Best golf courses near Little River, SC

Situated on the Intracoastal Waterway, Glen Dornoch has terrific views and captivating design variety. Designed by Clyde Johnston as a tribute to Donald Ross, the greens can be small and daunting, penalizing shots missed in the wrong area. The course demands thoughtful strategy, with overhanging trees and patches of native grasses coming into play. The finish is especially strong, with the scenic par-3 17th playing over marshland and the par-4 18th playing alongside the Intracoastal to a massive double-green shared with the ninth.

Its oceanside dunes are mostly covered with turfgrass and mature trees now, but when Robert Trent Jones built The Dunes back in the late 1940s, the property was primarily windswept sand dotted with lagoons. Those lakes come in prominently on many holes, particularly on the 11th through 13th, dubbed Alligator Alley. (The boomerang-shaped par-5 13th is called Waterloo.) The home hole, with a pond in front of the green, started as a gambling par 5 but today is a daunting par 4. The course has hosted three USGA championships, including the 1962 U.S. Women's Open and, most recently, the 2017 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball. The Dunes Golf and Beach Club has hosted the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic for the past two years.

The highest-ranked of the four courses at Barefoot Resort, the Dye course features classic Dye bunker complexes with risk/reward opportunities for low-handicappers with playable options from forward tees for higher handicappers.

Grande Dunes reopened in September 2022 after a complete greens and bunker renovation over the summer. Spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Grande Dunes Marina make this links-style golf course well worth the visit. Designed by Roger Rulewich Group, the course was built on a high bluff—the ideal setting for a picturesque sunset round. Expansive fairways littered with penalty areas throughout define Grande Dunes as a difficult, yet enjoyable resort course.

Just over the border in North Carolina, this Myrtle Beach area layout offers 27 holes. The three nines offer great variety, with some holes narrow with water and others wide open with massive bunkers and imposing mounds. At times, the course can have a Scottish links-style feel, with the significant contouring and patches of native grasses. Other times, like at the par-3 island green, it more closely resembles an American resort, with plenty of water in play.

A member of Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public ranking from 2003 to 2007, the Love course is one of the best in Myrtle Beach and yet ranked as the third-best at golf-rich Barefoot Resort (just a few tenths of a point behind the Fazio course, according to our panelists). This is Love Golf Design's only work in Myrtle Beach, and it makes good use of the land with a good variety of holes—long, short and doglegs in each direction.

When Ken Tomlinson set out to build this Grand Strand course, he looked to world-famous designs, such as Merion and Pine Valley. The architect wanted to ensure that his venue would harmonize seamlessly with its natural surroundings. Tidewater does just that: sitting atop a peninsula, the golf course is nestled between the tidal marsh and forest lands in North Myrtle Beach.

Fazio's entry at Barefoot Resort will challenge the best players—with the routing constantly changing direction to account for the seemingly ever-present wind—but is playable for the resort player. The par-5 fourth hole stands out—lined with bunkers and a sentinel pine up by the green. The 18th hole is a great finish, playing up to the clubhouse with a huge porch, perfect for watching players come in.

Located just over the South Carolina border, the courses at Ocean Ridge Plantation are worth considering for any North Myrtle Beach-centric trip. The Leopard's Chase course was ranked 15th in Golf Digest's best 60 courses you can play in Myrtle Beach, and the facility's Tiger's Eye course was ranked 19th. (All four courses at Ocean Ridge Plantation made our top 60.)

Oyster Bay, just over the border in North Carolina, has a tranquil setting situated on the Intracoastal Waterway, a couple miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Many holes on this Myrtle Beach-area layout are tree-lined doglegs, though some open to the surrounding marshland, especially on the back nine. The signature par-3 17th features a small island green where a precise iron shot is required to avoid the water.

Golf Digest has given many accolades to this Arnold Palmer design over the years: It made America's 100 Greatest Public courses list in 2005 and 2007, and in 2010, Golf Digest named Rivers Edge as a top-10 course on its Best of the Myrtle Beach area (Rivers Edge is located about 20 minutes over the border in North Carolina).

Arcadian Shores was Rees Jones’ first solo design project, opening in 1974. This Myrtle Beach layout jumpstarted Jones’ career, which saw him redesign many U.S. Open venues, earning him the moniker “The Open Doctor.” Like many Rees Jones designs, trees and bunkers line the fairways, requiring quality ball-striking. Many greens are elevated, and approaches that don’t reach the surfaces can roll back down the fairway.