Myrtle Beach Golf Hole of the Week: No. 18 at Panther’s Run Golf Links

​Tim Cate’s first solo design, Panther’s Run has been a North Strand favorite since opening in the mid-90s. The course plays along a nature preserve and features rolling fairways and deep sand bunkers. 

Panther’s Run is the rare course that challenges low handicappers from the tips and yet provides a manageable challenge for mid to high handicappers (white tees have a course/slope rating of 70/122). 

Here is a look at a hole that will test the game of everyone.  

No. 18
Par 4
Yardage: 425 yards (black tees), 410 yards (blue tees), 380 yards (white tees), 315 yards (gold tees), 287 yards (red tees). 
Handicap: 2

The 18th isn’t exceptionally long, but it has plenty of bite. At 380 yards from the whites, playing from a slightly elevated tee box, a quality drive is vital to success. In this case, quality doesn’t mean exceedingly long because long hitters run the risk of hitting the ball through the fairway and into the lake. 

A 230-240 yard tee shot will leave you with a slightly uphill, short-iron approach shot over the lake to a narrow, two-tiered green. Tee shots that stray from the fairway could leave you with an uneven or awkward lie, which isn’t desireable when trying to carry the ball across the lake. 

One thing you don’t have to worry about is the quality of the 18th green (or any others at Panther’s Run), because the MiniVerde Bermudagrass greens that were installed a couple years ago are among the area’s best. 

Panther’s Run is an outstanding test of golf, and the 18th hole is its best. 

If you have interest in challenging Panther’s Run or any of the four courses at Ocean Plantation, check out the Big Cats Package from Prince Resort.