Myrtle Beach's Clyde Johnson Courses, Must Plays!

Clyde Johnston Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach

By

Chris King

  on March 10, 2011 3:22 PM | Comments (0)

Shaftesbury Glen was named 2009 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year.

There are only a handful of architects that can compete with the list of Clyde Johnston golf courses in Myrtle Beach. The acclaimed architect has designed two of the last four Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Courses of the Year (Wachesaw Plantation East and Shaftesbury Glen) and yet he flies under the radar with the average player.

Johnston’s name doesn’t benefit from the wattage that golf greats like Nicklaus, Palmer and Norman enjoy, but his work in the area is no less impressive. Collectively, Johnston’s efforts with the Glens Group courses are his most prominent, but those layouts are hardly alone.

Here is a look at the Clyde Johnston golf courses along the Grand Strand:

Glen Dornoch – Playing along the Intracoastal Waterway, Glen Dornoch is one of the area’s most memorable layouts. The three finishing holes are arguably Myrtle Beach’s best, and the views of the Intracoastal are stunning, particularly the par 3 17th.

Heather Glen – Johnston partnered with Willard Byrd to design the original 18, which was named “Best New Public Course in America” by Golf Digest when it opened in 1987. He crafted the third nine on his own and later redesigned the original 18. Heather Glen has long been one of the area’s best tracks, capped by its Scottish inspired clubhouse.

Shaftesbury Glen – The newest Clyde Johnston golf course in the area, Shaftesbury Glen is a Tillinghast inspired layout that is an under-the-radar favorite. Elevated greens protected by finger bunkering create great visuals. Shaftesbury, which was named course of the year in 2009, doesn’t fly under the radar of discerning golfers.



Wachesaw Plantation East – Upon Wachesaw’s opening it immediately hosted multiple LPGA Tournaments and Karrie Webb, Rachel Hetherington and Grace Park all claimed victories at the course. The layout places a premium on accuracy off the tee, but the greens are conducive to making putts, as LPGA star Meg Mallon proved when she shot a course record 62.

Wicked Stick – Johnston paired with John Daly to design Wicked Stick, a popular grip-it and rip-it track located just off 17 bypass. The convenient location and value price make Wicked Stick a Myrtle Beach golf favorite.
What is your favorite Clyde Johnston golf course?