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I have a decision to make and I will let you guys help me decide. Plus this gives me a chance to rub it in that I am leaving for M.B in a week. We are definitely playing 3 days maybe 4. Tidewater and World Tour are done deals.We need a third and maybe a fourth. South Creek is what we have decided soo far. Anyone have any experience on South Creek and what is another one you can recommend. I played Kings North and Wild Wing (avocet) last year. So those two are out.

Never heard of South Creek? But we only stay in North Myrtle every year, so if it's South, that's why. We stay a few miles from Tidewater every year. You can actually see our condo from one of the holes. Tidewater is VERY nice!

I'd recommend any of the Barefoot courses, Love is the only one I've played and it was flawless when we played it. It was the first year it opened and there were even talks about it being a future US Open course (dont' know if there is truth to that or not).

Glen Dornoch is good, but prepare for a butt kicking if you're not a scratch golfer. Heather Glenn is also good (it's about like Glen Dornoch). Tigers Eye, Lions Paw, and there is another there that is good (there are three courses at that resort, just can't think of the last).

Grande Dunes is suppose to flawless and second best course in Myrtle according to Golf Digest (if I remember right), it was behind the Love Course at Barefoot.

The Legends courses are good. (we always play Moorland)

I've heard True Blue is also one of the top stops down there (but it's South Myrtle, so I've not played it).

Hope that helps. I'm actually leaving tomorrow night for Myrtle, so I'll give you some feedback on the courses we play.

Southcreek is one that you should forgo imo.... Average layout at best, and the conditions there are notoriously poor, but then again that is all relative to the courses you are accustomed to playing.

Grande Dunes (as mentioned above) is a good trek, very well kept. It's also a good challenge. Played there last summer, and will play there again in a few weeks. The conditions were excellent when I played there.

Caledonia is one that I have yet to play, but on my list. This course gets awesome reviews, and from the pictures I've seen of it, it is splendid. It's more of an upscale place, so expect to fork out a few more bucks than average.

True Blue is another course in the same general area as Caledonia, I think it's in Pawley's, just south of Myrtle. Friends who have played there told me to take plenty of balls with me when I go play it. Tough course, and these guys are single digit cappers. But they said it was an awesome layout.

The Love Course at Barefoot is wonderful. Very scenic, with a nice mix of challenging holes, as well as a few easier holes. It's a good layout, and probably the second best course at Barefoot. Naturally, the Dye course is the big dog at Barefoot, but just about every review that I've read on the course suggests that Pete Dye laid out this course while going through a divorce (just kidding). Seriously though, this course has held a few qualifiers and a Buy.Com event a few years back. It's a tough test of golf.

The Plantation Courses (Heathland, Mooreland, Parkland) are decent. You get a mix of styles with these three layouts. They have a great practice facility, and the conditions are good.

There's a newer course up near Calabash (just into NC) that opened a few years ago, called Crow Creek. The staff was wonderful, and the conditions were great, especially considering that the course had just opened when I played it. It's a great layout, and one of the better courses on the North end.

I've played roughly 50 different courses there, and here's my own personal (very quick) list of courses that I thought were overpriced and overrated:

(1) The TPC at Myrtle Beach -- conditions were horrible, service was equally as bad, and for that amount of money ($100) you could find a better track.
(2) Long Bay -- nothing but one waste bunker after another. If you like being able to ground your club in bunkers, this place is a must-play. It is heralded as a Jack Nicklaus signature course, but if that's the case, Jack faxed his signature to them because the layout and the conditions were not deserving of his name.
(3) Waterway Hills -- This is the most gimmicky course on the entire strand. Hard to believe that someone with the last name of "Jones" is supposedly the architect of this place. The big attraction is the "Tram Ride" across the river and to the course, of which is pretty cool if you happen to be a 12-yr-old. I'm surprised that they don't stamp your hand before you board it, because that's THE major selling point of the course. Conditions were awful when we played there, and it was a marathon 5 hour round. I'll never go back there.
(4) Norman Course at Barefoot Landing -- the only reason this course makes the list is because the conditions were bad, and it was just a ho-hum layout, especially compared to the Love Course, which was the same price. Still, for that much money, there are better deals to be had.

Hope this helps.

PA PLAYA, when do you go to MB? I've been going there since 91 and have only experienced condition that i would call aweful on 1 course, wedgefield down in Georgetown. South Creek is average, West is a much nicer layout. True Blue is awesome, TheWitch, Wizard and Man o War are nice too, The wizard is one of my favorites. Myrtle Beach national is worth the 90 minute drive up into NC as is Tigers eye and lions paw.

You have selected 2 premium courses in Tidewater and World Tour. Keeping that in mind, here are other premium courses to definitely consider:

Caledonia, Heritage, True Blue, TPC, The Barefoots, River's Edge, Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Grande Dunes, Oyster Bay, Tiger's Eye and Glen Dornoh.

Have a GREAT trip!

Hmmmm...may have to see if I can talk our group into going to the Dye course. I've only played the Love course.

I always thought the Love course was the "big dog" at Barefoot? Is the first Barefoot course listed in Golf Digests top 100, or is yours based on personal experience, because I know those top 100 lists can be bogus.

I was in Myrtle Beach last week and played the love course at Barefoot for the first time. It was a great course and lived up to everything I've ever heard about it. Didn't make it back to play the Dye but I'm going back in Sept. and I plan on playing all the Barefoot courses. I've played the Dunes many times as well as The Witch and Man O War and always liked them.
True Blue will also be on the list for my next trip.

Ooops, reread my post, ment to say Carolina National up in NC is worth the drive.

I erred in my "quick list" of courses to avoid -- It's not Myrtle Beach National, it's the TPC of Myrtle Beach. (corrected, thank you.)

And keep in mind that this is just personal experiences and opinions that I base my statements. At any point or time, I'm sure, conditions of the courses change. Much of it is dependent on the time of year, and the weather. I've played there in the Spring, Summer, and Fall months, and undoubtedly the conditions are best during the Spring and Fall, as the summer heat and the summer traffic does have an affect. Naturally, some courses are better kept than others.

It's just that countless times I have made the long trip to Myrtle, expecting good conditions, or at least with the variety of courses available that conditions might be better than what I experience here at home. But on those courses I mentioned, I left saying to myself, "Not any better than the courses I play around here, for 1/3 of the price." Of course, maybe I'm expecting too much. LOL

You're absolutely spot on about the top 100 list sometimes being bogus. There is a lot of politicing going on much of the time when it involves ranking courses. That's not to say that a majority of the courses aren't worthy of consideration, however. Just some that make you scratch your head.

Pete Dye (imo) is not in the golf architect business to make simple, fun layouts for recreational golfers. He's known for creating some very challenging layouts that would perplex the best golfers at our levels, which is why you see many of his course designs host professional tournaments, most noteably, the Nationwide tour. That's not to say that just because he designed it makes it the best course, but when you see his name at a course, expect to be punished for errant shots. ;)

I can only base my opinion of the Dye Course as someone who has heard and read reviews from others who have played it, I have not played it myself. I might decide to play it in a few weeks just to gain my own opinion of it, and not rely on second hand information. But everyone that I have talked to who has played that course (about a dozen guys) have all said that this course can kick some serious butt. That's why I made the reference to it being the "big dog" at Barefoot. Then again, I might play it, and depending on how well I'm playing it, walk away thinking something totally contrary to what I've been told.

Reviews are very subjective -- too many factors involved that could influence perception. I might be in a "touchy" mood and go to a course and find that the customer service is poor. I might be in a friendly mood and go to that same course and find the customer service great. Or... I could go to that course struggling with my swing and somehow justify that it was an outstanding challenge, just to sooth my ego. Or I could be playing well, play to my index, and walk away saying "what's so special about this place?" Conditions are also subjective. What I might consider poor conditions, someone else might consider a dream course, and vice versa. It's all relative.

You get my point.... But reviews are all that we have when we haven't played a course, and you know the deal about serious golfers -- they just gotta get that edge somehow. They want to know what to expect, even if the reviews are biased and subjective.

LOL. I was coming on this post to tell the guy that Long Bay is a must play and Waterway is another good option. I guess that is why we have chocolate and vanilla, huh?

When did you last play them?

I didn't think Waterway hills was mimmicky at all, jsut a nice average layout.

Played them in 2004. And you're right -- like I said, it's all about perception. I've read many reviews (good and bad) before playing a course and afterward thought to myself, "What were they smoking?"

I'm sure that both courses you mentioned will appeal to some people, but they just didn't do anything for me. And that's the great thing about Myrtle, there's plenty of variety to choose from.

Hands down...Caldonia or True Blue in Pawley's Island, a little south of Myrtle. It's a no-brainer...

Yep!