5 Most Challenging Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach
Golf is a sport that demands precision, skill, and a lot of patience. Golf is tough. It is a game that can be played for a lifetime and for some golfers, it is a real passion. For many of those passionate golfers the ultimate challenge is to play the most difficult golf course they can find, to test their abilities. Myrtle Beach is the golf Capital of the World, and you can find a lot of challenging golf courses in the region. What makes a golf course hard to play? Tight fairways, penalty areas, fast and undulating greens, the length of the course, deep and well-placed bunkers are among the peculiarities. You can check the difficulty of a golf course according to the slope rating indicated on the scorecard before teeing up or on the course website before booking your tee time. The highest the slope number is, the toughest and challenging the course will be, regardless of your level of play.
For those hoping to get a crack at them, here are, according to me, the five most challenging golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area.
Open to public for golfers seeking an experience of PGA Tour caliber golf, TPC Myrtle Beach cannot be surpassed. Located in Murrells Inlet, design by Tom Fazio, the course offers 18 holes of breathtaking golf. Tight fairways, fast and undulating greens, and well-placed bunkers. Your game as to be sharp to attack the TPC Myrtle Beach. The 18th hole is one of the toughest and nicest holes in Myrtle Beach, with water on the left and bunkers on the right side of the green, overlooking the beautiful clubhouse.
Named the 2013 Golf Course of the Year, The Dye Club is the most challenging of the four courses at Barefoot Resort along with the Norman, Love and Fazio designed. Pete Dye’s designed courses are always typically tough all around the world. This visually stunning design is filled with the infamous pitfalls for wayward shots, keeps golfers on their toes, and always thinking about the next shot. Beautiful and treacherous, the Dye Course is an experience you won’t forget, and it is also the site of Darius Rucker’s annual MAM (Monday after the Masters) pro-am.
From its entrance lined with centuries-old live oaks, its amazing azalea bushes and flower beds, a visit to Caledonia is an exciting visual, golfing experience. It has been recognized for its design and incredible beauty. The 6,526-yard, par 70 course has been described as having 18 signature holes. The 18th hole is something else. The iconic par 4 requires a precise tee shot and a challenging second shot over water onto the green at the foot of the clubhouse.
Tidewater Golf Club delivers unmatched natural beauty and layout that has been ranked among the nation’s top 100 public courses and ranked first for many years in Myrtle Beach. Home to nine holes that play along the water, Tidewater’s landscape is incredible and memorable, especially holes 3,4,12 and 13 which reside along Cherry Grove, a tidal inlet that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Dunes golf course will be the host of the new Myrtle Beach Classic, a PGA Tour event that will take place in 2024. With 75 years of rich history, designed by Robert Trent Jones, the 18 holes golf course is constantly ranked Top 100 in the nation and has been host to the PGA Senior Tour and the USGA Women’s Open. It is always a challenge to play a golf course where the PGA Tour pros plays. According to Lee Trevino, professional golf legend, The Dunes Golf course is fabulous and it’s one of the best he as ever seen.
So, if you have the opportunity to try out any of these five courses mentioned above, let me assure that it will be an absolutely exciting and a memorable experience. However, don’t be intimated by the difficulty of the golf course, play from the appropriate set of tees according to your level of play and always enjoy yourself and the scenery, in a beautiful place, Myrtle Beach, Golf Capital of the World.
I am originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I am a retired firefighter from the City of Montreal, and I have been in the golf business for 25 years. I was also a golf professional for almost ten years and golf continues to be my passion. I have been visiting Myrtle Beach for 30 years and I can say that I consider the city as my home away from home. This is my favorite destination when the golf season is over north of the border. I love everything about Myrtle Beach: the beautiful weather all year round, the superb golf courses, a multitude of restaurant choices, shopping for all tastes, 100 kilometers of beaches and all kinds of activities that will make your stay an unforgettable experience, whether it is with your golf partners, your family, or simply to settle down there for a few months to escape the cold of winter.