopes and undulates as you’d imagine at a Scottish links-style course, making it difficult to read and hole putts from a distance.

With very few places to bail out, our recommendation is to take an extra club and aim for the center of the green. There’s a real chance you could catch the right slope and end up close to the pin, and at the very least, you’ll avoid the trouble of the bunkers and hazard. The plan sounds simple. But on a hole like this, three is a great score to finish off your round.

The par-3 9^th on Thistle Golf Club’s Stewart side has everything you could ever want in a finishing hole: risk, reward, and a mental challenge standing on the tee – all with that beautiful Scottish-Lowcountry background Thistle is so known for. Be sure to play the hole this spring on your MyrtleBeachGolf.net vacation!

Golf Course Spotlight: the recently renovated Brunswick Plantation

Golfers choose MyrtleBeachGolf.net to help them book stay & play packages at some of the Grand Strand’s best golf courses, including Brunswick Plantation, now a true star on the North Strand following a series of improvements made to the golf course and its amenities.

Brunswick Plantation is a 27-hole facility located just a short drive north of Myrtle Beach, near Calabash, N.C. Each of its three nines – each designed by Willard Byrd and Clyde Johnston, two legendary golf course architects on the Strand – has a completely different feel. The Azalea layout tests players off the tee with tough angles and the occasional forced carry, while still providing plenty of opportunities to score well when played from the correct set of tees. The Dogwood layout is more open, offering plenty of tempting opportunities to cut corners and shorten doglegs. Magnolia is more open as well and not overly long, making it the perfect nine for those looking to shoot a personal best.

As good as these layouts were before, Brunswick Plantation should be quite proud of the recent improvements it has made to its three nines. The course received a facelift a couple of years ago when a new ownership group took over. Improvements included the addition of 300 new trees, 2,000 azaleas and 3,000 ornamental grasses, as well as new bridges and three new sand bunkers. Meanwhile, several preexisting grass bunkers were reshaped.

In addition, upgrades in the clubhouse included re-carpeted/re-tiled flooring, fresh painting and enhancements in the pro shop, all making a wonderful impression on the Myrtle Beach golf community. See what one person who played after new ownership took over said on the course’s TripAdvisor page:

“One of the prettiest facilities I have ever played on. Phenomenal facility. Course was in amazing shape even with the rain and weather, pro shop well-organized and food at restaurant was VERY affordable and tasty!”

Come check out all the improvements at Brunswick Plantation on your next golf vacation with MyrtleBeachGolf.net!

Home to Gary Player’s only signature design along the Grand Strand, Blackmoor Golf Club offers a compelling option for enjoying a true Lowcountry golf experience. Known for years as a creative and player-friendly design, Player does a masterful job here of carving a scenic, memorable golf course out of a beautiful natural setting.

Enjoy our hole-by-hole photo tour of this South Strand design, and when you’re ready to plan your next Myrtle Beach golf getaway give us a call at 877-705-2295, and we’ll be happy to show you any one of several options for including Blackmoor!

Experience all 21 Founders courses with MyrtleBeachGolf.net’s Founders Collection package

The Founders Group offers the Myrtle Beach area’s largest collection of award-winning golf courses, with 21 designs spanning from the north end of the Grand Strand all the way to Pawleys Island. It includes the likes of King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Pawleys Plantation and Pine Lakes, any of which can be booked on MyrtleBeachGolf.net’s Founders Collection Multi Play package that allows you to play at least two rounds from your choice of all 21 Founders courses and receive the lowest rates you’ll find for playing any course in this group.

Opened in 1973 and fully-renovated in 1996, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National bears the name of “The King” himself, Arnold Palmer, and has received critical acclaim as a top-ranked public course in the U.S. Palmer’s design is stylish and contemporary, like the late legend himself, with a combination of woodland holes, picturesque par 3s, dogleg par 4s and the famously risky par-5 6^th. Aptly named “The Gambler,” players at No. 6 must decide whether to play safely out to the right off the tee, or risk it and go for the island fairway, which affords the opportunity to go for the green in two.

Pawleys Plantation is Jack Nicklaus’ signature course in the Myrtle Beach area, with “The Golden Bear” presenting coastal golf in a way that few have ever been able to capture. Nicklaus’ masterpiece is visually stunning, with its Lowcountry setting of oak canopies and picturesque marsh views. A round at Pawleys includes driving your cart across the top of an old dike spanning the marsh that was once a part of an old rice plantation located on the site, affording a unique opportunity to enjoy the wildlife that inhabits the area.

The first golf course built in Myrtle Beach and truly “The Granddaddy” of them all, one word to describe the layout at Pine Lakes is “classic.” The course has just two par 5s (Nos. 5 and 10) and plays to a par 70. There is a good mix of straightaway and dogleg par 4s, as well as a variety of unique par 3s — some requiring forced carries over water — and others forcing players to hit it a long way off the tee. With the smell of salt in the ocean air as you play, Pine Lakes provides a golf course that, while just seconds from the hustle and bustle of central Myrtle Beach, takes players back to a different time.

Be sure to try these courses this spring with MyrtleBeachGolf.net’s Founders Collection Multi Play package. Experience the best in Myrtle Beach for yourself! And, don’t forget to book your lodging accommodations at SeaSide Resorts!

Jack Nicklaus-designed Pawleys Plantation a must-play on the South Strand

One greatly unique aspect of the Myrtle Beach golf scene is the prevalence of courses designed by some of the game’s foremost architects and builders, including one who just so happens to be game’s all-time greatest: Jack Nicklaus. With 73 total victories on the PGA TOUR and a still-record 18 major championships, Nicklaus as a course designer made it a point to leave his mark on the Grand Strand with multiple facilities, including his signature course in the Myrtle Beach area, Pawleys Plantation, which can be booked individually or as part of a play & stay package with MyrtleBeachGolf.net and SeaSide Resorts.

Pawleys Plantation is located in Pawleys Island, with Nicklaus presenting coastal golf in a way that few have ever been able to capture. His masterpiece in Myrtle Beach is visually stunning, with its Lowcountry setting, oak canopies and picturesque marsh views. Even more, Pawleys Plantation takes these marvelous views and lets you experience them up close and personal. That’s because a round at Pawleys Plantation means driving your cart across the top of an old dike spanning the marsh that was once a part of an old rice plantation located on the site, affording the opportunity to enjoy the wildlife which inhabits the area. A round at Pawleys Plantation is unlike any other in the world, mostly because the piece of land on which the course sits is remarkable, and as beautiful as it is exciting to play golf on.

As for the layout, Pawleys Plantation features quietly undulating greens, creative sand traps, challenging fairways dotted with water and unique obstacles on every hole. This course is one that demands patience, ambitiousness and, above all, concentration – all factors Nicklaus himself utilized to become one of golf’s greatest champions.

Jack’s signature course in Myrtle Beach shines as bright as “The Golden Bear” himself. You must play Pawleys Plantation during your upcoming vacation with MyrtleBeachGolf.net and SeaSide Resorts!