SouthCreek enjoys a high-profile home at Myrtle Beach National, a legendary designer in Arnold Palmer, and a relatively low profile.

Myrtle Beach National is home to three courses: King’s North, SouthCreek, and the West Course. King’s North is the crown jewel. Everyone knows the West Course offers a chance to go low. SouthCreek? It tends to fly under the radar, but that doesn’t make the Palmer design a lesser experience. Far from it.

If you’re weighing options for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, here’s what you need to know about SouthCreek.

Old School in All the Right Ways

While many modern designs favor wide corridors and a driver-heavy game plan, SouthCreek is a throwback, rewarding thought over raw horsepower off the tee.

Mid to high handicappers will still reach for the big stick on most holes, but better players will find themselves making decisions: three-wood off the tee? Long iron? Palmer encourages you to plot your way around the course.

“It’s a thinking man’s golf course,” said MBN General Manager Ryan Ruddy. “You can’t just overpower it with driver, which is rare these days. SouthCreek is a nice throwback golf course.”

Decisions, Decisions

Your first big choice comes on No. 3, a 319-yard (from the white tees) par 4. You can bomb away, but a waste area along the left side chokes the fairway about 100 yards out, tightening the landing zone.

Many visiting players instinctively grab driver and aim to get as close as possible, but does the risk outweigh the reward?

“You can try to fly it down there,” Ruddy said, “but you have a short porch on the right. If you lay back with a three-wood or hybrid and give yourself a full wedge, the green is more accessible. You can still make par or even birdie.”

Later, the 383-yard 14th hole, a dogleg left, offers a similar decision. Do you try to fly the waste area for a shorter approach, or play safe? These kinds of risk-reward decisions are central to SouthCreek’s appeal.

The Hole You Won’t Forget

SouthCreek’s par 5s offer a chance to score with three of the four playing 490 yards or less, but the 525-yard 10th is a beast.

This nearly 90-degree dogleg right wraps around the property’s largest pond. The tee shot dares you to cut the corner, but a miss brings the water into play. The second shot tempts you in much the same way. Even if you navigate the first two shots cleanly, the approach, to a green that runs to the water’s edge and plays into a prevailing wind, is no gimme.

SouthCreek might not grab headlines like King’s North, but it offers the type of variety and challenge that makes it a worthy and memorable addition to any Myrtle Beach golf trip.