Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, affectionately know to golfers around the world as the "Grand Strand," boasts close to 100 golf courses ranging from high-end private clubs to affordable daily-fee options. What's more, with the beach, countless dining choices, and a wide range of lodging, Myrtle Beach remains one of the most popular golf spots in the world.
No golf course along the Grand Strand has played a better host to so much history than The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design has served as the playground for hackers, hopefuls and heroes since opening in 1948.
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The Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club -- in Sunset Beach, N.C., just north of Myrtle Beach -- is literally surrounded by its competition. But as golf developments have sprung up around it, the 27-hole club hasn't gotten lost in the shuffle. In fact, it was named the 2010 course of the year by the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association after finishing a major three-year renovation. Sandpiper Bay isn't cruel and conniving like so many modern layouts, and there's something to be said for straight-forward, well designed holes.
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The Signature Golf Group, a South Carolina-based management company, slowly -- but surely -- has Heron Point Golf Club on the mend. Although there's still plenty of work ahead, Signature believes it can bring this course on the northern end of the Mytle Beach Grand Strand back to life, Ian Guerin writes.
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As the fall golf season in Myrtle Beach rolls around, there's lots of great news on the Grand Strand. A handful of area courses rebuilt their greens this summer, a positive sign that course operators are willing to spend money on a future that could be brighter than the recent past. Expansion efforts continue at Myrtle Beach International Airport, which will allow for even more regional traffic. And several new restaurants and night spots have opened including Jimmy Buffett's Landshark Bar and Grill on the new oceanfront boardwalk.
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Golfers who play Wild Wing Plantation will likely experience their first round on the nine-hole Hummingbird Course, whether they know it or not. Wild Wing is spending this summer on a major greens renovation on the 18-hole Avocet Course, so it's going to use the Hummingbird to substitute some holes. And, for a course that often goes unnoticed, that will be a very good thing, Ian Guerin writes.
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Don't believe everything you hear. Especially if the topic is the greens on the Avocet Course at Wild Wing Golf Plantation in Conway, S.C. They had a rough spell, but the greens are looking better than they have in years, Ian Guerin writes. And the Avocet may be on its way back to the upper echelon of Myrtle Beach golf.
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Some would say the Heathland Course at Legends Golf and Resort is the best deal in the Myrtle Beach area, and much of that is due to the old-time feel the course provides. Patterned after a number of British Isle courses, Heathland is different from the four other layouts at the Legends -- and that's part of its draw, Ian Guerin writes.
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The driver is probably better off in your bag on many holes of the PineHills course at Myrtlewood Golf Club in Myrtle Beach. Accuracy is key. One of the advantages of playing the PineHills course is that a lack of elevation variants makes it easier to judge distance. Ian Guerin has more from the Grand Strand.
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The Palmetto course at Myrtlewood Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. is a solid mid-range play on the Grand Strand that offers a great mix of distance, accuracy, sand and water. And its picturesque settings are evident on several holes, with azaleas often serving as a back drop. There's a reason the majority of golfers who play here are are repeat customers, Ian Guerin writes.
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There are plenty of golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area, which means there are some just right for you, no matter the budget. Brandon Tucker offers some suggestions on where to stay and play along the Grand Strand whether you have a high-end budget or are looking for the best bargain tee times.
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