Hard as it may be to believe, talk of the Masters and the game’s 2026 major championship season will soon be here, coinciding with golfers planning their spring trips to Myrtle Beach.
If you want to build a bucket-list getaway around courses designed by major championship winners, the Grand Strand offers no shortage of compelling options. Here are five layouts crafted by men who have claimed golf’s biggest titles.
Pawleys Plantation Golf Club – Jack Nicklaus
If you’re starting with major championship pedigree, begin with Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear designed two area courses – Long Bay is another strong option – but Pawleys Plantation sits at the top of our list. Following a 2023 greens and bunker restoration, Pawleys is in peak form. The combination of Nicklaus’ strategic
design, newly restored putting surfaces, and the course’s Lowcountry beauty make it a must-play. (pictured right)
TPC Myrtle Beach – Lanny Wadkins & Tom Fazio
TPC Myrtle Beach was built to challenge the game’s best players. The course winds through corridors of Carolina pines, rewarding both precision and power. Its finishing duo – the par-3 17th with its peninsula green and the risk-reward par-5 18th – is one of the Grand Strand’s most memorable closing stretches.
Wild Wing Avocet – Larry Nelson & Jeff Brauer
Three-time major champion Larry Nelson teamed with Jeff Brauer to design Wild Wing’s Avocet Course, one of Myrtle Beach’s most underrated layouts. Avocet blends creativity and variety, featuring drivable par 4s, dual fairways, and double greens. It delivers a fun round and outstanding value, a winning combination for group leaders.
King’s North – Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer designed several Myrtle Beach courses, but King’s North should be at the top of your 2026 itinerary. Brandon Johnson, a longtime Palmer protege, recently completed a two-year, two-part renovation that elevates an already iconic layout. Arnie’s risk-reward routing remains unchanged while Johnson’s work has breathed life into the greens and their surrounds. (King’s North top photo)
Barefoot Resort – Love Course – Davis Love III
When Barefoot Resort opened in 2000, Davis Love III joined Pete Dye, Greg Norman, and Tom Fazio in unveiling courses simultaneously. Despite being the least 
established architect of the group, Love may have produced the best design on the property. His course blends playability with creativity, highlighted by three front-nine holes that play around the faux ruins of an old plantation home. It’s imaginative, memorable, and ideal for any Myrtle Beach itinerary.
From Nicklaus and Palmer to Davis Love III and many more, Myrtle Beach is home to courses shaped by golf’s greatest champions, and they could make your 2026 golf trip the best one yet
Photos for this feature from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Account
