We’d all love seven days straight to play golf and dine out at the nicest joints and experience all the off-course entertainment North Myrtle Beach has to offer.
Frankly, the schedule, family considerations and finances don’t always allow us to make that kind of commitment.
Have no fear, along the north end of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, a weekend trip, planned successfully, can bear enough fruit to give you memories galore. With less than three full days, you can get to North Myrtle Beach, play some terrific golf courses, snag a great meal or three, have some “play” time and be back home in plenty of time to be at the office on Monday morning.
Enjoy this whirlwind and the fun it could be.
FRIDAY
If you’re able to sneak away from work a few hours early on Day 1, you can get to your lodgings in plenty of time to not feel like you have to go right to bed to gear up for your first rounds of golf.
And after you change your get-up and are ready, we’re going to make the first of two nights ultra-convenient for you. Whether you’re staying at Barefoot Landing or anywhere nearby, head to Taco Mundo Kitchen y Cantina for some of the freshest Mexican grub around. Instead of going 10-pages deep on the menu, Taco Mundo kept it high and tight, perfecting a relatively small number of dishes. Explore the taco choices, add in a street corn and a side of queso for the table and knock it all back with a tequila or margarita flight.
From there, it’s a quick walk a few hundred yards down to House of Blues. While the venue is known globally for its high-ticket and big-name acts, us locals associate it as much with its back-patio performers known to entertain a low-key crowd in the open-air concept. Whether you plan for a ticket inside or walk-up outside for a couple nightcaps and some tunes, you’re going to jumpstart your weekend in style.
SATURDAY
Did we mention you’re about to play 36 holes of golf? Oh, yeah, we didn’t come this far to skimp on golf. We’ll get to that in a minute.
But first, you’re going to need to make sure your belly is full and you’re not worried about food for at least a few hours. That’s where Dino’s House of Pancakes comes in. Between waffles, pancakes and omelets, everyone in your group will have a chance to get what they want. If you’re feeling edgy, go with the Crab Cake Benedict.
Full? Good. It’s time to go to work.
Just a few minutes up 17 from Dino’s is our first course, River Hills Golf & Country Club (top photo). The Tom Jackson layout is exactly as it sounds, a water-defined track with the rolling hills so often unable to be utilized in and around the Grand Strand. Players aren’t asked to hit the ball a long way here, giving the patient among your group a leg up on the first score card.
After snagging a quick bite in the clubhouse, Round No. 2 is just another few miles north. At Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links, players are going to see an uptick in the challenge meter while also being rewarded with some high-profile views of the Intracoastal Waterway, none greater than in the moments to follow standing on the tee box on No. 17. (Glen Dornoch 17th pictured right)
It’s going to put you in the perfect mindset for our dinner plans, which after hitting the clean-up stage after your round it’s time to enjoy.
Crab Catchers isn’t some high-priced seafood joint stealing money by claiming it’s supply is fresh. No, this come-as-you-are establishment backs up the numbers on its menu with plenty of proof. All of its dinners (trust us and splurge on the seafood platter with whomever is sitting next to you) come with what could be described as a healthy amount of fixins, and the trick here is to not overindulge.
News flash: The next person who does it at Crab Catchers will be the first.
SUNDAY
We’re going to assume that you’re not going to want a five-course breakfast, even after your body has had a few hours to recover from the night before. Krave Bagel to the rescue.
This quick-stop breakfast joint in North Myrtle Beach even has a drive through window for those looking to grab and go without even getting out of the car. What you’re going to get in return doesn’t mimic the speed. Krave’s breakfast sandwiches come as light or hearty as you need them to be, and if you need a little pick-me-up, there are multiple coffee options, too.
Just don’t skip breakfast altogether, because soon you’re going to need your energy. Down Highway 9 sits one of Jack Nicklaus’ two Grand Strand layouts, Long Bay Golf Club. Designed partially in conjunction with his sound-end track, Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, Long Bay is difficult in its own fashion. Creative waste bunkering, use of three existing dominant tree varieties and just enough water to dunk a ball or two, Long Bay is a great challenge and will be showcasing new greens mid-August
Take your time. Remember, the weekend will be over soon.
