Bluegreen Colorful Places

While beaches and family-oriented attractions have made the Grand Strand a favored South Carolina destination, the Myrtle Beach area is also iconic among golfers. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Robert Trent Jones have all designed courses here, and the amazing number of options for golfers is only surpassed by the quality of the courses. A perfect Myrtle Beach golfing vacation can stretch from Pawleys Island to Ocean Isle Beach. Myrtle Beach is truly one of the premier places in the entire country to hit the links. There are a huge variety of courses to choose from, each one offering an experience unique from the next.

The mystical-named courses The Witch, The Wizard and Man O’ War are hard to resist, if only for the opportunity to shop the pro shops for logo apparel. A million cubic yards of earth were moved to create elevation changes at The Wizard, while The Witch graces 500 acres without any development. Man O’ War is defined by water: a 100-acre lake and an island 9th hole. All three courses may be booked online. Who can resist saying they’ve tackled The Witch, or bested The Wizard?

Voted “2006 Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year”, Burning Ridge’s West Course offers up the epitome of southern hospitality. Its companion — the popular East Course — has earned the South Carolina’s Golf Course of the Year award. Head west if you’re up to the challenge of water hazards; think ‘east’ if you excel at wedge shots and sand is your idea of a manageable obstacle. This semi-private club has rates starting at only $44.

The state’s beautiful Low Country is all you’ll see when playing Crown Park Golf Club. Not a house is in sight from the rolling terrain of this nature-centric course a short drive from North Myrtle Beach. Your golfing vacation can really bloom at the spectacular Crown Park greens. The Tif Eagle Bermuda grass is bred to deliver speed, consistency and playability. Rates starting at only $38.50 and online booking add further appeal.

One of the hardest courses is also one of the most affordable. The Arnold Palmer-designed Myrtle Beach National West Course doglegs through forests and past numerous water hazards. Rates start at only $39.50 and tee times can be booked online.

Myrtle Beach National King’s North has racked up so many accolades that it’s become a must-play course. While it’s been recognized as one of the Top 100 Courses for Women, the fellows will also enjoy Hole 6’s tempting “short cut;” and the 40 sand traps lining the fairway on Hole 18. It has long been one of the most requested courses on the Grand Strand. None other than Arnold Palmer designed the course’s last round of improvements; all types of golfers rank this as one of their favorites.

Golf Digest has named True Blue one of “America’s Greatest Public Courses,” and the course’s incredible elevations are part of the allure. A former rice and indigo plantation, True Blue’s rolling terrain is blessed with spectacular vegetation and is considered one of the prime courses in the area. Legions of awards have been bestowed upon Caledonia, including being listed on “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest. When it opened in the mid-1990s, the magazine also ranked Caledonia No. 5 on the Best New Public Courses in America list, although its current $110 rate may deter some from the experience. With staggering beauty, Caledonia sprawls out beneath century-old oaks typical of historic South Carolina.

A short drive in the opposite direction lands golfers in scenic Murrells Inlet and Blackmoor golf club. Built along the beautiful Waccamaw River, Blackmoor spans the site of a 19th century plantation. A signature course designed by Gary Player (one of only four golfers to win all four majors), Blackmoor is a Myrtle Beach must-play for golfing enthusiasts. A member course of the Waccamaw Golf Trail, it can be booked a year in advance, online booking is available, and rates range from $60-$92.

Another Waccamaw Golf Trail find is the upscale Founders Club at Pawley’s Island Plantation, south of Myrtle Beach. Just opened in February of this year, the challenging 18-hole Founders Club course was designed by Thomas Walker, former lead architect for Gary Player Design. Renovations in excess of $7 million have transformed the former Sea Gull Golf Club into a stunning destination course, dotted by native orange and gold sand, and the legendary moss-draped oaks of Low Country. Rates start at $93.50.

Internet-savvy golfers can save significantly on select tee times when booking through web sites like www.magicalgolf.com. Playing after noon will result in discounted rates on most golf courses and certain web sites can save golfers up to 40 percent off published rates.

No matter your skill level or dedication to the game, dozens of courses await your discovery. The Myrtle Beach golfing vacation now for a chance to play your pick from more than 100 championship golf courses. Once you select your fairways of choice, book ahead if at all possible.

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