These 5 Golf Courses are Myrtle Beach Golf’s South Strand Quiet Stars

Myrtle Beach’s South Strand is home to some of the region’s most prominent courses. Caledonia, TPC Myrtle Beach, True Blue and Pawleys Plantation read like a “who’s who” of the area’s best, but in the shadow of those headlining layouts are a host of the area’s quiet stars.

Blackmoor Golf Club, River Club, Tradition Club, Wachesaw Plantation East and Willbrook Plantation don’t attract the attention of their high-profile neighbors, but they deliver the type of experience that makes Myrtle Beach the game’s most popular destination.

Blackmoor is Gary Player’s only Myrtle Beach design, and it delights golfers with its playability and creativity. Precision is as important as power at Blackmoor and the par 4 eighth hole presents one of the area’s most memorable risk-reward decisions. Played traditionally, the hole is a 90-degree, dogleg right par 4, but Player cut a 30-yard chute through the trees, allowing golfers the option to cut the dogleg and drive the green 270 yards away. The choice is yours.

There is water on 15 of 18 holes at River Club, a Tom Jackson layout that delights players with its creativity. The highlight of the round is the unforgettable, par 5 18th hole. For the bold among us, the green is reachable in two, but that requires challenging the lake that fills the elbow of the dogleg left off the tee and on the approach. It’s a dramatic conclusion on a course you will want to play again.

A former South Carolina Golf Course of the Year, Tradition Club is home to one of the Grand Strand’s nicest practice facilities and a classic design. Architect Ron Garl’s only area layout has long been a favorite of locals and traveling golfers, and it won’t take you long to realize why.

Wachesaw Plantation East hosted four LPGA Tournaments upon its opening in 1996 – Hall of Famer Karrie Webb won twice – and with the benefit of maturity the Clyde Johnston track is better than ever. Your round at Wachesaw will be highlighted by a finishing stretch – the par 5 17th and the daunting par 4 18th – that is worthy of challenging the game’s greatest women’s players and your group.

Willbrook Plantation showcases the Lowcountry beauty Pawleys Island has long been known for, playing through centuries old live oak trees draped in Spanish moss and along native wetlands. The course gives players a chance to hit every club in the bag, highlighting the quality of the Dan Maples design.

If you want to play one of Myrtle Beach’s hidden gems, move Blackmoor, River Club, Tradition Club, Wachesaw and Willbrook to the top of your list. 

Click an icon below to browse photos of the South Strand’s “Quiet Stars” golf courses (Jim Maggio photos)