| by: Len Ziehm - 9/9/2003 12:23:11 PM |
| In 34 years as a Chicago golf writer I had never played a course in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Shame on me.
The void was filled in August when I made a five-day, five-course swing through the area that can justifiably call itself the golf capitol of the U.S.
Myrtle Beach and its surrounding towns offer 114 courses. That’s a lot of golf options in a very condensed area. Obviously I couldn’t sample many of them, but I did get a good smattering thanks to the advice of staffers at Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Looking back on the trip, planned much too last-minute, I can say the biggest problem for any new visitor to the area is deciding where to play. There are almost too many options. I was happy to have someone with expertise pick where I’d play rather than my wrestling with websites and literature gathered various sources over a year or two.
Because this was an introductory visit, I wanted to test a variety of courses and I did that. The five courses I played were in the Pawley’s Island area, which is on the south end of the Grand Strand. That’s the term for the general Myrtle Beach area. All the courses were close to my accommodations, at Pawley’s Plantation. The resort, said to be the oldest in the United States, is on the north side of Myrtle Beach proper. It’s about 20 miles from the small but functional Myrtle Beach airport and about 25 miles from downtown Myrtle Beach.
I did visit the downtown area one night and, while I can see that it would appeal to many--especially families, it wasn’t for me. I was there to play golf. Here’s what I found:
CALEDONIA GOLF & FISH CLUB--My favorite of the courses I played. This great track was designed by Michael Strantz in 1995 on land that was once a colonial rice plantation. Strantz’ work has been largely in the South, so Chicago golfers may not be familiar with him. I’m told Caledonia is much different, and not as difficult, as his subsequent creations It was a gem, though. Measuring only 6,526 yards from the back tees, it was both fun and visually beautiful, with an array of flowers and shrubs spread thoughout the holes.
And, the shrimp bisque in the clubhouse lived up to its advanced billing. In short, Caledonia is a very special place.
TRUE BLUE--Another Strantz’ design, it is located beside Caledonia so comparisons are inevitable. Some believe this is the best course in Myrtle Beach. I’m not qualified to say that, but Golf Digest magazine rated it as No. 1 in Myrtle Beach. Built in 1998, True Blue is definitely a good layout and more challenging than Caledonia. It gets your attention from the first hole on and would be a challenge for any golfer. As was the case at Caledonia, the staff was most friendly.
THE TRADITION--I wanted at least one course where novices, especially young ones, could play and this one fit the bill. It had five tee placements on each hole and a huge practice area.
LITCHFIELD COUNTRY CLUB--I wanted to play one of the older courses in the area and found it here. Litchfield, designed by Willard Byrd--another Southern architect, opened in 1966. I hadn’t played a course with strictly bermuda grass for a long time, so that made for an unusual experience. Litchfield measured only 6,752 yards from the back tees but it played much longer because virtually every hole seemed to be a dogleg. It’s also a course that accommodates a wide variety of players.
PAWLEY’S PLANTATION--The course at the resort where I stayed was one of Jack Nicklaus’ early designs and is marked by 11 lakes. It had one drawback. The green at the par-5 11th hole was in need of repairs and a temporary one was used. That was only a minor drawback. Pawley’s had the two most interesting holes I played on my stay--both par-3s with the tees built on a narrow strip of land running through a marsh. I’ve never seen holes like these two. There was water front and back of both tees. The best was 13th, which can play as short as 40 yards or as long as 145. I played it at 69 yards and it was plenty challenging. The delicate tee shot is everything, with water surrounding a double green. It also is the putting surface for the 16th hole. The 17th hole is similar to the 13th as far as the tee shot is concerned, but the yardage ranges from 117 to 201.
Some other thoughts:
You might be interested in knowing that Pawley’s Plantation dates back to the 18th century and its visitors have included three U.S. presidents--George Washington, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland--as well as Britain’s political leader, Winston Churchill. For those who like beach life, the waves and sand are only about five miles away.
Cost is always a factor in vacation planning. While I consider a trip to Myrtle Beach a reasonably-priced vacation possibility, rates do change with the season. It’s more expensive in the spring and fall, when the weather is at its best.
Dining options are excellent. We found it the most fun to buy shrimp off the side of the road (only $3.50 a pound) and then shell and cook them ourselves. But restaurants do abound, and going to Crabby Mike’s--a seafood buffet offering 120 items--was a most memorable experience.
Finally, if you’ve never been to Myrtle Beach, I’d advise going through the area’s websites and choosing a golf package rather than booking everything individually. That’s what I’ll do when I return, hopefully soon. Next time the courses of North Myrtle Beach will get a look With so many quality courses available, it’d be foolish not to try as many of them as possible.
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