Top 100 Public Golf Courses, Myrtle Beach Has 3!

Three Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Ranked Among "Top 100 You Can Play"

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 by Chris King

Golf Magazine has unveiled its list of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play,” a ranking of America’s 100 best public layouts, and three Myrtle Beach golf courses have earned a spot on the prestigious list.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Dunes Golf & Beach Club and the Love Course at Barefoot Resort all earned a spot among the nation’s elite public courses.

Caledonia, a Mike Strantz design, again led by the way. The South Strand favorite was ranked 27th, a one spot improvement from its place on 2010 list.

Caledonia is as stunning to the eyes as it is enjoyable to play. The layout is set amidst sprawling live oak trees draped in Spanish moss and plays along the Waccamaw River. The course, Strantz’s first solo effort, has been regarded as among the nation’s best since it opened in 1994.

The Dunes Club is Myrtle Beach’s most revered course. The Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design opened in 1949 and is rich with history, having hosted some of the game’s premier events. The Dunes Club has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, the finals of PGA Tour Q-School, and six Senior PGA Tour Championships.

But classic architecture, as opposed to history, is what earned Dunes Club the 47th spot on Golf Magazine’s list. The 13th hole, known as Waterloo, caps Alligator Alley, a spectacular three-hole stretch that plays along Lake Singleton and the swash from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

The Love Course, also a repeat member of the list, was ranked 86th. Arguably the most popular course at Barefoot Resort, one of the nation’s premier multi-course facilities, the design solidified Davis Love’s bona fides as a golf course architect.

Using the faux ruins of a Carolina plantation home as a backdrop, the Love Course delights golfers with its combination of beauty and playability.

Golf Magazine’s rankings further solidify Myrtle Beach’s standing as America’s most popular golf destination, highlighting the depth and quality of courses the area offers. Over the last five years, 12 Myrtle Beach golf courses have been ranked the nation’s top 100 public courses by either Golf Digest or Golf Magazine.