Courtesy of the club
Courtesy of the club
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club
Myrtle Beach, SC • Private
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club
9000 N Ocean Blvd
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572-4424
United States
Overview
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.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since 2003.
Highest ranking: 15th, 2003-'04.
2025-'26 ranking: 79th.
100 Greatest: Ranked from 1969-'86, 2003-'04.
Highest ranking: 78th, 2003-'04.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top 15, 2017-'18, 2021-'22. Ranked inside the top 20, 2011-'16, 2019-'20, 2023-'24. Ranked inside the top 25, 2025-'26.
Previous ranking: 20th.
2025-'26 ranking: 21st.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Among the dozens of courses in and around Myrtle Beach, the Dunes stands as the best. Water hazards are expertly utilized and the ground presents far more elevation change and unevenness than expected. Quick playing conditions allows different shots into and around greens. A variety of vegetation and tree life presents challenges after offline shots. The area's second-oldest course has certainly passed the test of time."
Read More2025
Review
“Among the dozens of courses in and around Myrtle Beach, the Dunes stands as the best. Water hazards are expertly utilized and the ground presents far more elevation change and unevenness than expected. Quick playing conditions allows different shots into and around greens. A variety of vegetation and tree life presents challenges after offline shots. The area's second-oldest course has certainly passed the test of time."
Read More2025
Review
“Best condition course with challenge bunkering and greens with total protection to par, no real lost shots from off the fairways left or right with lower brush of trees completely cleared."
Read More2025
Review
“This course is a great place to play. While not overly long, tee shots and approaches must be precise. Firm greens will repel less than well struck approaches. Greens are true and fast. Local knowledge on the greens will help a lot."
Read More2024
Review
“Very classic course and a core course built in 1947. Great routing and wonderful diversity especially on back 9. Club has a great history and has been on my bucket list for years. So glad I got to experience it."
Read More2024
Review
“The Dunes Golf and Beach club is a beautiful seaside course. Large greens, fairway corridors and "runway' tee boxes contribute to a wide variety of course setups. The layout can be stretched to nearly 7,500 at sea level, with the low elevation contributing to the course playing "longer" than the listed yardage. As with many extremely large greens, the transitions can be very subtle and difficult to read creating putting challenges that may not be apparent at first glance. The course is classic example of Robert Trent Jones' architecture and his influence on golf course design in his heyday.."
Read More2024
Review
“Really fun course that flows very well. Course in incredible shape. Some very challenging and strategic holes. Good varying distances and green shapes sizes and contours. Memorable holes especially the boomerang around the lake."
Read More2024
Review
“Best course in Myrtle Beach."
Read More2023
Review
“The Dunes is one of my all time favorite courses. The hole routings are excellent, the conditioning is great, and the bunkers are large and strategically placed. Hole nine is a par three with the ocean in the background providing great scenery. Hole 12 is an excellent risk reward hole with the green jutting out onto a peninsula and hole 13 is a par 5 that has a boomerang shape around a lake. There is not a bad hole on this Robert Trent Jones masterpiece."
Read More2022
