Myrtle Beach’s 18 Scariest Golf Holes

October 12, 2017
  1. The WitchThe Witch Golf Club, No. 8, 592 yards, par 5: You knew this list would start with a hole from Myrtle Beach’s favorite Witch! The front nine plays through the Waccamaw Swamp and this monster (it’s 559 yards from the white tees) will haunt you.
  2. Dunes Golf and Beach Club, No. 13, 640 yards, par 5: The hole’s nickname is Waterloo and a Chicago golf writer once a made a 22 here – without losing a ball. Playing around Lake Singleton, which is typically surrounded by alligators, Myrtle Beach’s most iconic hole is arguably its most feared.
  3. Tidewater Golf Club, No. 18, 450 yards, par 4: One of Myrtle Beach’s prettiest courses concludes with a hole that can leave a scar on your scorecard. The dogleg left is long and the preferred landing area for your drive is the right side of the fairway, which brings the marsh into play.
  4. Hell's Half Acre Legends Resort Moorland CourseLegends Resort – Moorland Course, No. 16, 270 yards, par 4: I know what you are thinking: how could a 270-yard par 4 be scary? For starters, the 16th is known as the Hell’s Half-Acre. Need I say more? Anyone that has been stuck in one P.B. Dye’s greenside bunkers knows exactly why the 16th at Moorland is one of the scariest Myrtle Beach golf holes.
  5. Heritage Club, No. 14, 426 yards, par 4: The hardest hole at one of the area’s most highly regarded courses is a doozy. The lengthy par 4 requires a forced carry off the tee and an approach with water in play and a nasty greenside bunker.
  6. Barefoot Resort – Dye Course, No. 11, 461 yards, par 4: This one is classic Dye. There are waste bunkers, pot bunkers and plenty of trouble, though in fairness, the 11th plays a manageable 366 yards from the white tees. Whatever you do, don’t end up in the small bunker in the middle of fairway.
  7. Myrtle Beach National – King’s North, No. 6, 568 yards, par 5: The Gambler, as the sixth is affectionately known, is the ultimate trick or treat hole. Play to the alternate, island fairway and a possible birdie awaits. Miss and the hole could turn into a house of horrors. The decision and subsequent shot are sweat-inducing.
  8. Hole 16 at Glen DornochGrande Dunes Golf Club, No. 14, 244 yards, par 3: The hole “only” plays 158 yards from the white tees but does so from an elevated tee box. The green overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway, making this hole part beauty, part beast.
  9. Eagle Nest Golf Club, No. 16, 449 yards, par 4: The 16th at Eagle Nest, the course’s toughest hole, helps anchor a memorable finishing stretch. Even with a good drive, approximately 180 yards and water on the left must be navigated to reach the green.
  10. Glen Dornoch Waterway Links, No. 16, 431 yards, par 4: This downhill challenge is about placement off the tee and the ability to execute a ghoulish 170-yard approach to a green surrounded by wetlands and water. The Intracoastal serves as a beautiful backdrop, but this hole can be wicked.
  11. Farmstead Golf LinksFarmstead Golf Links, No. 18, 767 yards, par 6: The holes covers more than 700 yards, traverses state lines, and brings water into play, providing plenty of opportunity for a Halloween trick. The fear of hanging a scorecard-wrecking nine on the board can haunt those of us with mental frailties.
  12. Willbrook Plantation Golf Club, No. 1, 428 yards, par 4: Architect Dan Maples wasted little time putting a scare into golfers. A long dogleg right, this is a daunting start at Willbrook. It’s also motivation to arrive early and hit a bucket of balls before arriving at the tee.
  13. Prestwick Country Club, No. 2, 448 yards, par 4: This P.B. Dye design bares its teeth early. Your drive better be long and straight, otherwise trouble surrounds a heavily guarded green. Par or even bogey here is a victory.
  14. Rivers Edge Golf Club, No. 9, 570 yards, par 5: The marshy waters of the Shallotte River must be crossed twice and a peninsula green that is as narrow as the hole is pretty awaits. Some holes on this list could be debated. This isn’t one of them!
  15. No. 13 at Pawleys Plantation Pawleys Plantation Golf Club, No. 13, 145 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on this list is also the most frightening. Don’t buy the 145 yards as you won’t be playing from the tips. More likely, this will be a harrowing 70-yard shot to a peninsula green. Gulp.
  16. Tiger’s Eye Golf Links, No. 9, 415 yards, par 4: The ninth hole on this Big Cat will send chills down your spine. A long drive is a necessity, though it doesn’t guarantee anything as the rolling fairway could yield an uneven lie. If you find the fairway bunker on the right, you are laying up because your approach must carry to the green, otherwise it’s wet.
  17. Pearl Golf Links – West Course, No. 16, 614 yards, par 5: What isn’t frightening about a 614-yard par 5 that play along the Calabash River from tee to green? By the way, the fairway isn’t exceedingly wide either. Regardless of what your scorecard looks like, take a minute to enjoy the view!
  18. Indian Wells Golf Club, No. 18, 410 yards, par 4: There are bunkers on both sides of a fairway that is dissected by a lake. Throw in a large pine tree that sits between the fairway and green and all the ingredients for a frightening finish are present.

Agree or Disagree?!

What is the scariest hole in Myrtle Beach from your perspective?