How many golf courses are there in Myrtle Beach?

Myrtle Beach is one of the most popular golf destinations in the world, let alone the United States. The fact there are so many golf courses in such a concentrated area is a recipe for success. But the constant question is how many golf courses are there in Myrtle Beach?

There are 90 golf courses in Myrtle Beach, but this number is constantly in flux. The reason it changes is due to course closures and occasionally new courses opening, although the latter happening is quite rare. 

There was a time when Tiger-mania was at its peak whilst real-estate loans easy to come by. At this point, Myrtle Beach had close to 120 golf courses. But those days are long gone, with the 2008 recession having had a lasting impact on the area. 

See also: What are the best golf courses in South Carolina?

Many golf courses were ultimately unable to weather the storm of the recession. This led to course closures all throughout the Myrtle Beach area.

But some would argue many of those courses which did close, probably shouldn’t have been built in the first place. Even though Myrtle Beach is incredibly popular, the economies of supply and demand still need to be observed.

Where are the best golf courses in Myrtle Beach?

The best golf courses in Myrtle Beach are located along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. This is a stretch of coastline measuring around 70 miles from north to south. There are three main areas of the Grand Strand; Georgetown County in the south, Horry County in the middle, and Brunswick County in the north.

The Grand Strand is generally accepted as being the Golfing Capital of America. There is a vast range of golf courses on offer, even though the number of golf courses do vary from one year to another. No one area within the Grand Strand necessarily has a higher proportion of better golf courses than another.

What is the best golf course in Myrtle Beach?

The best golf course in Myrtle Beach is either Caledonia Golf & Fish Club or the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. These two golf courses regularly come top of most best golf courses in Myrtle Beach rankings.

See also: What are the best golf courses in Myrtle Beach?

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club was designed by the iconic golf course architect Mike Strantz. It is located right towards the southern part of the Grand Strand towards the town of Georgetown.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr and is positioned just off the coast in The Dunes neighborhood north of Myrtle Beach.

Two of golf’s most reputable and authoritative online news outlets, Golf Digest and Golf Week, also had their say on what is the number one golf course in Myrtle Beach. Both rank the Dunes Golf & Beach Club above Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

Other notable inclusions are the Dye course at Barefoot Resort, True Blue, Tidewater Golf Club and TPC Myrtle Beach.

Why are there so many golf courses in Myrtle Beach?

The main reason there are so many golf courses in Myrtle Beach is due to its coastal location and mild climate. These two factors meant Myrtle Beach grew in popularity for holiday makers in the early 20th centruy. As this popularity grew, it attracted the construction of golf courses. Over time, this interest boomed, to create the golfing mecca we have today.

The first golf course built in Myrtle Beach was Pine Lakes Country Club, which opened for play in 1927. Twenty years elapsed before the second course began construction in 1947, and this was the superb Dunes Golf & Beach Club. 

As more and more holiday-makers frequented the Grand Strand, inevitably there were more and more golf courses being built. Some of the world’s best golf course architects were commissioned to design these courses, another reason why Myrtle Beach is so good for golf.

What course does the PGA play in Myrtle Beach?

At the time of writing, the PGA Tour does not currently run a tournament in Myrtle Beach. There have been Tour events held in Myrtle Beach over the years. These have included Senior Tour Championships, LPGA events and the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School. But as of today, there is no PGA Tour event currently scheduled here.

There is much debate as to if the Tour did decide to host another event here, at which course it would be hosted. The obvious choice would be Dunes Golf & Beach Club, which in years gone by has hosted the lion’s share of Tour events in Myrtle Beach. It is also considered one of the best golf courses in Myrtle Beach. Therefore this would be the obvious choice. 

Other possible contenders include the wonderful Grande Dunes Resort Course as well as TPC Myrtle Beach, which is the other Myrtle Beach course to have hosted a Tour event.

Why are there so many mini-golf courses in Myrtle Beach?

There are so many mini-golf courses in Myrtle Beach, because it is here that the ProMiniGolf Association holds it annual ‘Master’s’ tournament. Also, as Myrtle Beach grew in popularity for both holiday-makers and golfers, the construction of mini-golfs was well received.

The city of Myrtle Beach is home to around 50 mini-golf courses and is the self-proclaimed ‘miniature golf capital of the world’.

One of the main reasons there are so many mini-golf courses along the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach is due to the fact mini-golfs are far more cost-effective to both build and run, than a championship 18-hole course. 

Granted the cost to play is far less, but you can pack far greater numbers in and out throughout the day. With no clubhouse, green keepers and other members of staff, there are also far less outgoings to consider. 

What elevates Myrtle Beach’s mini-golf courses versus many others throughout the country, is the fact every one has its own theme. From dinosaurs, lava-spewing volcanoes, pirate ships, cascading waterfalls, caverns, you name it!

For a comprehensive list of most mini-golfs in Myrtle Beach, I found the official Myrtle Beach website was best.

Is Myrtle Beach good for golf?

Myrtle Beach is one of the best destinations worldwide within which to play golf. There is a great choice of golf courses including plenty of public golf courses, as well as wonderful beaches, hotels and nightlife.

For somewhere known as the ‘Golfing Capital of the World’, you can be sure there are many reasons to come here and play golf. 

First and foremost amongst these reasons is choice. With approximately 90 golf courses along a 70 mile stretch of coastline, you have a fantastic range to choose from. Links to parkland style, cheap to expensive, super-challenging to higher handicap friendly, coastal views to dense forests…the choice is without equal.

Unlike many other golf destinations across the country, Myrtle Beach has a higher concentration of public golf courses, which will happily welcome nomadic golfers.

And to top all of this off, Myrtle Beach is renowned for its wonderful hotels, beautiful beaches, bars, restaurants and nightlife. So once the golf has been played, there are ample places to go to continue having fun.