River Club: 5 Things You Need to Know

Playing through property that used to be home to a thriving rice plantation, River Club is the quintessential South Strand golf course. The layout is superb, conditions are pristine, and the facility oozes charm.

Before playing your next round at the Tom Jackson design, here are five things you need to know.

Length Matters
The greens at River Club are well guarded, typically by a combination of sand and water. Most of the trouble is in front of the putting surface, so when you are pulling an iron for your approach, make sure take enough club to get to the middle of the green.

Drive For Show, Putt For Dough, BUT …
Everyone knows the cliche about the importance of the flat stick, but River Club is a second shot golf course. The fairways are generous, so players can swing away with the driver, and the greens are conducive to making putts, but you have to be the in the right spots. Pay attention to where the pins are make sure your mid to low irons are dialed in.

What You See Is What You Get
River Club is a creative design and fun to play, but Jackson didn’t trick the course up. The challenges are in front of you and there are no unwanted architectural surprises.

The Biggest Challenge Is …
Bring your ‘A’ game to the 15th hole. It’s not exceedingly long at 409 yards from the tips (384 from the white tees), but the dogleg right requires players to carry water off the tee and on the approach. Adding to the challenge is a relatively narrow green that runs at an angle. If you make par at 15, you are setup for a strong finish.

What You Will Love!
The 18th hole at River Club is a stunning risk-reward, par 5. Players can attempt to go for the green in two, but it requires them to carry water twice and you have to reach the green on the fly. With the clubhouse (which can include the rest of your group watching you finish) on a hill overlooking the green, it’s a spectacular close to a round.

While there are many stay & play options available where you can include River Club as part of your next Myrtle Beach golf getaway, the one in our spotlight here is the Southern 2-Round Golf Special at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton where you can pair up River Club with your choice among several “Founders Collection” courses along the South Strand including TPC Myrtle Beach, Litchfield Country Club and many more.