Pine Lakes Country Club is Myrtle Beach’s oldest golf course and it has a nickname – “The Granddaddy” – that conjures up warm feelings, but don’t be fooled.

This old man has more than a little bite.

Many players look at the scorecard and see a layout that is only 6,675 yards from Tee #4 (the tips) or 6,305 yards from Tee #3, and think, “That’s where I need to tee it up from.”

Word to the wise: Pine Lakes is a par 70, meaning that’s a LONG 6,305.

The Robert White design isn’t overrun with hazards, but it’s home to a trio of the hardest par 4s on the Myrtle Beach golf scene – holes 3, 13 and 14. Played from Tee #3, all three holes range from 424 to 426 yards, so there is no significant difference in length.

Holes 13 and 14 challenge players with elevation change, particularly the daunting 14th that includes uphill approach shot, oftentimes from a downhill lie. There is a reasonable case for either as the layout’s hardest, but the vote here goes to the third hole.

Pine Lakes Country – No. 3
Par: 4
Yardage: 463 yards (Tee #4), 426 yards (Tee #3), 408 yards (Tee #2), 370 yards (Tee #1)
Handicap: 1

The challenge at Pine Lakes stiffens considerably on the third tee box. Finding the short grass with the driver isn’t difficult, but golfers that play to the left-center of the fairway will certainly enjoy a more friendly approach.

Even a 250-yard drive leaves 176-yards to the middle of the green when playing Tee #3, the course’s most commonly played. The real danger is on the approach as a pond squeezes the fairway over the hole’s final 100 yards and borders the putting surface.

There is little margin for error and that’s doubly the case if you are playing from the right side of the fairway, requiring you to carry the water. Even on a perfectly placed drive, the approach to a green that runs from left to right towards the water is Pine Lakes’ most dangerous and bogey, even for good players, isn’t a bad score.

Tread carefully and good luck.