Best golf courses near North Myrtle Beach, SC

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.

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.

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.

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.

Its ocean-side 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.

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.

The Norman course at Barefoot Resort is highlighted by the seven holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway. As is typical of many Greg Norman designs, the fairways run off into sandy waste areas, which present a unique challenge. The greens have subtle movement and often give the player the option of hitting a low, bump-and-run shot.

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.

Myrtlewood’s 36-hole facility includes the Palmetto course, which has gently sloping fairways, large greens and a variety of hazards. The Myrtle Beach layout hosted the second U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in 1978. As part of a 2019 renovation, every bunker on the course was redesigned, with many of them being moved closer to the fairways. New Bermuda grass greens were installed the same year as well.

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.