Golf writer Chris King reveals the five hardest Myrtle Beach designs as rated by the USGA

Hi, I’m Chris King. And welcome back to the Myrtle Beach Golf Insider. Today, we’re going to take a look at Myrtle Beach’s five hardest golf courses per the USGA slope rating system, which is used to determine a course’s difficulty for a bogey golfer. Given that I’m betting most of you are closer to being average players than scratch, I’m using the slope number from each course’s most commonly played set of tees to rank the area’s hardest courses. With that being said, let’s get to it. No surprise to see the Jack Nicklaus design Pawleys Plantation at the top of the list. With six holes along the back nine to play along a stunning saltwater marsh, this course is as difficult as it is beautiful. But players love it and you will too. Number two, the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. Widely regarded as Myrtle Beach’s best layout, the Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones masterpiece. Home to generous fairways with cavernous bunkers and diabolical greens, this course is unforgettable from the word go.

Next up, Diamondback. What? You expected a course named after a venomous snake that has the average golfer playing from a rattlesnake tee to be easy? Think again. The layout’s long and tight, but with new greens recently installed, it’s in good shape and you’ll enjoy the design. Number four on our list Founders Club. The Thomas Walker design is actually Myrtle Beach’s newest course, having opened in 2008. It’s defined by waste bunkers, elevated greens, and the challenge. You’ll enjoy this unique course in South Carolina’s low country landscape. Last but certainly not least, all three courses at Legends Resort, Heathland, Moorland, and Parkland all have a slope of 133. One of the areas most popular courses also provides one of its most significant challenges. For my money, the Parkland is the toughest of the trio. But according to the USGA, they’re all the same. No matter which of these courses you play, if you fire a career round, you’ll have earned your drink at the 19th hole.