Sixty Favorites
Which of the Grand Strand’s courses should be on your buddies-trip itinerary? We polled the Golf Digest Course Ranking Panel of more than 900 raters, and here are the top picks, ranked from 1 to 60. (Green fees are from peak season and include a cart.)
__1. Caledonia G. & Fish Club __
Pawleys Island, S.C., Mike Strantz, $99-$159, 843-237-3675, fishclub.com
__2. The Dunes G. & Beach Club __
Myrtle Beach, Robert Trent Jones, $200, 843-449-5236, dunesclub.net
3. True Blue Plantation
Pawleys Island, S.C., Mike Strantz, $159, 843-235-0900, fishclub/trueblue.com
4. Tidewater G.C. & Plantation
North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ken Tomlinson, $199, 843-913-2424, tidewatergolf.com
5. Wachesaw Plantation Club
(private), Murrells Inlet, S.C., Tom Fazio, $80, 843-357-1263, wachesaw.com
6. Rivers Edge G.C.
7. Heritage Club
Pawleys Island, S.C., Dan Maples, $135, 843-237-3424, legendsgolf.com
8. Grande Dunes
(Members Club, private) Myrtle Beach, Nick Price/Craig Schreiner, $70, 843-315-0333, grandedunes.com
9. TPC Myrtle Beach
Murrells Inlet, S.C., Tom Fazio/Lanny Wadkins, $180, 843-357-3399, tpcmyrtlebeach.com
10. The Reserve G.C.
(private), Pawleys Island, S.C., Greg Norman, $125, 843-235-0755, thereservegolfclub.net
11. Debordieu Club
12. Barefoot Resort & Golf
(Fazio), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Tom Fazio, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com
13. Pawleys Plantation
Pawleys Island, S.C., Jack Nicklaus, $120-$140, 843-237-6200,pawleysplantation.com
__14. Barefoot Resort & Golf __
(Dye), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Pete Dye, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com
15. Ocean Ridge Plantation
(Leopard’s Chase), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $165, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com
16. Barefoot Resort & Golf
(Love), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Davis Love III, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com
__17. Surf G. & Beach Club __
(private), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., George Cobb, $125, 843-249-1021, surfgolf.com
18 .Grande Dunes
(Resort Club), Myrtle Beach, Roger Rulewich, $176-$186, 843-315-0333, grandedunes.com
19. Ocean Ridge
Plantation (Tiger’s Eye), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $135, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com
20. St. James Plantation
(The Reserve Club, private), Southport, N.C., Nicklaus Design, $100, 910-253-5100, stjamesplantation.com
21. Pine Lakes C.C.
Myrtle Beach, Robert White, $150, 843-315-7700, pinelakes.com
22. Founders Club at Pawleys Island
Pawleys Island, S.C., Gene Hamm/Thomas Walker, $120, 843-237-2299, classicgolfgroup.com
23. Prestwick C.C.
Myrtle Beach, Pete Dye/P.B. Dye, $117-$125, 843-293-4100, prestwickcountryclub.com
24. Myrtle Beach National
(Kings North), Myrtle Beach, Arnold Palmer/Francis Duane, $109-$120, 843-448-2308, mbn.com
25. St. James Plantation
(The Players Club, private), Southport, N.C., Tim Cate, $65 910-253-5100, stjamesplantation.com
26. Thistle G.C. (27 holes)
Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $110-$125, 800-571-6710, thistlegolf.com
__27. Legends Golf & Resort __
(Heathland), Myrtle Beach, Tom Doak, $135, 800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com
28. Crow Creek G.C.
29. Oyster Bay G. Links
Sunset Beach, N.C., Dan Maples, $135, 800-697-8372, legendsgolf.com
30. Heather Glen G. Links
(27 holes), Little River, S.C., Willard Byrd/Clyde Johnston, $121, 800-868-4536, glensgolfgroup.com
__31. Legends Golf & Resort __
32. Glen Dornoch
Little River, S.C., Clyde Johnston, $133-$155, 800-717-8784, glensgolfgroup.com
33 .Bald Head Island Club
(private), Bald Head Island, N.C., George Cobb, package pricing, 910-457-7310, bhiclub.net
34. Wachesaw Plntn. E.
Murrells Inlet, S.C., Clyde Johnston, $164, 800-344-5590, Wachesaweast.biz
35. Sea Trail
(Rees Jones), Sunset Beach, N.C., Rees Jones, $85-$110, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com
36. The Witch
East Conway, S.C., Dan Maples, $95-$110, 843-448-1300, witchgolf.com
37. Sea Trail
(Willard Byrd), Sunset Beach, N.C., Willard Byrd, $55-$73, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com
38. Wild Wing
39. Willbrook Plantation
Pawleys Island, S.C., Dan Maples, $95, 843-237-3411, litchfieldbeach.com
__40. Legends Golf & Resort __
(Parkland), Myrtle Beach, Larry Young, $135, 800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com
41. International World Tour
(27 holes), Myrtle Beach, Mel Graham, $150-$190, 843-236-2000, theworldtourgolf.com
42. Long Bay C.
Longs S.C., Jack Nicklaus, $106-$128, 800-344-5590, mbn.com
__43. Barefoot Resort & Golf __
(Norman), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Greg Norman, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com
__44. Shaftesbury Glen G. & Fish C. __
45. Carolina National G.C.
46. St. James Plantation
47. The Pearl G. Links
48. Arcadian Shores
Myrtle Beach, Rees Jones, $79-$89, 800-846-5552, kingstonplantation.com
49. The Pearl G. Links
50. Ocean Ridge Plantation
(Panther’s Run), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $87-$93, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com
51. Sea Trail
(Dan Maples), Sunset Beach, N.C., Dan Maples, $98, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com
52. Litchfield C.C.
Pawleys Island, S.C., Willard Byrd, $99, 843-237-3000, litchfieldbeach.com
53. River Club
Pawleys Island, S.C., Tom Jackson, $162, 843-237-3000, litchfieldbeach.com
54. Ocean Ridge Plantation
(Lion’s Paw), Sunset Beach, N.C., Willard Byrd/Tim Cate, $83, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com
55. Indian Wells G.C.
Garden City, S.C., Gene Hamm, $80-$90, 843-652-5555, classicgolfgroup.com
56. Wicked Stick G. Links
Myrtle Beach, John Daly/Clyde Johnston, $94, 800-797-8425, wickedstick.com
57. Arrowhead C.C.
(27 holes), Myrtle Beach, Raymond Floyd/Tom Jackson, $122, 800-236-3243, arrowheadcc.com
58. Blackmoor G.C.
Murrells Inlet, S.C., Gary Player, $87-$93, 866-952-5555, blackmoor.com
59. Waterway Hills
Myrtle Beach, Robert Trent Jones, $94, 843-449-6489, mbn.com
60 .Myrtlewood G.C.
(Palmetto), Myrtle Beach, Ed Ault, $84, 800-283-3633, myrtlewoodgolf.com
Thanks for the Memories
Nearly 20 Myrtle Beach golf courses have closed since the peak years in the late 1990s, when there were more than 115. Most deserved their fates, argues Donald Wizeman, president of the Myrtle Beach Golf Association, whose website (mbga.com) mixes travel tips with occasionally withering criticism of the local powers-that-be. Here are the five clubs he was sorriest to see go: