Course Review: Possum Trot Gets Better With Age
Pennsylvanian Jake Breese made his first trip Myrtle Beach last month. He played Possum Trot on April 8 and returned the next day for a second round.
The two Northeasterners stand on opposite ends of the Myrtle Beach golf spectrum, but new and old visitors alike all seem to reach the same conclusion about Possum Trot – the Russell Breeden layout is a gem.
The Grand Strand is home to nearly 100 courses, including seven of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, according to Golf Digest, but amidst the area’s high profile layouts, Possum Trot has attracted a large and loyal following. Located about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, Possum Trot relies on old fashioned values – good layout, good conditioning and friendly service – to attract and maintain players.
Possum Trot is a traditional design almost entirely unencumbered by housing. The layout isn’t tricked up, and the greens don’t require a PhD in golf to read. There are no hidden hazards and fairway bunkers are at a minimum. Water is visible on 14 holes but it’s not overly threatening, most of the time.
“It’s just good old-time golf,” Johnny Powell, Possum Trot’s superintendent, said. “There is a lot of nature out here. It’s a great family course (and) everybody that plays it comes back.”
What brings people back is a course that is fair throughout and always in good condition. Powell and his staff, accompanied by Tank, a Golden Retriever who adds to the facility’s down-home charm, keep the layout’s bermuda grass greens and fairways in impeccable condition.
The 6,966-yard course isn’t a pushover. The fairways are generous but positioning is critical to provide a good approach angles to greens that are protected by bunkers throughout. But golfers that are playing well have a chance to earn a good score at Possum Trot, something every player appreciates.
“It has a little bit of everything,” Breese said. “You use every club in the bag and it’s very well maintained. It’s a good course to play … It’s very well priced for the quality of course it is.”
Possum Trot’s appeal is enhanced by the atmosphere surrounding it. From the bag drop to the snack bar, Possum Trot offers an abundance of Southern charm.
Throw-in a nine-acre practice facility that includes a 12,000-square foot practice putting green, an expansive outdoor range, a short game area and indoor hitting nets, and Possum Trot offers a winning combination of value, experience and golf.
For those wondering how the course got its name, it has nothing to do with the number of opossum on the property (very few). Golf Digest ran a contest prior to the course’s opening and allowed its readers to chose the name, and they voted for Possum Trot, a memorable selection 40 years later.
Par 3s
The Possum Trot yardage book has a name for every hole on the course, and the par 3s are dubbed Spicy (No. 6), T’aint Easy (No. 8), Analysis is Paralysis (No. 13), and Puzzler (No. 16). The names in this case serve as an appropriate warning.
The Possum Trot par 3s aren’t overwhelming on paper – none of them play longer than 205 yards from the tips and 170 is the longest from the white tees – but each must be respected.
The sixth hole is just 150 yards from the white tees but playing into the prevailing wind (the sea breeze) can make the shot tricky. The green is protected by two bunkers and a creek crosses in front of the green. The eighth hole is longer – 185 yards from the tips and 170 from the whites – but only one bunker guards the green. It’s the No. 18 handicap, though in the estimation of most, it’s not the easiest hole on the course.
Possum Trot’s signature hole is No. 13, which plays 203 yards from the tips. A lake separates the tee box from the green and forces players to confront any fear they have of hitting the ball over water, though there is room to bailout to the right.
A narrow green flanked by a pair of bunkers gives No. 16 its teeth.
The par 3s at Possum Trot aren’t overwhelming and a player with a solid iron game has a chance to help himself.
Par 4s
The Possum Trot par 4s offer the opportunity for birdies but several holes can exact a heavy toll. The 11th, known endearingly as the Big Possum, is the course’s hardest hole. In addition to playing 460 yards, including the last 150 uphill, the hole also plays back towards the ocean, which means the wind is almost always in a player’s face. The 11th, one of only two par 4s that play over 400 yards from the white tees, is the hardest hole on the course.
After the strain of the Big Possum, Breeden gives players a breather with the Little Possum, the 390-yard 12th hole regarded as the course’s easiest.
The front nine par 4s are highlighted by the course’s two most acute doglegs. The 410-yard fifth hole is Possum Trot’s sharpest dogleg, breaking hard to the right approximately 235 yards from the blue tees. The brave can attempt to cut a corner defended by tall pine trees, but it’s not advisable.
The seventh hole, just 360 yards from the blue tees, is a hard dogleg left. The hole begins breaking 210 yards from the blue tees and three bunkers and ample mounding on the right collect balls that go through the fairway. A sloping green adds to the challenge of Possum Trot’s shortest par 4.
Par 5s
Possum Trot begins and ends with a par 5, and the nature of each hole is a testament to what makes the course enjoyable.
The 533-yard first hole is relatively easy, giving players a chance to start their round on a positive note. The hole is straight from tee to green, though water and an out of bounds area do lurk.
The 18th is one of the course’s toughest and most scenic holes. The 535-yard finishing hole requires a carry over water into a well bunkered green. With the clubhouse serving as the backdrop, it’s an outstanding way to finish the round.
The other two par 5s, No. 4 and No. 10 both offer stiff challenges. The 10th has six bunkers, as many as any hole on the course, including a pair of fairway bunkers that can end any dreams of birdie.
The Verdict: Possum Trot, which opened in 1968, is a prime example of a course that has aged gracefully. A part of the Glens Group, Possum Trot has benefitted from a management company that has provided it with excellent care and been willing to upgrade the course over time, assuring golfers of a layout that always remains relevant.
Possum Trot is an outstanding midlevel course, providing a significant challenge and an excellent value. The quality of the course combines with friendliness of the staff to make Possum Trot the type of facility that has helped Myrtle Beach earn its reputation.
