Golfweek magazine’s latest rankings of the best public golf courses by state is out, and the Myrtle Beach area owns 12 of the top 20 golf courses in South Carolina. Although the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, which ranks near the top nationally, also tops the SC list, the Dunes Beach & Golf Club, Caledonia and True Blue golf clubs hold down the numbers 3 through 5 positions. (#2 is Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island).
The Dunes is arguably not a public golf course since just a handful of Myrtle Beach resorts have access for their guests on the otherwise private golf course. Caledonia and True Blue, sister courses across the road from each other in Pawleys Island, are fully public and also offer an annual membership that is more than reasonably priced. Play enough golf and your green fees, cart included, will not exceed $30, a huge discount over the rack rate that is as high as $200 in peak seasons (spring and fall). Other top 20 South Carolina golf courses located on the 60-mile Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach are Tidewater (#7), Moorland Course at Legends Resort (9), TPC Myrtle Beach (10), King’s North (11), Heritage Club (13), Dye Course at Barefoot Resort (14), Grande Dunes (15), Heathland Course at Legends Resort (16) and Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort (#18).
All these golf courses are located either within, adjacent or close to residential communities. Combining a vacation home and pay as you go golf makes financial sense – no initiation fees, no club dues, no “obligation” to play a few times a week to get a return on your investment. Below are links to current listings of properties for sale in the Pawleys Island area that are close to a few of these outstanding public golf courses.
True Blue's layout is loaded with sand. On the par three third hole, that challenge is compounded with water.True Blue Golf Club The course will gobsmack you the first time you play it. Imagine strips of grass laid down on a prairie of sand, and that is Mike Strantz’ design at True Blue. It may be the first course where you encouraged – in a few cases compelled – to drive your golf cart through huge waste bunkers. A thrillingly bizarre and wonderful first experience. Most of the real estate adjacent to True Blue is of the townhouse variety and, therefore, perfect as vacation homes that can be rented out when not in use by the owner.
The golf course in the community known as Heritage in Pawleys Island combines the seductive elements of sand, water and centuries old live oak trees.Heritage Not one of the best-known golf communities or golf clubs in the Myrtle Beach area but locals love the golf course, which is festooned by huge three century old live oak trees and marshland that give Heritage a kind of Low Country seductive quality. Designed by Dan Maples, the course features huge greens and green complexes spread out over land once occupied by two plantations and 600 acres. The amenity-rich community is anchored by its own marina and, in addition to boating, a fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, community pool and owner’s clubhouse.
Tom Fazio loves bunkering and I do too when there is a clear path between them at TPC Myrtle Beach.TPC Myrtle Beach The sprawling community of Prince Creek sits beside and surrounds part of the Tournament Players Club (TPC) of Myrtle Beach, part of the famous TPC network of golf clubs. Prince Creek should be high on the list of those looking for either a vacation home adjacent to outstanding golf, or a permanent home in the laid back Grand Strand in coastal South Carolina.
Members at the semi-private Pawleys Plantation Golf Club call the par 3 13th hole "the shortest par 5 in Myrtle Beach."Pawleys Plantation Although it did not make the top 20 list in Golfweek, Pawleys Plantation will the next time around. A $2 million renovation to restore the course to its 1988 layout when Jack Nicklaus first designed it, as well as to make it more playable by removing some of the huge fairway bunkers that are tough to maintain and slowdown play, will be/was completed in October 2023. A course that was good enough to rank in the top 13 courses on the Grand Strand will be even better. Pawleys Plantation comprises the full spectrum of golf properties, including single-family, townhouse condos and a few choice lots with golf course views. Prices for lots run from around $100,000 for patio homesites to $1 million and more for large, multi-leveled single-family homes with marsh views. Townhomes are priced generally from the high $200s.