Golfweek has released its annual list of the best public courses in each state and once again, Myrtle Beach left no doubt about its status as South Carolina’s premier golf destination.
Eleven of the Palmetto State’s top 20 public courses are located along the Grand Strand, including three of the top five.
Kiawah’s Ocean Course and Harbour Town topped the Golfweek list, and they were immediately followed by the Dunes Golf & Beach Club (No. 3), Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (No. 4), and True Blue Golf Club (No. 5), all Myrtle Beach stalwarts.
TPC Myrtle Beach (No. 8), Tidewater Golf Club (No. 9), Prestwick Country Club (No. 11), Moorland at Legends Resort (No. 12), Heathland at Legends Resort (No. 13), Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course (No. 15), Heritage Club (No. 16), and King’s North at Myrtle Beach National (No. 19) also earned a spot on the list.
On the North Carolina side of the state line, Thistle Golf Club was ranked as the Tar Heel state’s 11th best course, further highlighting the Myrtle Beach area’s strength as a golf destination.
It was of little surprise to see the Dunes Club, the host of a PGA Tour event, leading the area’s contingent of courses. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design – with its heroic architecture and location near the Atlantic Ocean – has long been regarded as one of America’s best public courses. (Dunes Club pictured left)
Caledonia and True Blue, Mike Strantz designs located adjacent to each other, have long been favorites of architecture junkies. Caledonia plays through a stunning piece of Lowcountry land, showcasing the live oak trees draped in Spanish moss that are closely associated with the area, while True Blue brings bold modern flair with expansive fairways and dramatic green complexes.
TPC Myrtle Beach, a Tom Fazio-Lanny Wadkins design, has hosted stars like Dustin Johnson, Tom Watson, and Collin Morikawa—underscoring its pedigree as one of the area’s premier championship venues.
With nine holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway or Cherry Grove Inlet, Tidewater is on the shortlist of South Carolina’s prettiest courses, while Prestwick Country Club, a P.B. Dye layout, provides a stern test and a memorable back nine.
Prestwick and Moorland, both designed by P.B. Dye, deliver formidable tests, and Heathland is one of legendary architect Tom Doak’s early designs. (Prestwick pictured right)
The Dye Course at Barefoot is the long-time host of the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am, and the area’s only Pete Dye design. Heritage is another gem, delighting golfers with its Lowcountry charm and some of the area’s most creative greens complexes.
King’s North, an Arnold Palmer classic, has long been one of the area’s most popular courses, and it will likely rocket up the list following a Brandon Johnson-led renovation in the summer of 2025. A Palmer protege, Johnson is focusing his efforts on the back nine after overhauling the first nine holes in the summer of 2024. (Top photo)
These Golfweek honors are the latest reminder of what golfers have known for years: Myrtle Beach is South Carolina’s premier golf destination.
Photos for this feature from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Acccount
