PGA Professionals Rank Myrtle Beach’s Top 20 Courses: Courses 11-20

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by Chris King

PGA Professionals Rank Myrtle Beach's Top 20 Courses: Courses 11-20

More than 50 Myrtle Beach area PGA professionals participated in a first-of-its-kind survey asking them to rank the Grand Strand’s top 20 courses. This is the first of three stories unveiling the results of the poll.

In years past, ranking golf courses has been the domain of legacy golf media, but that turf shouldn’t be entirely conceded to panelists who are only in town for a couple days and course evaluations that are collected over a number of years. We decided to ask the people who know the Myrtle Beach market better than anyone – local PGA professionals – to rank the area’s 20 best golf courses, based on overall experience, and they gladly obliged. Without further ado, here are the golf courses Myrtle Beach’s PGA professionals ranked in spots 11 through 20:

No. 20 Long Bay Golf Club (140 points) – The Jack Nicklaus design is tough but memorable. Waste bunkers, mounding and the Golden Bear’s creativity combined to make this one of Myrtle Beach’s premier inland layouts.

Biggest Reason Long Bay Made the List: The back nine. The 10th is a short par 4, No. 13 is an island green par, and the 18th is a demanding dogleg right par 4, forming an unforgettable trio of holes.

No. 19 Willbrook Plantation (158 points) – Located in Pawleys Island, the Dan Maples design is overshadowed by high profile neighbors like Caledonia, True Blue and Heritage, but locals know how good the course is.

Biggest Reason Willbook Made the List: The property oozes lowcountry charm from start to finish, helping create an atmosphere golfers loves. The first and 15th have been ranked among the area’s top 100 holes, building the foundation of an upper-tier layout.

No. 18 Arcadian Shores (164 points) – Rees Jones’ first solo design has long been hailed for the quality of its architecture and was even ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses in the late 1970s.

Biggest Reason Arcadian Shores Made the List: A 2017 renovation project transformed the course. New greens, new cart paths, completely renovated bunkers, and a new clubhouse have allowed Arcadian to fulfill its potential. If you are surprised to see Arcadian Shores here, you haven’t played the course in the last 18 months. PGA Professionals Rank Myrtle Beach's Top 20 Courses-Rivers Edge

No. 17 Rivers Edge (166 points) – This Arnold Palmer design is by consensus one of the area’s prettiest courses and even cracked Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses at one point. The only thing that separates Rivers Edge from the area’s elite is the consistency of conditioning (that’s not to say it’s in bad shape, just not where some of the courses higher on the list are).

Biggest Reason Rivers Edge Made the List: Have you played the course? The seven holes that play along the Shallotte River are stunning. It’s a bit of a drive from downtown Myrtle Beach, but regardless of where it’s ranked, Rivers Edge is a must-play layout.

No. 16 Pine Lakes Country Club (223 points) – The Granddaddy was Myrtle Beach’s first course and remains one of its most revered. A Craig Schreiner-led redesign in 2009 helped ensure the course maintained its lofty standing in the market.

Biggest Reason Pine Lakes Made the List: There is much to enjoy on and off the course. The clubhouse is part of the National Registry of Historic Places, the property is home to the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame, and, of course, the layout is a joy to play.

No 15 Thistle (228 points) – The 27-hole facility, with its Scottish-inspired layout, has always been popular, and there is an argument to be made the clubhouse is the area’s best.

Biggest Reason Thistle Made the List: The links-ish design is fun to play and conditions are typically outstanding. Combine that with a clubhouse that begs you to enjoy a post-round drink and Thistle is the Myrtle Beach area’s 15th best courses, according to PGA pros.

No. 14 Heritage Club (269 points) – Only surprise about Heritage’s spot on the list is that it’s not higher. Located a mile from Caledonia, Heritage enjoys the same lowcountry beauty, and it’s a “players” course.

Biggest Reason Heritage Made the List: The scenery is stunning, the layout is demanding, and the greens are, arguably, the area’s most challenging. Heritage is an outstanding course from start to finish.

No. 13 Love Course at Barefoot Resort (274 points) – Barefoot’s first entry on the list is the acclaimed Love Course, a layout Golf Magazine ranks among its “Top 100 You Can Play.” It highlights the strength of the destination that the Love Course and Heritage are this “low.”

Biggest Reason Barefoot Love Made the List: Holes four, five and six are built around the faux ruins of an old plantation home, creating one of the area’s most memorable (and photographed) stretches.PGA Professionals Rank Myrtle Beach's Top 20 Courses-The Love Course at Barefoot Resort

No. 12 Arrowhead Country Club (293 points) – This is our first shocker, not so much because Arrowhead made the list but because it was this high. The Raymond Floyd design is a 27-hole facility that plays along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Biggest Reason Arrowhead Made the List: PGA pros appreciate the same things you do, namely great customer service and quality conditions. Arrowhead delivers both in abundance and PGA pros rewarded the facility.

No. 11 Pawleys Plantation (323 points) – This is one of the area’s most memorable designs. The Jack Nicklaus layout challenges every aspect of a player’s game, so the only question about Pawleys Plantation was how high it would be.

Biggest Reason Pawleys Plantation Made the List: This one is easy: six of the final nine holes at Pawleys play along a saltwater marsh. This is one of the Myrtle Beach area’s three prettiest courses, highlighted by the unforgettable par 3, 13th hole.

The ranking of Myrtle Beach’s top 10 courses, according to area PGA professionals, awaits!

Related Courses:

Willbrook Plantation Golf

4.4/5
(402 reviews)
$101 early am
$96   am
$87   pm
$62 late pm
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Long Bay Golf Club

4.1/5
(663 reviews)
$71 early am
$63   am
$63   pm
$57 late pm
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Arcadian Shores Golf Club

4.0/5
(442 reviews)
$97 early am
  am
$85   pm
$87 late pm
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Rivers Edge

4.2/5
(59 reviews)
$103 early am
$115   am
$98   pm
$77 late pm
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Pine Lakes Country Club

4.4/5
(289 reviews)
$103 early am
$123   am
$119   pm
$79 late pm
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Thistle Golf Club

4.8/5
(670 reviews)
$165 early am
$165   am
$165   pm
$141 late pm
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Heritage Club Golf Course

4.3/5
(351 reviews)
early am
  am
  pm
late pm
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$186 early am
$180   am
$192   pm
$167 late pm
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Arrowhead Country Club

4.3/5
(618 reviews)
$102 early am
$107   am
$102   pm
$102 late pm
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early am
  am
  pm
$139 late pm
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