Arrowhead Country Club near new Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach a roller coaster ride of its own

By Brandon Tucker, Senior Writer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Getting to Arrowhead Country Club from the heart of Myrtle Beach requires a quick drive on Highway 501 over the Intracoastal Waterway and past the entrance to the new Hard Rock Park theme park opened in the spring of 2008.

Arrowhead Country Club sits just over the Intracoastal Waterway in Myrtle Beach.

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So if you have some thrill-seekers in your group, drop them off on the way, and you'll have the rest of the day for some exciting golf at Arrowhead.

Arrowhead C.C. is a Raymond Floyd Signature Course with collaboration from golf course architect Tom Jackson, a familiar name to the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach regulars are going to find many similarities to his River Club design down in Litchfield. Both River Club and Arrowhead are similar in that they offer generous fairways but heavily guarded bent grass greens. Considering it was built in 1994, the course is slightly on the short side, with no combination of nines stretching longer than 6,700 yards.

But what sets Arrowhead apart from the pack of Myrtle Beach golf courses is its tumbling fairways and heavy mounding, which make this course set on mostly flat terrain seem anything but. Its slope, at 139-41 depending on the nine combination, ranks among Myrtle Beach's upper echelon. While fairways are generous, approach shots demand your attention, as most green complexes have few places for a "good miss."

It may seem like a good idea to leave the driver in the bag on several holes, but other opportunities are simply too tempting to pass up. No. 2 on the exciting Waterway nine is a sharp dogleg left around a pond and is lined with trees. However, it's about a 290-yard carry from the back tees over the water and onto the green. With a little wind at your back, it's practically irresistible when you consider a lay-up down the fairway will result in a tricky, 120-yard shot over a bunker to the green.

If you don't notice the roller coaster fairways, you'll certainly notice the Intracoastal Waterway on a handful of holes. The Waterway nine is especially exciting, featuring the par-3 third hole, playing to 175 yards entirely over water to a small, island green.

The par-4 fifth hole, playing with the waterway to the left, is the most scenic of the holes on the nine, but also has the smallest fairway, guarded by bunkers on either side.

Arrowhead Country Club: The Verdict

Arrowhead C.C. is a convenient option in Myrtle Beach, located just over the Intracoastal Waterway on Highway 501, and one of the better courses in the second tier of Grand Strand offerings. It stands out by offering a handful of Intracoastal Waterway holes (both Arrowhead's Cypress and Waterway nines feature Waterway holes, so any combination of nines will get you the waterway scenery).

Peak season green fees are $100, though golf packages and seasonal specials abound. Arrowhead also offers discounted replays within seven days of your initial visit.

July 15, 2008