The 3 Best Holes on the Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina

November 12, 2015

The Hackler Course is one of Myrtle Beach golf's golden oldiesMore than the name has changed at the General James Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina (formerly known as Quail Creek). With new greens and 60 fewer bunkers, the layout received a facelift over the summer.

The routing of the course remains much the same, but architect Craig Schreiner made substantive changes to a few holes. We asked head pro Chuck Johns for his insight into the course’s three best holes and he provided an insider’s account of the golf vacation favorite.

No. 2, 349-yard, par 4: A dogleg right that used to have a bunker short and deep on the left side of the fairway, the second hole is one of the course’s most scenic. A bunker remains on the left but it’s not reachable.

“The bunker is now designed as an aiming point off the tee,” Johns said. If you are in the fairway, you have about a 100-yard shot to the green. Keep it on the left side of the fairway and it opens up the green a little more.”

The green was moved closer to the water so additional danger lurks on the approach.

No. 14, 380-yard, par 4: The “road” hole at the Hackler Course, the challenge on the 14th hole is straight forward. There is a big pine tree on the right and a bunker on the left to collect errant shots.

Finding the fairway on this challenging two-shotter is vital to success.

No. 18, 362-yard, par 4: For people that have made the layout a regular part of their Myrtle Beach golf trip, the 18th underwent the Hackler Course’s most dramatic change during the renovation work. The 18th green was moved to border a lake, turning a once easy approach into the course’s most knee-knocking shot.

“It’s a short hole so you have to layup short of the water on the right side, so you will have an open shot to the green. On the left side you will be blocked by a tree and a bunker, and with a small green, water comes into play.”

It’s a dramatic close to the “newest” hole on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

What’s your favorite hole on the Hackler Course?