King’s North at Myrtle Beach National has long held its place as one of the Grand Strand’s most recognizable and talked-about layouts. Known for its bold design, risk-reward holes, and memorable visuals, it has always delivered a round that sticks with you.
Now, following its recent renovation and updated USGA slope and rating, King’s North is entering a new chapter—and the numbers tell a compelling story.
At a glance, the scorecard doesn’t look drastically different. The back tees now measure 6,903 yards, slightly shorter than the previous 7,017. But what stands out immediately is the new rating and slope: 74.4 / 154.
That slope number changes the conversation entirely.
What a 154 slope really means. In simple terms, slope measures how difficult a course plays for the average golfer compared to a scratch player. Anything over 150 is considered extremely challenging—and King’s North now sits firmly in that category from the back tees.
To put that into perspective, a couple of South Carolina’s most respected and demanding layouts fall into a similar range.
Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course plays 79.1 / 155 from the championship tees and is widely regarded as one of the toughest public courses in the country, known for its exposure to wind and major championship pedigree. Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the RBC Heritage, plays to 75.5 / 146 from the back tees, offering a very different kind of challenge built on precision, angles, and visual pressure rather than sheer length.
King’s North doesn’t try to replicate either one stylistically, but from a slope standpoint, it now moves much closer to that upper tier of difficulty than it ever has before.
A subtle shift that changes everything. What makes this update especially interesting is that the increased difficulty isn’t coming from added length. In fact, most tee sets stayed nearly the same.
Instead, the challenge shows up in more nuanced ways throughout the round.
The greens are noticeably more severe, placing a greater premium on approach shots and leaving less room for error. Being on the wrong side of the hole can quickly turn a routine par opportunity into a difficult two-putt—or worse. (Example below: the par-4 2nd)
Bunkering also feels more intentional. Rather than simply framing holes, bunkers now influence decision-making throughout the round. Whether it’s positioning off the tee or navigating approaches into greens, players are asked to think more carefully about where they want to miss—and where they absolutely can’t.
The result is a course that demands more precision without necessarily demanding more distance.
Not just the back tees. While the jump to a 154 slope from the back tees is the headline, the changes extend across the entire scorecard.
Every tee set saw an increase in slope, in many cases by double digits. That’s a meaningful shift for the everyday golfer. What may have once felt like a comfortable set of tees could now play noticeably more difficult over the course of 18 holes.
It reinforces something that’s always been true—but now matters even more at King’s North: choosing the right tee is critical to enjoying your round.
A more complete test. King’s North hasn’t lost what made it special. The signature holes are still there. The visuals are still striking. The layout still encourages bold play in the right moments.
But the updated ratings confirm what many players are already experiencing firsthand.
This is a more complete and demanding test of golf.
Not because it’s longer.
Not because it’s unfair.
But because it asks more of every shot.
For golfers planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip, that’s an important distinction—and one that makes King’s North more compelling than ever.
Updated tee colors, yardages, and ratings. Along with the re-slope and re-rating, King’s North now features a refreshed set of tee colors, replacing the traditional Gold, White, Blue, and Red with a new lineup that better reflects the updated course setup.
Black Tees — 6,903 yards — 74.4 / 154
Burnt Orange Tees — 6,453 yards — 71.9 / 146 (Men), 78.2 / 150 (Women)
Creme Tees — 6,033 yards — 70.3 / 138 (Men), 75.9 / 146 (Women)
Forest Green Tees — 5,653 yards — 68.0 / 136 (Men), 73.7 / 141 (Women)
Garnet Tees — 4,752 yards — 64.0 / 125 (Men), 68.1 / 127 (Women)
The new color scheme brings a modern look to the scorecard, but more importantly, each tee now plays to a higher level of difficulty than before. With increased slopes across the board, selecting the right tee based on your game has never been more important at King’s North.
Photos for this feature from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Account
