Sixty Favorites

Which of the Grand Strand's courses should be on your buddies-trip itinerary? We polled the Golf Digest Course Ranking Panel of more than 900 raters, and here are the top picks, ranked from 1 to 60. (Green fees are from peak season and include a cart.)

__1. Caledonia G. & Fish Club __

Pawleys Island, S.C., Mike Strantz, $99-$159, 843-237-3675, fishclub.com

__2. The Dunes G. & Beach Club __

Myrtle Beach, Robert Trent Jones, $200, 843-449-5236, dunesclub.net

3. True Blue Plantation

Pawleys Island, S.C., Mike Strantz, $159, 843-235-0900, fishclub/trueblue.com

4. Tidewater G.C. & Plantation

North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ken Tomlinson, $199, 843-913-2424, tidewatergolf.com

5. Wachesaw Plantation Club

(private), Murrells Inlet, S.C., Tom Fazio, $80, 843-357-1263, wachesaw.com

6. Rivers Edge G.C.

Shallotte, N.C., Arnold Palmer, $89-$109, 910-755-3434, river18.com

7. Heritage Club

Pawleys Island, S.C., Dan Maples, $135, 843-237-3424, legendsgolf.com

8. Grande Dunes

(Members Club, private) Myrtle Beach, Nick Price/Craig Schreiner, $70, 843-315-0333, grandedunes.com

9. TPC Myrtle Beach

Murrells Inlet, S.C., Tom Fazio/Lanny Wadkins, $180, 843-357-3399, tpcmyrtlebeach.com

10. The Reserve G.C.

(private), Pawleys Island, S.C., Greg Norman, $125, 843-235-0755, thereservegolfclub.net

11. Debordieu Club

(private), Georgetown, S.C., Pete Dye/P.B. Dye, $125, 843-527-6000, debordieuclub.com

12. Barefoot Resort & Golf

(Fazio), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Tom Fazio, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com

13. Pawleys Plantation

Pawleys Island, S.C., Jack Nicklaus, $120-$140, 843-237-6200,pawleysplantation.com

__14. Barefoot Resort & Golf __

(Dye), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Pete Dye, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com

15. Ocean Ridge Plantation

(Leopard's Chase), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $165, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com

16. Barefoot Resort & Golf

(Love), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Davis Love III, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com

__17. Surf G. & Beach Club __

(private), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., George Cobb, $125, 843-249-1021, surfgolf.com

18 .Grande Dunes

(Resort Club), Myrtle Beach, Roger Rulewich, $176-$186, 843-315-0333, grandedunes.com

19. Ocean Ridge

Plantation (Tiger's Eye), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $135, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com

20. St. James Plantation

(The Reserve Club, private), Southport, N.C., Nicklaus Design, $100, 910-253-5100, stjamesplantation.com

21. Pine Lakes C.C.

Myrtle Beach, Robert White, $150, 843-315-7700, pinelakes.com

22. Founders Club at Pawleys Island

Pawleys Island, S.C., Gene Hamm/Thomas Walker, $120, 843-237-2299, classicgolfgroup.com

23. Prestwick C.C.

Myrtle Beach, Pete Dye/P.B. Dye, $117-$125, 843-293-4100, prestwickcountryclub.com

24. Myrtle Beach National

(Kings North), Myrtle Beach, Arnold Palmer/Francis Duane, $109-$120, 843-448-2308, mbn.com

25. St. James Plantation

(The Players Club, private), Southport, N.C., Tim Cate, $65 910-253-5100, stjamesplantation.com

26. Thistle G.C. (27 holes)

Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $110-$125, 800-571-6710, thistlegolf.com

__27. Legends Golf & Resort __

(Heathland), Myrtle Beach, Tom Doak, $135, 800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com

28. Crow Creek G.C.

Calabash, N.C., Rick Robbins, $99, 910-287-3081, crowcreek.com

29. Oyster Bay G. Links

Sunset Beach, N.C., Dan Maples, $135, 800-697-8372, legendsgolf.com

30. Heather Glen G. Links

(27 holes), Little River, S.C., Willard Byrd/Clyde Johnston, $121, 800-868-4536, glensgolfgroup.com

__31. Legends Golf & Resort __

(Moorland), Myrtle Beach, P.B. Dye, $135, 800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com

32. Glen Dornoch

Little River, S.C., Clyde Johnston, $133-$155, 800-717-8784, glensgolfgroup.com

33 .Bald Head Island Club

(private), Bald Head Island, N.C., George Cobb, package pricing, 910-457-7310, bhiclub.net

34. Wachesaw Plntn. E.

Murrells Inlet, S.C., Clyde Johnston, $164, 800-344-5590, Wachesaweast.biz

35. Sea Trail

(Rees Jones), Sunset Beach, N.C., Rees Jones, $85-$110, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com

36. The Witch

East Conway, S.C., Dan Maples, $95-$110, 843-448-1300, witchgolf.com

37. Sea Trail

(Willard Byrd), Sunset Beach, N.C., Willard Byrd, $55-$73, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com

38. Wild Wing

(27 holes), Conway, S.C., Larry Nelson/Jeff Brauer/Willard Byrd, $104-$122, 843-347-9464, wildwing.com

39. Willbrook Plantation

Pawleys Island, S.C., Dan Maples, $95, 843-237-3411, litchfieldbeach.com

__40. Legends Golf & Resort __

(Parkland), Myrtle Beach, Larry Young, $135, 800-299-6187, legendsgolf.com

41. International World Tour

(27 holes), Myrtle Beach, Mel Graham, $150-$190, 843-236-2000, theworldtourgolf.com

42. Long Bay C.

Longs S.C., Jack Nicklaus, $106-$128, 800-344-5590, mbn.com

__43. Barefoot Resort & Golf __

(Norman), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Greg Norman, $185, 843-390-3200, barefootgolf.com

__44. Shaftesbury Glen G. & Fish C. __

Conway, S.C., Clyde Johnston, $150, 866-587-1457, glensgolfgroup.com

45. Carolina National G.C.

(27 holes), Bolivia, N.C., Fred Couples/Gene Bates, $95, 910-755-5200, carolinanationalgolf.com

46. St. James Plantation

(The Founders C.), Southport, N.C., P.B. Dye, $135, 910-253-3014, stjamesplantation.com

47. The Pearl G. Links

(West), Calabash, N.C., Dan Maples, $68-$92, 910-579-8132, thepearlgolf.com

48. Arcadian Shores

Myrtle Beach, Rees Jones, $79-$89, 800-846-5552, kingstonplantation.com

49. The Pearl G. Links

(East), Calabash, N.C., Dan Maples, $68-$92, 910-579-8132, thepearlgolf.com

50. Ocean Ridge Plantation

(Panther's Run), Sunset Beach, N.C., Tim Cate, $87-$93, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com

51. Sea Trail

(Dan Maples), Sunset Beach, N.C., Dan Maples, $98, 910-287-1156, seatrail.com

52. Litchfield C.C.

Pawleys Island, S.C., Willard Byrd, $99, 843-237-3000, litchfieldbeach.com

53. River Club

Pawleys Island, S.C., Tom Jackson, $162, 843-237-3000, litchfieldbeach.com

54. Ocean Ridge Plantation

(Lion's Paw), Sunset Beach, N.C., Willard Byrd/Tim Cate, $83, 800-556-6570, oceanridge.com

55. Indian Wells G.C.

Garden City, S.C., Gene Hamm, $80-$90, 843-652-5555, classicgolfgroup.com

56. Wicked Stick G. Links

Myrtle Beach, John Daly/Clyde Johnston, $94, 800-797-8425, wickedstick.com

57. Arrowhead C.C.

(27 holes), Myrtle Beach, Raymond Floyd/Tom Jackson, $122, 800-236-3243, arrowheadcc.com

58. Blackmoor G.C.

Murrells Inlet, S.C., Gary Player, $87-$93, 866-952-5555, blackmoor.com

59. Waterway Hills

Myrtle Beach, Robert Trent Jones, $94, 843-449-6489, mbn.com

60 .Myrtlewood G.C.

(Palmetto), Myrtle Beach, Ed Ault, $84, 800-283-3633, myrtlewoodgolf.com

Thanks for the Memories

Nearly 20 Myrtle Beach golf courses have closed since the peak years in the late 1990s, when there were more than 115. Most deserved their fates, argues Donald Wizeman, president of the Myrtle Beach Golf Association, whose website (mbga.com) mixes travel tips with occasionally withering criticism of the local powers-that-be. Here are the five clubs he was sorriest to see go: