Five Things You Need to Know about Thistle Golf Club
On a list of the Myrtle Beach golf scene’s under-the-radar gems, Thistle Golf Club has to rank near the top. Home to 27 holes, all designed by Tim Cate, Thistle earned 4.5 stars in Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play guide and is one of the area’s best and most well maintained facilities.
So what do you need to know before teeing it up on this North Strand beauty?
– Thistle is the Grand Strand’s standard-bearer in encouraging a healthy pace of play. The club has 12-minute tee times and every group has the reasonable expectation of playing in four hours. It’s an ideal venue if you want to play 27 or even 36 holes.
– Don’t be shocked to see Golf Channel personality Charlie Rymer roaming the fairways. Rymer, a regular on the Morning Drive, is a member at Thistle and plays the course when he is in the area. Clearly, Charlie has good taste!
– Thistle’s namesake is the Thistle Golf Club in Leith, Scotland, which opened in the early 1800s. Thistle’s first owners bought all the original memorabilia from its Scottish inspiration and it’s on display in the clubhouse. Among the items for viewing are membership letters that date back to 1812. Take the time to enjoy the ancient memorabilia.
– Plan to have a drink in Thistle’s clubhouse, which is among the nicest in the Southeast. The 16,500-square-foot building is home to a bar that was shipped over from Scotland and offers virtually every single malt scotch sold in the United States. The clubhouse has few peers.
– Thistle is a second shot golf course. The fairways are wide and generally offer more than ample landing room, but the biggest challenge comes in hitting the greens. Large undulating greens are a Thistle hallmark and some of the surrounding bunkers are a lot easier to get into than they are to get out of. So make sure you dial your irons in on the range.
