Best Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach

This 27-hole championship golf course combines the best elements of a modern golf layout with the best Mother Nature has to offer in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Arcadian Shores features pristine ponds, lakes and wetland surrounded by towering pines and twisting live oaks to form a true test of golf. Deviously placed bunkers, tree-lined Bermuda fairways and the distinctive contouring presents the ultimate golf challenges of man and nature. Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1974, Arcadian Shores Golf Club accommodates any level of golfer with its selection of five tee boxes. The course also features a practice facility, The Hilton Golf Academy, where you can hone your swing.

River Oaks Golf Plantation in Myrtle Beach offers three spectacular nine-hole layouts that span an 800-acre plantation that borders the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway. Designed by famed architects Gene Hamm and Tom Jackson, River Oaks Golf Plantation features 27 championship holes in a scenic setting of natural lakes and wetlands. Named for wildlife native to the former preserve, the Bear, Fox and Otter courses present their own unique set of challenges. Golfers of all skill level will find their games put to the test. River Oaks Golf Plantation recently underwent major renovations to make this place even more popular among local and visiting golfers.

Ocean Ridge Plantation offers golf so good that it makes the 30-minute drive up Highway 17 seem well worth the effort. Designed by Willard Byrd, Lion's Paw appeals to all skill levels with its forgiving fairways and contoured greens. One of two courses here designed by Tom Cate, Panther's Run poses a different set of challenges than those offered by the former —" en lieu of long shots, this course requires accuracy and, perhaps, a little daring. Pinehurst inspired Cate's Tiger's Eye, whose traditional design was carved out of Sunset Beach's maritime forests. It's hard to go wrong by playing any of these five links.

After playing a few holes at the Heritage Club, you may just find yourself wishing that you'd brought your camera instead of your driver. Constructed on tracts that once made up the True Blue and Midway Plantations, this exquisite course enjoys an overwhelming array of scenery, from giant magnolias and oaks that date back three centuries to natural lakes and wetlands. Yes, this par-71 is as beautiful as they come, and it wastes no time letting you know how tough it can be —" the second hole (and the #1 handicap) is a long, narrow par-5 whose green is guarded by trees, traps and water.

Designed by Ken Tomlinson, a native South Carolinian, Tidewater pays homage to the courses of the early 20th century —" that is to say, his intent was that this course fit the landscape and natural beauty of the area. Based on the accolades Tidewater has received over the years, it's easy to guess that Tomlinson's idea was a success. The 500-acre tract looks out over various landscapes, including coastal bluffs, Lowcountry forests, saltwater marshes, and even the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway. The scenic setting and challenging design make the Heritage Club a perfect play for golfers of all skill levels.

Featuring four outstanding courses, the Barefoot Resort is truly a destination unto itself, especially for golfers. The Norman Course features striking holes along the Intracoastal Waterway and takes full advantage of the natural landscape. The course designed by Davis Love III is a traditional Lowcountry plantation course featuring wide fairways and ample landing areas. The third trek, by Tom Fazio, also features a classic Lowcountry design and is flanked by water and dense tree cover. The picturesque Dye Course, meanwhile, is set against the Carolina Bays and features many of its designer's signature pitfalls, requiring that golfers avoid being distracted by the scenery.

Widely regarded as one of the Strand's —" even one of South Carolina's —" top golf courses, True Blue features wide, immaculate fairways, rolling terrain and a spectacular marriage with the surrounding landscape. Built on a former rice and indigo plantation, this course plays 7,062 yards from the back tees and traverses a diverse terrain ranging from salt marshes to dense forests. Featuring on-site golf villas for comfort and convenience, golfers can stroll to the tee box for their round. Designed by renowned architect Mike Strantz, True Blue truly is one of the treasures of Pawleys Island and a gem of the Grand Strand.

Untamed wetlands and rugged pine forests characterize this scenic course, designed by the legendary Tom Fazio. Indeed, Fazio's aim was to create a course that would not take away from the features of the landscape, and each fairway seems to brandish a different natural hazard, whether it's a water feature or an expanse of wetland that must be carried. Elevated tee boxes and open fairways give golfers the illusion of advantage, but this quickly fades once they encounter one of 70 bunkers Fazio incorporated into his design. Golfers can expect a true test of their skills on this open layout.

Once a rice plantation, beautiful Caledonia is as prestigious a public course as you'll find in Myrtle Beach, and it continues to receive award after award each year. Centered on a lovely antebellum-styled clubhouse, the rolling course is flanked by pines and hardwoods and challenges even the most accurate hitters with its many sand bunkers and water hazards. Designed by award-winning architect Mike Strantz, this course has made numerous lists and won countless awards for its design and playability. Service and maintenance are also top-notch, but those factors won't help you tackle this challeninging layout that is one of the toughest on the Grand Strand.

A Robert Trent Jones signature course (he oversaw its renovation in the 1970s and early '90s), The Dunes was completed in 1948 and stands today as one of the Strand's most respected golf clubs. One of the course's most endearing qualities is that each hole has been individually named to give golfers a better idea of the challenges awaiting them. The signature hole is the par-5 #13, famously known as "Waterloo" thanks to the sharp dogleg it takes around crystalline Lake Singleton. The Dunes Club is semi-private, offering a limited number of public rounds, so we recommend making your reservations early.