Are These Really the 5 Hardest Grand Strand Golf Courses?
According to the USGA slope rating — the system that measures how challenging a course is for the average bogey golfer — these five Myrtle Beach-area courses stand out as the most difficult from the most commonly played tees. Let’s count them down from five to one and see if you agree with the rankings.
5. Legends Resort – Heathland, Moorland & Parkland
Myrtle Beach, SC
Kicking off the list are the three courses at Legends Resort, each sporting a slope rating of 133 from the most popular tees. Whether you play the links-inspired Heathland, the audacious Moorland, or the tree-lined Parkland, you’re guaranteed a challenge. Many locals and visitors consider Parkland the most demanding of the trio, but you really can’t go wrong — or easy — on any of them.
4. Founders Club at Pawleys Island
Pawleys Island, SC
The youngest course on this list, Founders Club makes its mark with dramatic waste bunkers, elevated and well-protected greens, and fairways that demand accuracy and strategy. Designed by Thomas Walker, this Pawleys Island layout blends challenge with Lowcountry beauty, and it never gives away a good score easily. (Founders Club 18th pictured below)
3. Diamondback Golf Club
Loris, SC
Don’t let the peaceful surroundings fool you — Diamondback bites. Tight corridors, plenty of length, and undulating greens put both your long game and short game to the test. Playing from the “Rattlesnake” tees? You’ll quickly learn where the name comes from. This course is tough, but rewarding for those who embrace its challenges.
2. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club
Myrtle Beach, SC
An iconic Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design, The Dunes Club has hosted everything from USGA championships to professional events — and is now home to the PGA TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic. Known for its wide fairways, cavernous bunkers, and lightning-fast, contoured greens, this course asks for precision on every swing.
Combine that with its beauty, history, and championship pedigree, and you’ve got one unforgettable test of golf.
1. Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club
Pawleys Island, SC
At the very top sits Pawleys Plantation, a Jack Nicklaus masterpiece where marshland, wind, and creative design conspire to challenge even the most seasoned golfer. With six breathtaking holes along a saltwater marsh on the back nine and tight targets throughout, Pawleys Plantation is as beautiful as it is demanding — and according to the USGA, the hardest course on the Grand Strand. (Pawleys Plantation Golf Club’s 14th top photo)
Do You Agree?
Slope ratings don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story either. Weather, your mindset, and even the tees you choose can make any round feel like a major championship. One thing’s for sure: if you card a personal-best on any of these courses, you’ve earned a drink at the 19th hole.
Which of these courses do you think is the toughest? Or is there another Myrtle Beach gem that deserves to crack the list? Let us know.
Photos for this feature from our Instagram Account MyrtleBeachGolfTrips
