Pawleys Plantation Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus design, is one of the prettiest courses on South Carolina’s golf-rich coast, but most golfers already know that. For players planning their 2026 Myrtle Beach trip, here’s an insider’s guide to everything you need to know about this Pawleys Island favorite.
Start Fast
A 2023 greens and bunker renovation project made Pawleys more playable for mid- to high handicappers, primarily through the removal of the expansive waste bunkers that once lined many fairways. But make no mistake, this remains a stern test.
If you’re going to score, you need to get off to a quick start. The front nine is marginally longer (less than 100 yards from the Redtail Hawk tees), but it’s more forgiving off the tee, with one notable exception. The par-4 second hole is long, tight, and punishes misses on both sides.
Watch the Weather
Six of Pawleys’ back nine holes border a saltwater marsh, and the 13th green sits less than 800 yards from the ocean. Translation: wind is almost always a factor. You’ll hit one shot into the breeze and the next with it at your back, so club selection is important.
The Par 3s: A Tale of Two Nines
The front-side par 3s – the 163-yard third and the 136-yard seventh – are very gettable. No. 3 has water left, but there’s plenty of room to bail out, and neither tee shot should significantly raise your blood pressure.
The back nine is a different story.
No. 13 is listed at 113 yards and often plays shorter, but its narrow peninsula green will make the best of wedge players nervous. No. 17 demands a 158-yard carry over water to a green that’s wider than it is deep, leaving little room for error while making every recovery a treacherous one.
Playing the back nine par 3s in one or two over is nothing to be ashamed of.
Brawny Par 4s
While the beauty of Pawleys Plantation gets most of the attention, its backbone is a rugged group of par 4s.
The aforementioned second hole is long and tight. No. 8, a dogleg left stretching to 388 yards, defends par ferociously and demands both power and precision.
After the short 10th (297 yards) and 12th (332 yards) holes, Nicklaus turns up the heat down the stretch.
The 399-yard 16th is a dogleg left playing to a green that resides along the marsh. It’s at least as scary as it is pretty, and that’s saying something. Pro tip: if you can hit a draw, this is the place to do it.
No. 18, a 397-yard finisher with marsh looming on the left, ensures you don’t stroll up the final fairway stress-free.
Where Jack Eases Up
Pawleys’ par 5s offer scoring opportunities.
The opening hole (476 yards) and No. 4 (490 yards) allow you to jump-start your round without significant risk.
The 11th, at 540 yards, is the longest three-shotter but also the easiest. The fairway is wide, and the approach plays downhill to a welcoming green.
No. 14, with a saltwater marsh playing up the entire right side of the hole, is the toughest of the three-shotters. Particularly difficult is a second shot that is semi-blind, depending on how aggressive you are in challenging the marsh to get close to the green. This isn’t the hole to play boldly. Be happy with par and move along.
The Bottom Line
Pawleys Plantation is one of the Myrtle Beach area’s best courses. The test is demanding but fair, the scenery is spectacular, and even if your ego takes a hit, a post-round drink at Palmetto Jack’s will make everything better.
Photos from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Account, holes pictured from top to bottom 17th, 13th, 8th, and 14th
