MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. | Another flip of the calendar from December to January means it is time to honor some of Myrtle Beach’s long-standing courses.
These 12 are all celebrating in some form or another in 2020, as they reach milestone anniversaries many in the industry would be thrilled to achieve. Each of them have their own bragging rights, and also an individual claim to notability.
Make them a part of your plans this coming year.
ANNIVERSARY: 20 years
COURSES: Barefoot Resort & Golf foursome
ABOUT THE TRACKS: On April 1, 2000, some of the players who wanted to get on any of the Barefoot tracks were taking pontoon boats across the Intracoastal Waterway, their bags in tow as traffic across the recently installed swing bridge was backing up considerably. Within months, that “problem” (some actually loved it) with the courses was solved for good and players from around the country were more easily exposed to one of the most successful golf properties to have ever opened in the United States. The Dye, Fazio, Love and Norman put Barefoot on the map, and nothing has changed since.
ANNIVERSARY: 25 years
COURSE: Arrowhead Country Club
ABOUT THE TRACK: There aren’t many 27-hole properties in the Myrtle Beach area, and Arrowhead does it about as well as any of them. The Raymond Floyd/Tom Jackson combined effort took land that is otherwise reserved for housing and made something awesome. A hole and a half along the Intercoastal is cool. A design that opened in 1995 puts a premium on clean golf rolls throughout.
ANNIVERSARY: 30 years
COURSES: Tidewater Golf Club; Blackmoor Golf Club; Legends Golf & Resort Heathland and Moorland courses
ABOUT THE TRACKS: These four 1990-opened options were mostly about names, as Tom Doak (Heathland), Gary Player (Blackmoor) (pictured above)and P.B. Dye (Moorland) each added to their resumes with the type of courses that had investments to lead to lengthy stays in the market. Yet, there was also an attorney from the South Carolina Midlands who was ready to test his hand. Ken Tomlinson was given a beautiful patch of land in the northern section of the Grand Strand, and his design left nothing to be desired.
ANNIVERSARY: 35 years
COURSE: River Club
ABOUT THE TRACK: Long before the Waccamaw Golf Trail became a thing, River Club was adding to Pawleys Island’s booming links market. The second-oldest member of The Trail, Tom Jackson first foray into the area gave the South Carolina designer every reason to be requested by soon-to-be owners ready to go all-in on the game.
ANNIVERSARY: 40 years
COURSE: Burning Ridge Golf Club
ABOUT THE TRACK: In many ways, 2005 was a rebirth at Burning Ridge, as the old West Course was shuttered for housing development and the East Course was reshaped into what exists today. However, many of the portions of what players saw for the first time in 1990 remains today.
ANNIVERSARY: 60 years
COURSE: Surf Golf & Beach Club
ABOUT THE TRACK: Only two courses that are currently open in and around Myrtle Beach are older than Surf, and it’s quite an honor given that it all came together in about 13 or so months in the late 1950s and the first few of 1960. This anchor track in North Myrtle Beach has had a few small renovations over the years, most recently a 2016 greens project.
