Heads-Up: Four Underrated Myrtle Beach Golf Courses You Need to Play

There are 20+ courses in the Central Strand, and here are four that are among the most underrated.

• Arrowhead Country Club is located just minutes from the airport and is one of just six courses that play along the Intracoastal Waterway, both ingredients for acclaim. The 27-hole facility is well-regarded, but I believe it’s even better than popular opinion. New MiniVerde greens have been installed in recent years and conditions are consistently among the best in the area. In short the Ray Floyd design is outstanding and the location is convenient. Arrowhead is an ideal addition to any Myrtle Beach golf package.

• Wild Wing Plantation was once a four-course property that was among the most popular in Myrtle Beach, but three layouts closed, leaving Avocet as the only 18-hole course on property. As a stand-alone course, it has been overshadowed by nearby Legends Resort and Myrtle Beach National, but Avocet is a layout you need to reintroduce to your itinerary. It’s home to one of the area’s best short par 4s and by far the most interesting double green.

• Most people know Man O’War as the home of golf’s only back-to-back island greens (and that’s not a bad thing), but lost in the talk of all the water is how good the layout is. Architect Dan Maples managed to do the seemingly impossible, building a course around a 100-acre lake without allowing the water to overwhelm. The open nature of the design allows the bentgrass greens to thrive and players enjoy a different, but very memorable, golf experience at Man O’War.

• This list was compiled before Shaftesbury Glen’s January 2016 renovation project, and will soon make this great course even better. Shaftesbury opened in 200,1 and is located in Conway off Highway 22, a location that golfers don’t drive by on chance. As a connoisseur of all things Myrtle Beach golf, you need to make the (very) short trip to play this Clyde Johnston design. The renovation project, which will be completed at the end of January, will enhance the visuals and the fun on a layout you owe it yourself to play.