Course Review: TPC-Myrtle Beach is a 5-Star Experience

“It’s a great golf course,” Johnson said. “It’s always in great shape. The course is always manicured very nicely. It’s a tough golf course. You hit every club in your bag. You’ve got to hit a lot of different shots. Any time you can challenge yourself, that’s a good thing.”

TPC certainly challenge players. The greens, which have been in superb condition all spring, are often elevated and surrounded by bunkers. The aprons around the greens are shaved, creating a combination designed to test players, because the price for missing the green is often a trip to a bunker or a swale five feet below the putting surface.

The importance of hitting and holding the greens also places a premium on being good off the tee. The fairways at TPC are lined with pine trees but they are sufficiently generous, if you don’t allow yourself to be psyched out. Don’t step onto the tee and focus on the trees, concentrate on the ample landing space and get your drive in play.

TPC has four sets of tees between 6,183 and 6,950 yards, and while it’s cliché to say make sure to play from the proper set, it’s true. TPC is a great test of golf but it’s important that the exam is taken from the proper set of tees. A person receiving his undergraduate degree doesn’t sit for the bar exam and you shouldn’t attempt the golf equivalent. If your handicap is above 15, play from the white tees (6,183 yards).

“TPC is an A-league golf course,” said Mike Meissner, a native of Waldorf, Md., moments before playing his third round at the course. “It’s a beautiful layout, with very challenging holes. It’s a fun challenge, a great golf course.”

Par 3s
The par 3s at TPC are among the area’s best. They are challenging, yet not overwhelming. The longest of the par 3s plays 205 yards from the tips and no one other than Johnson should play the course from the black tees. Playing from the blues or whites, where all but the best should tee it up, length shouldn’t be a problem.

The par 3s feature ample challenges and beauty. The fifth hole plays from an elevated tee that is wider than it is deep and has a lake that gobbles balls that fall short or stray left. The seventh hole, which plays 162 from the blues and 147 from the whites, is the easiest hole on the front nine. Sand on the left can cause problems but the opportunity to score is there.

The 13th requires a carry over water but isn’t especially difficult. Conversely, TPC’s signature hole, No. 17, brings water into play and is one of the course’s most significant tests. The peninsula green has water on three sides, meaning the only place to miss is left. It’s a beautiful hole and sets up a memorable finish on the 18th.

Par 4s
From the monster ninth hole to the drivable 12th, TPC’s par 4s provide great variety and challenge. 
Of the course’s 10 par 4s, four of them play more than 400 yards from the blue tees, led by the 445-yard ninth hole. 

The ninth plays uphill and trouble lurks everywhere. It’s unquestionably the course’s hardest hole. If you head to the turn with a par on No. 9, you’ve done something to be proud of.

While Fazio and Wadkins require length on No. 9, four of the par 4s play less than 350 yards from the blue tees. The 12th hole, the course’s easiest, is only 277 yards from blues and 253 from the whites so nearly everyone has the opportunity to drive the green, though a pair of bunkers will catch errant shots. Players need to pick up a shot on the 12th.

The third hole, which plays over wetlands from an elevated tee box is another memorable par 4. Assuming you don’t skull the drive, the wetlands don’t come into play but the view overlooking the hole is a good one and it’s a stiff challenge.

The last par 4, No. 16, isn’t long, playing 347 yards from the blues and 313 from the whites, but a lake lurks on the right as does a bunker just off the fairway. Throw in a green surrounded by three bunkers and an enjoyable challenge awaits.

Par 5s
When played from the blue and white tees, the par 5s at TPC aren’t overly long. The 496-yard, 18th hole is the longest and most challenging. The length of the holes would seem to offer the opportunity to swing for the green in two but discretion is often advised.

A prime example is the 482-yard (blue tees) second hole, which has a break in the fairway 281 yards from the tee. Three traps and rough interrupt a fairway that narrows in its final yards. For players that can fly the traps – which requires nearly 300 yards – a generous landing area awaits.

Trying to land that elusive eagle putt is further complicated by a green that is 46 yards long but skinnier than Kate Moss. The price for missing the green are two deep bunkers on the left and swale that leaves a tricky chip on the right.

The middle par 5s, the sixth and 14th, are the easiest of the bunch. The 14th, in particular, offers players a chance to pick up a shot. The hole plays 467 yards from the blue tees and the fairway widens approximately 200 yards from the green. If you can find the middle of the fairway, a nice shot into the green – surrounded by three bunkers – awaits. It’s not exactly easy, but the opportunity is there.

No. 18 is one of the Grand Strand’s most memorable finishing holes. With the clubhouse serving as a backdrop, a creek runs along the right side before dissecting the fairway and emptying into a lake that threatens along the left. Players that can drive the ball to the edge of the creek will be tempted to go for the green in two, but don’t do it. Half of the green is exposed to water and the other half surrounded by sand. Be happy to get home in three.

The Verdict: The TPC-Myrtle Beach is an outstanding experience. From the bag drop through the final putt, the facility delivers on the expectations players associate with the brand. It’s not the easiest course at the beach, but that’s not what players expect at a TPC facility.

Players like to challenge themselves on the types of courses that professionals play, and TPC delivers that experience. Shoot a good round here and you can rightfully leave with your head held high. Either way, players exit the course knowing they’ve played an outstanding golf course.

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