As a local golf enthusiast residing in glorious Myrtle Beach, I have had the rich opportunity of exploring the sundry sand traps that strew our many alluring golf courses. Myrtle Beach, often dubbed as the ‘Golf Capital of the World’, provides a vast and diverse array of golf terrain that challenges novices and pros alike. Certain sand traps, in particular, have epitomized the demanding rigors of golf’s strategic gameplay that players contend with. Let’s delve into unraveling the golf courses in Myrtle Beach that present the most challenging bunkers.
Dunes Golf & Beach Club
The acclaimed Dunes Golf & Beach Club carries a historic legacy, being designed by the prestigious Robert Trent Jones Sr. and having hosted the Senior PGA Tour and Women’s U.S. Open. As you teeter on the brink of the notorious ‘Waterloo’ Hole – the 13th – the treacherously positioned pair of sand bunkers mandates a strategic play and an unwavering stance, making it one of the most intimidating bunkers you’d confront in Myrtle Beach.
TPC Myrtle Beach
Home to the Dustin Johnson Golf School, TPC Myrtle Beach teeters between a golf haven and a golf peril with its reputation for difficulty. The 18th hole claims notability for a greenside bunker that runs the stretch of a fairway, aligning the hole’s left side. This imposing bunker doesn’t forgive easily, requiring adept precision from players.
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is an emblem of the coastal Carolina landscape housing an array of trench-like sand traps. A standout amongst these is the deep-set bunker shielding the 9th hole’s green. Navigating this manmade marvel demands astute execution of shots and approaching the green from the correct angle.
Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course
Pete Dye’s architecture is illustriously recognized around the globe, and the Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course is no exception. The 9th hole—which wraps around a lake—has a deep, steep sand bunker waiting for any error in judgement. This beast of a bunker can make even a seasoned golfer sweat.
Grande Dunes Resort Club
Grande Dunes Resort Club vaunts a spattering of precarious pot bunkers evoking a sense of the Old World links-style golf. The pot bunkers of the 9th hole have often beleaguered players with an unforgiving ball position. The enticing aura of the course paired with its daunting sand traps concocts a thrilling golf day.
True Blue Plantation
True Blue Plantation highlights its sandscape through vast, naturalistic waste bunkers that extend over generous lengths of land. The 4th hole of this course sees golfers traversing a sprawling sandy trench snaking across the whole fairway. Staying out of this bunker requires players to both display respectful power and sport surgical precision.
King’s North at Myrtle Beach National
The King’s North at Myrtle Beach National is a top-tier Arnold Palmer design. Hole 6, aptly named ‘The Gambler’, is a risk-reward par 5 laden by a fairway bunker splitting it into two paths: an easier route to the right, or a dangerous bunker-skirting route to the left.
Each of these golf bunkers emphasizes the underlying ethos of golf: a harmonious blend of technique, strategy, and endurance. A round in any of these championship tracks could turn into a memorable story of triumph, and at times, a humorous anecdote of shots gone awry. Such is the fine fabric of the sporting joy that we so love and celebrate here in Myrtle Beach. Enjoy and navigate these bunkers as they zealously guard their greens, challenging your every stroke in the fairway ballet that is golf.