Moorland’s 3 Best Holes

The Moorland Course at Legend’s Resort is one of Myrtle Beach golf’s most recognized layouts. The P.B. Dye design is the 37th most difficult course in the nation, according to Golf Digest, and it’s one area’s most popular.

While Moorland is unquestionably a stern test of golf, it’s much more than that. Dye made great use of pot bunkers, elevation changes and water to create a layout that is as visually appealing as it is challenging.

The course is home to some of Myrtle Beach’s most recognizable holes, but we ask Legends Resort head pro Matt Biddington to name  Moorland’s three best. After careful consideration, Biddington gave us his list.
 

No. 2, 537-yard, par 5: The second hole isn’t overly long but requires a combination of skill and decision-making to conquer. Finding the fairway off the tee is a prerequisite, because sand and water await errant shots. The hole also features a second fairway on the left side starting 100 yards from the green. The original fairway ends at a waste bunker less than 100 yards from the green. Smart players play their second shot to the upper plateau, leaving themselves well positioned to hit one of the course’s smallest greens. It’s a very difficult green to hit and hold in two, so you are better off not trying.

No. 15, 597-yard, par 5: The option of going for No. 15 in two doesn’t exist, but the hole is stunning visually and forces players to make many decisions. Four bunkers split the fairway but you must fly that hurdle. The second shot is where things get interesting. Players that layup before the water are faced with 200 yards into a green that is 59 yards – no, that’s not a typo – deep. Carrying the water isn’t without the obvious risks.

“Hit it as far as you can (off the tee),” Biddington said when asked how to best play the hole. “You have a little bit of room to bailout on the right but you have to try to put yourself into the best position for the third shot.”

No. 16, 313-yard, par 4: This one was a no-brainer. The 16th at Moorland, otherwise known as Hell’s Half Acre, is one of the most famous Myrtle Beach golf holes. It’s drivable from every set of tees, but if you miss the green, trouble awaits. Pot bunkers, waste areas, grass bunkers, pampas grass and, whatever you do, don’t find the bunker located just over the green.

It’s not the course’s most difficult hole, because it surrenders more than its share of birdies, but it’s certainly the most memorable.

“If you make it (on the green), you are in great shape for birdie,” Biddington said. “If you miss the green, bogey is a good score. It’s the ultimate risk-reward hole.”

How would you rank the three best holes at Moorland?