At the heart of every golf course are it’s par 4s, which typically makeup 10 of 18 holes on a par 72 layout. There is great variance on a layout’s par 4s – short, long, forced carries et al – but some holes take the upper end of that variability to the next level.

For the average golfer, there are few challenges that cause more anxiety than a difficult par 4, and Myrtle Beach has its share of two-shotters that give players night sweats. Here is one man’s look at Myrtle Beach’s toughest par 4s.

— There isn’t a par 4 in Myrtle Beach more difficult than the fifth hole on Barefoot Resort’s Fazio Course. From the black tees (the course’s most commonly played), No. 5 is a whopping 467 yards. Did I mention it’s uphill? For the sake of your sanity, approach the hole as if it’s a par 5 (Fazio is “only” a par 71 after all). If you hit a 300-yard drive and can hit the green on a 165-yard approach and make par, it’s all gravy. Otherwise, arriving at the sixth tee with your scorecard intact is a victory.

— Myrtle Beach’s first course is home to one of the area’s enduring challenges. The third hole at Pine Lakes Country Club plays 426 yards (pictured right) and it places a premium on the tee shot finding the left side of the fairway, helping mitigate the threat of water that runs through the right side of the green. That approach, which is long and offers little margin for error, defines the toughest hole on Myrtle Beach’s first course.

— Fazio is the only architect with two entries on our list, because the par 4 ninth hole at TPC Myrtle Beach – a 445-yard bear from the white tees – can reduce the toughest of players to mush. There is room off the tee but trying to hit an elevated green is, to put it mildly, daunting.

— Players that finish strong at Tidewater Golf Club, one of the area’s best courses, have something to be proud of. The 410-yard 18th hole (top photo), a dogleg left, is a brutal close. You will need to hit a draw off the tee, otherwise the hole will play even longer. Combine that with a green that borders the marshy waters of the Intracoastal on the right hand side and No. 18 is a finish that has sent more than a few golfers home with a double bogey finish.

— The 450-yard 16th hole at Oyster Bay is arguably the toughest par 4 at the beach. The dogleg left requires a surplus of power and nerve to carry the water on the approach to an undulating, heart-shaped green.