The Three Best Holes at Shaftesbury Glen
Shaftesbury Glen arrived on the Myrtle Beach golf scene in 2001, and the Clyde Johnston design quickly carved out a player-friendly reputation. The course sports some of the widest fairways along the Grand Strand – making it a favorite for those of us with a crooked driver – and elevated, bentgrass greens.
To provide a better perspective on what players have to look forward to, we asked Shaftesbury Glen’s director of operations, Ryan McCarty, to tell us the course’s three best holes, and he happily obliged.
1. The 579-yard second hole is reachable in two only for Myrtle Beach golf’s one-percenters (distance not money qualifies you for this exclusive club), so it rewards three quality shots.
A fairway bunker on the right is reachable off the tee, but there is ample room to land the ball. Your second shot should favor the left side of the fairway, which brings the water into play but provides the best angle of approach
“You need to make sure you hit a good approach shot, but it’s definitely a hole you can score on if you play it the right way,” McCarty said. “Don’t try to overpower the ball.”
2. On a course renowned for its elevated greens, the elevation change on the 10th hole is among the most dramatic. The short par 4 – 360-yards from the tips – is a scoring hole, but players must avoid a fairway bunker on the left that is approximately 240 yards from the white tees.
Place the tee shot in the middle of the fairway and you will have a decent shot at birdie, but your approach will need to be a soaring one.
3. What’s not to like about a risk-reward par 5 with a pair of oak trees framing the fairway? The 519-yard (from the tips) 13th hole offers a shot at eagle, but drives that don’t find the fairway could lead to a second shot obstructed by an oak tree.
Three bunkers to the left of the green are deep enough bury a small car in, so going for the green in two comes with peril. But who is to say you won’t find the sand on your third shot?!
“You can go for the glory or play it safe,” McCarty said. “To hit your second shot, clear the bunker, and hold the green is quite a difficult shot.”
The payoff is a possible eagle or more likely birdie.
Who takes a Myrtle Beach golf trip to layup?
—
