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Hurtle to Myrtle
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 January 2005 |
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For an upscale taste of Myrtle Beach, hurry down to the South Strand By SHANE SHARP Few golf destinations evoke more "been-there-done-that" than Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And that's a shame, because nobody has been there and done it all. The 60-mile stretch known as the Grand Strand features 108 courses, 70,000-plus rooms, suites and condos, and more than 1,600 restaurants. Your stay-play-and-eat options are practically infinite.
Storm the beach the smart way by choosing a manageable part of the Strand. The South Strand, marked by live oaks cloaked in Spanish moss, runs from Surfside Beach south to Pawleys Island. This is where neon signs, tourist traps and all-you-can-eat chow halls give way to seafood shanties and boutiques that complement a languid landscape.
The seventh at Caledonia, where water and sand dominateTony Roberts
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Most courses here are laid out on former rice and indigo plantations on the Waccamaw River neck. The South Strand's crown jewel is the 6,526-yard Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (No. 26 on GOLF MAGAZINE's Top 100 You Can Play). Eccentric architect Mike Strantz showed restraint with this traditional track set in reedy wetlands. The 383-yard 18th hole--one of the best closers in town--calls for a knee-knocking approach over a coastal lagoon to a green near Caledonia's wraparound patio. Splashed approaches spark polite sighs from spectators, but a 9-iron to 10 feet just might get you a round of applause.
Across the road at Strantz's True Blue course--aka Golf's Heaven and Hell--the architect displays the diabolical streak that fed his rep as a maverick. True Blue's vast waste areas, scattered mounds and oblique greens have polarized golfers since the course opened in 1998. Strantz tamed his beast in 2000, but the 145 slope from the 7,062-yard black tees makes it one of Myrtle's toughest tracks.
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Another tough hombre is the 6,950-yard Tournament Players Club of Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet. Master designer Tom Fazio prefers beauty to brawn, but the TPC of Myrtle Beach showcases forced carries, tight fairways and tricky approaches. The 17th is a 193-yarder that demands a tee shot over a pond to a peninsular green. The 538-yard 18th plays as a three-shotter from the tips and as a pure risk-reward challenge from the other four tees. Prince Creek bisects the fairway 300 yards out, forcing long hitters to think twice from the tee.
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