Golf is a tough game on a good day. One hole can introduce doubt and frustration, derailing what looked like a promising round. From the outside, a player may appear composed, but inside, the wheels can be coming off.

Myrtle Beach is home to more than a few holes that have pushed even the steeliest golfers to the brink. Here are five that will test your swing and your sanity.

“The Gambler” – Hole 6, King’s North (Arnold Palmer)

Arnold Palmer was golf’s first mega star, due to his charisma and his competitive fire. But as an architect, the King could be devilish.

Nowhere is that more evident than on the par-5 sixth hole at King’s North — better known as The Gambler. With an alternate island fairway that tempts players to cut the 497-yard hole down to size, it’s a classic risk-reward play. Go for it, and you might set up an easy birdie or send your ball to a watery grave.

Here’s the kicker: played conventionally, the hole isn’t much easier. It’s a roller coaster, and one of Myrtle Beach’s most unforgettable holes.

Hole 9, Rivers Edge (Palmer)

Nicknamed “Arnie’s Revenge,” the par-4 ninth at Rivers Edge is a diabolical test. The green is just 16 yards wide, so hitting and holding it in two is borderline impossible.

Lay up? You’ll still need to carry the marshy waters of the Shallotte River, and even then you’re staring down a nervy wedge into the green. This hole has ruined as many rounds as any in the area. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. (Top photo)

Hole 17 – Prestwick Country Club (Pete & P.B. Dye)

Prestwick is a strong layout start to finish, but by the time you arrive on the 17th tee, the end is in sight, though your work is hardly done.

A 499-yard par-5 with water snaking up the entire left side before crossing in front of the green, this hole demands precision and patience. Go for it in two? That’s a bold call. Lay-up and wedge it close? Easier said than done.

It’s the hardest hole on the course, both mentally and physically, and it’s more than capable of wrecking your finish.

Hole 13 – Pawleys Plantation Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus)

You’ve been cruising through your round at Pawleys Plantation, enjoying the Lowcountry scenery. Then you step onto the 13th tee and everything changes.

This less-than-100-yard par-3 plays from a narrow dike in the middle of the marsh to a peninsula green, often whipped by winds coming off the nearby Atlantic. It’s the scariest wedge shot in Myrtle Beach, and a graveyard for Pro V1s, something that’s easy to see when the tide is out.

Hole 16, Moorland at Legends Resort (P.B. Dye)

You glance at the card and your eyes light up: a 223-yard par-4? Birdie time, right?

Welcome to “Hell’s Half Acre,” the short-but-savage 16th hole on the P.B. Dye-designed Moorland Course. It dares you to drive the green, but if you miss, off the tee or on the approach, you will quickly find out why the 16th earned its nickname. Pot bunkers, grass swales, and thick rough, among other horrors, await wayward balls.

These five holes aren’t just tough — they mess with your head. That’s what makes them so memorable, and occasionally maddening. So, if you’re planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip, bring your A-game — and maybe a sports psychologist.