Wachesaw East is not Wacha' get in Murrels Inlet

Wachesaw East is not Wachesaw Plantation. With a 6:30 tee time, Uncle and I had precious little time to waste on screw-ups. We spun our ride around and went the five minutes to the correct Plantation, in time to sneak into our spot, get the First Group flag, and sweep the dew. The foursome behind was champing at the bit to overtake us, but we had a secret arsenal the likes of which make Kim Jung Il blush: we skipped a hole! How many great par threes over water, with pins tight behind bunkers, can you play? I mean, come on!! To their credit, they almost caught us.

A little background: Uncle is not the pig from Charlotte’s web. He is Mrs. Mon’s Uncle, a 6′4″ man of unspeakable kindness. When he heard that I was reviewing courses, he feared for my loneliness, and offered to accompany me. Never mind that Uncle’s last tour of duty on a golf course was in the Phillipines, during his Air Force tenure, with a keg on every hole. The man was primed, stoked, and jacked, and so was I. Mrs. Uncle (not known, incidentally, as Aunt) ironed his finest khaki shorts and hawaiian shirt, and we were off.

Wachesaw East is a Clyde Johnston design in the calm southern suburbs of Myrtle Beach. It winds its way through, past, and around townhouses, condos, and other retreats in enviable fashion. The signage is outstanding, and the tour from green to tee on a number of holes is long and entertaining. Makes walking nearly impossible, but who wants to walk in this heat? Mr. Clyde is enamored of wetlands. Trouble is, he stuck two of them in front of the first and second tees. The Mon (bragadaccio coming) had no trouble clearing them from the tips, but Uncle made two early donations to the Gods from the Yellows. That was a bit extreme, as the Yellows are the fourth set from the back, just in front of the Reds. Clyde soon calmed down, giving us a series of par fours and fives along palmetto and pine-lined fairways. Although the housing is omnipresent, it does not intrude on the golf, and rarely comes into play for the most wicked of slices.

Wachesaw East’s par five holes are dynamic ones, with the 17th the culmination of a great series. A wee burn meanders like Rae’s Creek at Augusta just in front, so buy the yardage book in the shop and take careful notes! On the 18th hole, Clyde brings his masterpiece home to a crescendo. The hole is essentially straight, with wetlands in front. A 270-yard drive over more wetlands, down the left, offered only 160 yards to the pin, yet I was blocked by more vegetation. The ideal play is to skirt the bunker on the right, opening up the shot to the green. Mr. Johnston left ample room down the right for a bail-out, and I availed myself of the opp. A pitch and putts later, I was in safely.

I rarely play courses twice, but would certainly return to Wachesaw East. The staff was helpful and courteous, especially the timer on the course. I love the timer! “How are we doing?” “You are ahead of schedule, sir. Have a nice day.” Two more days of golf, then the journey ends.

Stay tuned.