Mention a round at Grande Dunes Resort Club and the first thing people ask about are the holes along the Intracoastal Waterway, and for good reason.
But the Roger Rulewich design wasn’t voted Myrtle Beach’s second-best course by the area’s PGA professionals solely on the strength of those five waterway beauties. Grande Dunes is a bucket-list layout, thanks just as much to the strength of its inland holes.
As you prep for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, here is a look at three inland holes at Grande Dunes that deliver big-time fun without the fanfare that accompanies the course’s waterway challenges.
No. 4, Par 5
566 yards (gold tees), 546 yards (black), 525 yards (blue), 506 yards (white), 491 yards (green), 448 yards (red)
Handicap: 4
How you play this dogleg right is entirely dependent on your willingness to challenge the water that runs from tee to green. Take an aggressive line off the tee and long hitters can potentially get home in two, but there is little margin for error. For most players, it’s a three-shot hole, and even the layup demands precision. The closer you get to the water, the better the angle into a large, multi-tiered green.
No. 5, Par 4
454 yards (gold), 420 yards (black), 398 yards (blue), 383 yards (white), 355 yards (green), 297 yards (red).
Handicap: 14
This tee shot isn’t overly difficult, but with water on the right and a bunker on the left, it better have your attention. This hole plays longer than the scorecard indicates and is all about the approach. The 45-yard-deep green is barely half as wide, with mounding on the left and a deep bunker on the right. Throw in a dramatic ridge in the middle of the putting surface, and a daunting test awaits. The hole is much easier when the pin is cut up front.
No. 16, Par 4
420 yards (gold), 410 yards (black), 381 yards (blue), 365 yards (white), 350 yards (green), 326 yards (red)
Handicap: 7
On a course that features generous fairways, No. 16 is one of the course’s most daunting tee shots. You have 50 yards of fairway width, but OB and sand on the left and woods on the right creates stress. The real challenge comes on the approach to a diagonally angled, two-tiered green that stretches 57 yards. Drives to the left-center offer the best angle, but when the pin is on the right, it’s a beast no matter where you are playing from. A large front bunker gobbles up short approaches, and there’s little depth to work with. No. 16 will test every part of your game. (Top photo)
