Ready to throw yourself into the golfing delights of South Carolina? With so many top courses on offer, it can be difficult to know where to start. Narrow down your search with this guide to the best golf courses in Myrtle Beach.
1. The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
Access: Member or staying at a member hotel
Website: thedunesclub.com/golf
Green fee: $150-200
Stay and play package: Available
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club is one of the most iconic places to play golf in Myrtle Beach. It’s also ranked as one of the top courses to play in the country (and even the world!). Robert Trent Jones, the famous architect, designed the course and many people consider it to be one of his best pieces of work.
It’s a fantastic course to play, with great hole routings and wide fairways. But The Dunes Golf and Beach Club is also super scenic. Take in the palm tree silhouettes while playing in the glorious South Carolina landscape. Play the ninth hole for glorious views across the ocean.
2. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Access: Reservation only
Website: caledoniagolfandfishclub.com
Green fee: $100-150
Stay and play package: Available
If you’re looking for one of the prettiest places to play golf, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is a winner. From its dreamy antebellum-style clubhouse to the $40,000 a year spent on horticulture, your entire game feels like a visit to a royal estate. The scent of thousands of blooming flowers hangs in the air and the ancient oaks creak in the breeze.
Although the architect approached the course design in an artistic way, he also crafted a pristine course with lots of technical challenges. Any level of golfer will enjoy mastering the strategically placed bunkers and trickling waterways.
3. True Blue Golf Club
Access: Public
Website: truebluegolf.com
Green fee: $90-150
Stay and play package: Available
True Blue Golf Club is home to the sister course of Caledonia. It’s on the picturesque Pawley Island and has a huge emphasis on incorporating natural surroundings into an excellent game of golf. Enchanting Lowcountry scenery of salt marshes and tidal creeks makes this a wonderful South Carolina golfing experience.
With rolling elevation changes, fun water hazards, and wide fairways, this links-style course is a delight for every level of golfer. Make sure you prepare yourself for the third hole. The hourglass green is on an island in a lake, perfect if you love a hole with lots of strategy and thinking.
4. Tidewater Golf Club
Access: Public
Website: tidewatergolf.com
Green fee: $86-120
Stay and play package: Available
Often referred to as “the Pebble Beach of East Coast,” Tidewater Golf Club snakes between the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet. It’s the perfect blend of tidal marshes and lush green forests.
Tidewater Golf Club is well-groomed with lots of interesting features and niggling challenges. The fantastic variety of holes makes it hard to pick which hole is its highlight. Many people say the fourth hole is one of the most challenging two-shot holes in Myrtle Beach. It stretches along Cherry Grove, with difficult bunkers and water obstacles blocking your shots.
5. Barefoot Resort & Golf – Dye Course
Access: Public
Website: barefootgolf.com/barefoot-golf-courses/dye-course/
Green fee: $47-180
Stay and play package: Available
There are four courses at Barefoot Resort and Golf, all designed by hall-of-fame players and award-winning architects. Being the most long, difficult, and picturesque course, Dye is the local favorite. With 18 tricky holes and a beautiful blend of natural grasses the architect is known for, this will be one of your golfing highlights in Myrtle Beach.
The Dye course puts even the most skilled golfer to the test. With water hazards the region is famous for and bunkers Peter Dye is famous for, there are endless obstacles standing in your way. Despite its challenges, the risk/ reward situations give players a big dopamine boost and have them coming back again and again.
6. TPC Myrtle Beach
Access: Public
Website: tpcmyrtlebeach.com
Green fee: $85-175
Stay and play package: Available
If you’re looking to blend your golf game with a touch of nature, play at TPC Myrtle Beach. Placed on the natural wetlands of Murrells Inlet, it’s surrounded by pine trees and abundant bird life. Keep an eye out for gray squirrels, wild turkeys, and even alligators!
The 18-hole PGA Tour course is a par-73. Well-maintained fairways and undulating terrain make it a joy to play. Wetlands featuring on 11 of the holes and plenty of bunkers put your skills to the test, especially on the 17th hole.
TPC Myrtle Beach is #4 in our list of the top golf courses in the US, which say a lot about the course.
7. Grande Dunes Resort Club
Access: Reservation only
Website: grandedunesgolf.com
Green fee: $76-150
Stay and play package: Available
Offering some of the widest fairways and largest greens in Myrtle Beach, Grade Dunes Resort Club regularly makes the list of the top golf courses in the area. The 18-hole links-style course has a great layout with seamless integration into a varied landscape.
The course is on a high bluff, offering a beautiful vantage point of the surrounding landscape. The difficult 14th hole crosses a dammed section of the Intracoastal Waterway and the 9th hole runs parallel to a stretch of boat access. Make sure you stop for a drink in the Mediterranean-style clubhouse afterward to enjoy the views of the waterfront and the 8th and 18th holes.
8. Azalea Sands Golf Club
Access: Public
Website: azaleasandsgolf.com
Green fee: $39-45
Stay and play package: Not available
With lots of recent renovations, Azalea Sands Golf Club offers a relaxing and modern golfing experience. The 18-hole, par 72 course has pristine fairways and an open layout, making it a great option for all ages and levels of golfers. But don’t relax too much. Challenges like slow greens, lots of lakes, and well-placed bunkers will keep you on your toes.
Bermuda greens engulfed by tall pines, and plenty of natural lakes make this a charming place for a game. With no housing on the property, you can enjoy a blissful break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you want to teach your little ones the joys of golf, remember that kids play free at Azalea Sands Golf Club.
9. Prestwick Country Club
Access: Public
Website: prestwickcountryclub.com
Green fee: $40-85
Stay and play package: Not available
The Prestwick Country Club is designed to have the feeling of a private club but it’s open to everyone. Wind your way through a gorgeous blend of rustling pine forests, sandy waste areas, and trickling creeks. Round off the day in the grand clubhouse on the shores of the Prestwick Lake.
The 18-hole course has fast, well-manicured greens and deep bunkers that’ll guarantee an exciting game. It has great holes for all levels of golfer, with tricky parts that even leave the pros disgruntled.
10. Big Cats Golf at Ocean Ridge Plantation – Leopard’s Chase
Access: Public
Website: leopardschasemyrtlebeach.com
Green fee: $85-95
Stay and play package: Available
The pretty Leopard’s Chase course is a links-style course with forgiving holes and an enjoyable game for all levels. Native plants and preserved wetlands stretch across 220 acres of land. The wide landing areas and rolling terrain make this a fun place to enjoy a relaxed game.
Leopard’s Chase also offers lots of novelty challenges. The 9th hole features an island green surrounded by a huge bunker. But it’s the 18th hole that gets the most attention. It moves leftward to an elevated green surrounded by a rushing waterfall over coquina bunkers.
11. Heritage Club
Access: Public
Website: heritageclubmyrtlebeach.com
Green fee: $36-42
Stay and play package: Not available
On the former site of True Blue and Midway Plantations, you’ll find the beautiful Heritage Club. This course is a real Southern charmer. It stretches along the Waccamaw River and is blooming with fragrant magnolias and ancient oaks. The stunning contrast between manicured greens and hundreds of wildflowers gives you a striking balance of the old and the new.
But Heritage Club is much more than just a pretty face. The par 71 course follows the natural contours of the land, with big rolling fairways and some of the most large and undulating greens in the area. After your game, recover on the porch of the colonial-style clubhouse and watch the river flowing by.
Having your own clubs is recommended. If you’re worried about their safety on your South Carolina adventure, keep them protected with this guide to the best golf travel bags.
12. Legends Golf Resort-Moorland
Access: Public
Website: legendsgolf.com/moorland
Green fee: $15-105
Stay and play package: Available
The Moorland course at Legends Gold Resort is a beautiful but challenging course not for the faint of heart. Booking with Legends Golf Resort gives you one of the best stay-and-play packages in the area, with access to five different courses, free breakfast and lunch, and two complimentary drinks per round.
The par 72 course has scenic lakeside holes and is surrounded by lush green forest. But be warned, many people class this as one of the toughest layouts on the East Coast. It’s packed with extreme elevation changes, natural grasses, and a variety of hazards. In fact, the 16th hole is so tricky, it’s nicknamed “hell’s half acre”.
Legends Golf offers one of the best packages in Myrtle Beach. For other deals in the area, check out this guide to the best stay-and-play packages in Myrtle Beach.
Frequently asked questions
Why play golf in Myrtle Beach?
With year-round play, beautiful Lowcountry scenery, and plenty of Southern hospitality, Myrtle Beach is a wonderful place for a golf break. You’ll have your pick of over 90 championship golf courses, with a range of options to suit all budgets and levels of skill.
Which side of Myrtle Beach is better?
Both North and South Myrtle Beach have great golf, but the South has more top-ranking courses. The scenery is very different, with Pawleys Island in the South having more of a Lowcountry feel and the North engulfed in pine trees. The South offers slightly better value for money but, when you’re not golfing, the North comes out on top for drinking and dining.
What is there to do in Myrtle Beach?
There’s lots to do in Myrtle Beach when you aren’t golfing. Its seaside location makes it perfect for epic watersports like paragliding, kayaking, and jet skiing. Take a boat tour of the surrounding area, charter a fishing boat, or go on a dolphin spotting tour. Back in town, there are heaps of entertainment options, including minigolf, escape rooms, laser tag, and bowling.
If you’re looking for more culture, there are plenty of museums, a beautiful selection of art galleries, and historic sites & plantations. You could also take a day trip to the historic city of Charleston.
What’s the best time to play golf in Myrtle Beach?
Spring and fall are the best times to visit Myrtle Beach for golfing. You’ll have pretty scenery and pleasant weather. Spring is more expensive and crowded but, in the fall, but you have a small risk of hurricanes derailing your trip.
The summer is still a great time to play golf in Myrtle Beach. The days are longer, and you’ll find discounted afternoon tee times if you can handle the heat. Courses are less crowded, but you may be hit with sudden downpours. The conditions in winter can vary and this makes it the least popular season.
Myrtle Beach is a great golf destination but South Carolina as a whole hosts quite a few great golf courses. You can find our top pick in our list of the best golf courses in South Carolina. Check it out!
