Title: Golfing with Legends: Historical Tours of Myrtle Beach Courses
Known as the Golf Capital of the World, Myrtle Beach is embedded in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Strand. Beyond its impressive moniker, the coastal city is a verdant paradise for golf enthusiasts, teeming with enchanting golf courses that marry history, innovation, and design. Offering these magnificent courses exclusive to Myrtle Beach, golfing here feels akin to walking – and playing – in the footsteps of legends.
Myrtle Beach, since its embryonic stages in the 1920s, has grown into a golfing haven, boasting over 80 top-tier golf courses. These sprawling greens and picturesque landscapes have felt the expert strokes of countless veterans and rookies alike, making golfing in Myrtle Beach akin to traversing through a historical time-capsule dedicated to the timeless sport.
The heart of the city’s golf history begins with the ‘Granddaddy’, Pine Lakes Country Club. Founded in 1927, it was Myrtle Beach’s first golf course, featuring sublime greenery designed by the legendary Robert White, the first president of PGA America. Ever-famous for being the birthplace of ‘Sports Illustrated’ in 1954, Pine Lakes continues to be a testament to golf’s historical and cultural importance in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and America as a whole.
Next on our tour comes the River Oaks Golf Plantation, whose 27-holes are a living homage to Hall of Fame architects Gene Hamm and Tom Jackson. Playing a round at River Oaks is arguably a rite of passage, offering diverse obstacles beloved by purists, as well as three stunning 9-hole panoramas that have grown symbiotically with the city’s evolution.
The third stop on this historical tour is the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, a masterpiece sculpted in 1948 by the venerable Robert Trent Jones, whose influence on the world of golf course architecture has been profound. One specific hole, Waterloo, a knee-trembling par 5, is particularly infamous amongst professionals and amateurs alike for its formidable challenge. The Dunes is not merely a golf course; it resonates as a beacon to the golfing elite who frequent its fairways every year.
Stepping further back in time, the Legends Golf Complex is a tribute to the golden era of Scottish golf. Its three courses, Heathland, Moorland, and Parkland, each take design cues from classical Scottish links to the ever-challenging championship setups. The complex also proffers the Old-World allure of a Scottish village clubhouse that harks back to golf’s earliest origins.
Winding down our historical journey, we take a gander at Tidewater Golf Club, Myrtle Beach’s answer to Pebble Beach. As the first course ever named “Best New Public Course” by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine in the same year, Tidewater boasts a harmonious design integration between the verdant fairways and the natural beauty of the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove.
The final stop on our historical tour is a course that plucks its musical notes from the icons of Rock and Roll: the Hard Rock Golf Club at Myrtle Beach. Previously known as the SouthCreek Course at Myrtle Beach National, this decidedly modern yet historically rooted course offers rock-themed obstacles and features that strike a chord with its visitors and render it an unmissable part of the city’s golf narrative.
Each of these historical courses provides an indelible opportunity to play in the footsteps of some of golf’s greatest influencers and legends, leading to an experience that is arguably as much about heritage as it is about the game. For the passionate golfer, a journey to sample the historical, picturesque, and challenging courses that Myrtle Beach has to offer is tantamount to a pilgrimage. An exploration of its verdant acres under the South Carolinian sun truly echoes golfing with legends. If you ever get the chance, I strongly recommend it.
After all, in Myrtle Beach, you’ll be playing more than just a round of golf; you’ll be etching your name into the history of the City of Golf.
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