Great golf is the foundation of any Myrtle Beach golf trip, but sometimes it’s what surrounds the round that makes a course truly memorable.

It might be walking into a clubhouse filled with history, having a drink while watching groups finish the 18th hole, being surrounded by reminders of one of golf’s biggest stars, or settling a match that somehow wasn’t decided after 18 holes.

Across the Myrtle Beach golf scene, there are courses where the experience extends well beyond the first tee and final putt.

Here are six that offer golfers something a little different.

Pine Lakes Country Club: A Round With Myrtle Beach Golf History

There are newer courses, longer courses and certainly more modern clubhouses, but there is only one Granddaddy.

Pine Lakes Country Club occupies a special place in Myrtle Beach golf history, and the experience embraces that heritage from the moment golfers arrive.

Opened in 1927, Pine Lakes will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, making a round here as much a connection to the destination’s past as it is a day on the course.

The historic clubhouse is one of the most recognizable in the area, while staff dressed in Pine Lakes’ signature plaid help give the experience a personality all its own. The clubhouse also holds a unique place in American sports history as the birthplace of Sports Illustrated, which was conceived during a gathering there in the early 1950s.

Then there is the golf.

Designed by Robert White, the first president of the PGA of America, Pine Lakes offers a classic layout that has evolved over the years without losing the character that made it special in the first place.

That evolution continued with an extensive restoration completed in 2021, led by architect Craig Schreiner. The project revitalized the course while remaining true to White’s original vision, ensuring the Granddaddy’s history is complemented by a golf experience built for today’s player.

A century after its debut, Myrtle Beach has grown into one of America’s premier golf destinations. Pine Lakes offers golfers the opportunity to experience where much of that history began.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club: The Gallery Is Waiting on 18

Few finishing holes in Myrtle Beach come with quite the same atmosphere — or pressure — as the 18th at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

The golf course itself is renowned, but one of Caledonia’s most distinctive features isn’t technically on the course.

It’s the porch.

Overlooking the 18th green, Caledonia’s clubhouse porch has become one of the Grand Strand’s great post-round gathering spots. Golfers finish their rounds, grab a drink and settle in to watch the groups behind them attempt to navigate the final hole.

Which means when it’s your turn to play No. 18, there’s a good chance you have an audience.

Hit a great approach and you might earn some appreciation from the gallery.

Find trouble and, well, they saw that too.

It’s friendly pressure and part of the fun — a finishing-hole experience that can make you feel like you’re playing in front of a gallery even when it’s just a group of golfers enjoying an afternoon on the porch.

At Caledonia, the 18th hole doesn’t just end your round. It provides the entertainment for everyone who finished before you. (top photo)

World Tour Golf Links: Famous Holes — and a New Way to Keep Playing

You don’t need a passport to experience some of golf’s most recognizable architectural inspirations.

That’s always been part of the appeal at World Tour Golf Links.

The course’s 18 holes draw inspiration from famous layouts and moments throughout the game, giving a round at World Tour a personality unlike anything else in Myrtle Beach.

But the experience now extends beyond the course.

The Bridge, World Tour’s new 16-bay Toptracer range, has added another dimension to a visit.

Golfers can warm up before their round, work on their games, compete against friends or simply stick around and keep swinging afterward. With Toptracer technology providing games, challenges and detailed shot information, The Bridge combines the traditional driving-range experience with an entertainment component.

It’s another reason a trip to World Tour doesn’t necessarily have to end when the final putt drops.

TPC Myrtle Beach: A Connection to Dustin Johnson

TPC Myrtle Beach already carries the aura that comes with being a course capable of testing some of the game’s best players.

But golfers get another reminder of the club’s connection to elite golf before they ever reach the first tee.

Inside the clubhouse, photos of Dustin Johnson highlight the connection between TPC Myrtle Beach and one of the most accomplished players of his generation. Johnson spent formative years practicing and playing at TPC Myrtle Beach as he developed his game.

For golfers walking through the clubhouse, the photos provide another glimpse into the course’s place in the area’s golf history before heading out to play.

It also adds something to the experience.

TPC Myrtle Beach isn’t simply a course with a championship feel. Its connection to Johnson and high-level competitive golf is part of the club’s story.

Take a look at the photos before your round, then head to the first tee knowing you’re about to play a course that helped shape the game of one of golf’s biggest stars.

Wild Wing Avocet: Settle the Match Inside Wishbones

You’ve finished 18 at Wild Wing Avocet.

The scorecards have been added.

Someone claims they won.

Someone else is demanding a recount.

Good news: the competition doesn’t have to be over.

Wishbones restaurant will feature two indoor TrackMan bays, giving golfers the opportunity to take the competition from the course into the clubhouse.

That creates all kinds of possibilities after a round.

Settle a closest-to-the-pin challenge. Keep a team competition going. Take a few more swings while grabbing food and drinks. Or give the golfer who spent the entire afternoon talking about what they “almost shot” another opportunity to prove it.

The addition complements a refreshed Wild Wing experience highlighted by the reopening of the Avocet Course following its restoration.

And for golf groups, the TrackMan bays add something particularly valuable: another reason to stay together after the round instead of immediately heading in different directions.

Eighteen holes might decide the official match.

If it doesn’t, Wishbones can.

Sea Trail Golf Resort: Make the Golf Course Home

For golf groups, convenience matters.

Sea Trail Golf Resort offers something particularly appealing: the ability to turn a golf course into your home base for the trip.

With three courses — Byrd, Jones and Maples — along with resort lodging and clubhouse amenities, Sea Trail offers an experience that can extend from breakfast through the final drink of the evening without golfers having to venture far.

That’s part of what separates a golf resort experience from simply playing another round.

You can wake up where you’re playing, spend the day on the course and enjoy the clubhouse and resort atmosphere afterward. For groups planning multiple rounds, the ability to combine golf, lodging, dining and gathering spaces in one destination can make the logistics of a trip considerably easier.

At Sea Trail, the golf isn’t just part of the vacation. It’s where you’re staying.

Sometimes the Round Is Only Part of the Story

Myrtle Beach’s depth has always been one of its greatest strengths as a golf destination. Golfers can choose from courses featuring different architects, settings, price points and styles of play.

But the differences aren’t limited to what happens between the first tee and 18th green.

Great golf will always be the reason groups come to Myrtle Beach.

Experiences like these are part of what they’ll remember when they go home.

Photos for this feature from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Account