Distance has been a hot button issue in golf (non-LIV division, of course) with the USGA going so far as to announce a (foolish) plan to roll the ball back for recreational players in 2030. Despite what the emperors at the USGA may believe, most of us don’t hit the ball far enough to make any layout obsolete.

For those who enjoy trying to bomb the driver, with the comfort of knowing you have a lot of fairway to work with, here are five Myrtle Beach golf courses you will love.

● Restored greens and completely renovated bunkers attracted most of the attention in a 2022 renovation of Grande Dunes, but quietly, the fairways were expanded as well. If you can’t find the short grass here, you have only yourself to blame, and there are no severe doglegs on the property, meaning the layout doesn’t favor a certain ball flight. Enjoy swinging from the heels on this Roger Rulewich beauty. (Grande Dunes pictured below)

● No surprise to find True Blue, home to arguably the area’s widest fairways, on the list. The Mike Strantz layout provides a slight advantage to players who can hit a draw on command, but it’s not a dealbreaker if you play a fade. True Blue is fun, and your enjoyment will begin with pounding the driver. (True Blue top photo)

● Tom Doak wasn’t yet an architectural legend when he designed the Heathland Course at Legends Resort, but anyone who played his lone Myrtle Beach layout, which opened in 1990, immediately knew he was a star on the rise. Inspired by the great links courses of Britain and Ireland, Heathland features expansive, sometimes rolling, fairways. You have to hit the ball sideways to miss here.

● Beachwood Golf Club won’t appear on any top 100 lists, but Gene Hamm designed it with the people in mind. There are no homes and ample latitude off the tee, so there is plenty to like about this value-centric course, especially as a day of arrival play.

● This one might come as a bit of a surprise but give me the Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood. If you are a super long hitter – a brand of golf I’m not familiar with – maybe you won’t hit driver all the time at Palmetto, but for the rest of us? Let the big dog eat, especially on a back nine that begs you to swing away.

Myrtle Beach golf courses typically have roomy corridors, but these five layouts will help reduce stress when you pull out the driver.