MyrtleBeachGolf.com houses thousands of these user reviews on its Fairway Insider platform, and with the prime spring season finishing up, the reviews are in. Here are the top four courses in the area, according to your fellow visiting golfers:
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
A perennial nominee for “Best Course in the Myrtle Beach area,” this Mike Strantz masterpiece continues to serve up one of the very best golf experiences in the South. The Spanish moss-laden live oaks that line the entryway to the course set a tone of pure Lowcountry beauty, as does the presence of thousands of annual flowers that accent the 18 splendid golf holes Strantz laid out. The most famous of these is the 18th, a par-4 with its green tucked between the plantation manor-style clubhouse and the outlying wetlands of the Waccamaw River.
Here’s what recent visitors have said about Caledonia:
“Although this was my first time [at] Caledonia, I felt like a frequent client. The course was fantastic, and so I really enjoyed my time. I look forward to my next trip down.”
“This is the nicest golf course in the Myrtle Beach area. Absolutely pristine from tee to green. Staff is very friendly. Pace of play was great. Even with the high price tag, it's worth every penny.”
“Having heard for years that Caledonia was one of the best courses on the Grand Strand, we had high expectations. We were not disappointed. The course was all that I expected and then some. Can't wait to go back.”
Thistle Golf Club
One of a handful of Grand Strand courses designed by Tim Cate, Thistle has been one of the Myrtle Beach area’s most popular layouts ever since it opened in 1999. With three nines — the Cameron, Stewart and MacKay routings — the course can play differently one day to the next. It is mostly an open layout, with wide fairways bordered by extensive mounding and bunkering. Water comes into play throughout the layout, as well. Finally, Thistle has one of the region’s most distinctive clubhouses, evoking the old hunting estate lodges of Scotland.
Here’s what recent visitors have said about Thistle:
“Beautiful course, everything was first class!”
“Great course in super condition. Very fast greens. Very helpful staff. Would play again”
“Just finished up a round of 18 at the Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach, NC. If you are anywhere near the Wilmington/Myrtle Beach area, you owe it to yourself to play a round here. ‘Perfection’ is the only word I can use to describe the whole experience. The course was in immaculate condition and was manicured to a T. In 20 years of playing, this is the nicest course I have ever played. Greens, tee boxes, sand traps and fairways were in perfect condition. The clubhouse and the memorabilia in it were breathtaking, and the customer service was second to none. This customer service was demonstrated from everyone from the bag drop, to starter, to the General Manager. The tee times were spaced apart, as we did not see more than one foursome at any hole. Even the ice towels given to the customers to keep cool were scented to enhance the customer experience. I will definitely play this course again and will recommend it to anyone I talk golf with. The Thistle Golf Club today demonstrated perfection.”
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club
Ever since it opened in 1949, The Dunes Golf & Beach Club has been one of the exceptional golf courses in all of South Carolina. It was instrumental in helping establish Myrtle Beach as a serious golf destination, and it continues to thrive nearly 70 years later. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and recently renovated by his son Rees Jones, The Dunes is a classic test of one’s golfing abilities, with deep bunkering, elevated greens and water coming into play a number of times throughout the round, especially on the par-5 13th, “Waterloo,” which measures more than 600 yards and curls clockwise around part of a lake.
Here’s what recent visitors have said about the Dunes:
“For it being mid March, the course was in great shape. Fast greens, tough pins and lush fairways. The staff was superb, and if I'm ever back to Myrtle Beach, I will be going back.”
“Great layout, some undulations in fairway and greens. Greens were running around 11. Course well maintained.”
“First time at Dunes Golf & Beach Club, and it was a great experience. Course in great shape and good pace of play. Very challenging. Some bunkers had very hard sand, but staff likely was not caught up treating them from the storm the night before. Staff was amazing. I would highly recommend and will be back.”
Sea Trail Plantation – Byrd Course
This is a perfect example of the depth of great golf in Myrtle Beach, and the way in which courses can fly under the radar. The Byrd Course at the 54-hole Sea Trail complex has long been considered a middle-range option: solid golf, typically in good shape, and offering a good bang for one’s golfing buck. But things have been going particularly well at this North Carolina-side layout, and it might just be the dark-horse star of your next trip.
Here’s what recent visitors have said about the Byrd Course:
“Challenging course layout but very enjoyable. Excellent quality for the cost!”
“The fairways were excellent, and only the unseeded areas were wet, which was amazing considering the rain. Greens were large and in perfect shape.”
Be sure to read these and hundreds more Fairway Insider reviews right here at MyrtleBeachGolf.com to get the best intel before you book your next amazing golf vacation in Myrtle Beach.