Myrtle Beach's 5 Most Breathtaking, Impeccably Designed Golf Courses Lining The Grand Strand

Beach lovers looking for a coastal getaway with an entertaining boardwalk, good food, and gorgeous views can't go wrong with Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Situated on the roughly 60-mile coastal stretch known as the Grand Strand, this affordable beach town is one of America's favorite getaways on the East Coast, but it's also beloved by golfers. Along the Grand Strand, more than 100 golf courses are dotted along marshes, rivers, oak-lined Lowcountry forests, and the Intracoastal Waterway. The variety brings golfing enthusiasts of all ages and levels to test out their skills on the green. A bonus is that many of these impeccably designed courses will make you stop mid-round in awe of the stunning scenery.

For visitors who only have time to hit one or a handful of courses, narrowing down the options can be a task. So we consulted online interviews of golf industry professionals and reviews from amateur enthusiasts to select the top five courses that are most memorable for their breathtaking scenery and excellent design. With golf architects like Mike Strantz, Robert Trent Jones, and Craig Schreiner behind them, these courses are ranked high among the golf community for their layouts, settings, ambience, and views.

So, whether you're looking for a thrilling bachelor party destination with golf on the itinerary or want to squeeze in a round on vacation in between beach days and strolls on the boardwalk, these five Myrtle Beach golf courses (listed in no particular order) consistently deliver memorable games with breathtaking views.

Caledonia Golf and Fish Club has well-established Deep South vibes. The Scotsman who owned the land named it "Caledonia," after the name the Romans originally gave to Scotland. For a long time, it was a massive rice plantation. When the current owners purchased the property in the early 1970s to use for hunting and fishing, they also wanted to build a golf course that preserved the land's natural beauty. Golfers at Caledonia today enjoy centuries-old trees adorned with Spanish moss framing the thoughtfully designed 18-hole course.

Caledonia is course architect Mike Strantz's first solo design, and the whole property leans into a "golf as art" approach, with expansive greens, dramatic framing, and a layout that's intentionally memorable. The property also benefits from seasonal bursts of color, as thousands of flowers bloom each year, leading many to describe it as a floral park that also happens to feature a golf course.

But Caledonia isn't just pretty; it's also widely recognized and talked about as a top-tier public course. The club's website notes that it has been ranked among America's best public courses by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and other industry outlets. Plus, golfers online regularly call it a Myrtle Beach favorite. On Reddit, a user writes, "I feel like that drive into Caledonia at 7 a.m. is the closest thing the public will get to the Augusta feeling." Tee times range from $99 to $250 on average, depending on the day and season.

As another Mike Strantz design, True Blue Golf Club is Caledonia's bolder cousin — still Lowcountry, still signature Strantz, but with a more dramatic, wide-open feel. The course is known for its vast fairways, home to some memorable holes. As local golf expert Chris King explains to Myrtle Beach Golf Trips, "At True Blue everything is big — the fairways, greens, waste bunkers, and, most of all, the fun."

Golfers particularly appreciate True Blue's layout. On Reddit, a user writes, "TB is pretty unique and had some really gorgeous holes and lots of drivable waste bunkers. No rough. Just fairway or waste bunker. Or water. It's a great course." One Google reviewer says, "The course gets five stars simply based on Strantz's genius design. This course (like all of his courses) was not boring and every hole was a new treat for the eyes and a challenge for the game."

True Blue's par-72 course has six sets of tees with the potential to stretch to just over 7,000 yards. Any level of player can try their hand at the course, but many golfers tend to call True Blue more challenging than Caledonia. However, for visitors with enough time, why not settle the debate on your own by playing both? They're located right across the street from one another, and tee times at True Blue are slightly lower than Caledonia (usually in the $90 to $200 range).

Positioned between the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet, Tidewater Golf Club is a public course frequently praised for its challenging holes surrounded by natural beauty. As Play Golf Myrtle Beach describes, "You could travel the country from coast to coast and not find a more scenic golf course than Tidewater."

Beyond the gorgeous South Carolina scenery, the course has gotten plenty of accolades for its design by course architect Ken Tomlinson. In fact, it's the only course ever to be ranked as America's best new public course by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest in the same year (1990), according to Myrtle Beach Golf Trips, which also describes its challenging 12th hole as a highlight: "Don't be surprised if you catch yourself forgetting completely about the shot, and spending a few moments admiring the beautiful views of the Lowcountry marsh and home across the way." Golfers also note ocean views on holes three, four, and 13, as well as the scenic pathways winding through the marsh. 

Reviewers say the 18-hole championship course has a nice mix of easy and more challenging holes, made only more enjoyable by the setting. Golfers can expect six sets of tees ranging from around 4,600 yards to just over 7,000. One Google reviewer says, "One of the best courses I've ever played. Conditions were excellent, the layout is phenomenal, with multiple holes directly on the marsh/waterway."

If you're looking to hit the links somewhere with waterfront play, Grande Dunes Resort Club fits the bill. It also happens to be part of one of Myrtle Beach's chicest master-planned communities. Its two 18-hole courses — the Resort Course and the Member's Club course — are both highly praised for their design and Intracoastal Waterway setting. PGA Magazine once described it as "one of the great golf clubs in the world" (via BlueGolf).

For golfers interested in a membership, the inland-style Members Club course is the brainchild of Hall of Fame golfer Nick Price and course architect Craig Schreiner. The recently renovated par-71 course offers five sets of tees between 4,300 and over 7,000 yards, accommodating various skill levels. Membership quotes are available by contacting the resort directly.

Travelers and guests can golf the public links-style Resort Club course, designed by the Roger Rulewich Group. According to Golf Digest, it's ideal for "a picturesque sunset round." Situated on a high bluff, golfers have stunning views of the Intracoastal Waterway and the surrounding marina, with seven holes right alongside the water. Reviewers often praise its value for what you get, with tee times starting at $87, but prices increase to almost $300 during popular hours in the high season.

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club is a big part of Myrtle Beach golf history and has some serious design credentials. Dating back to 1947, the 18-hole course is the work of Robert Trent Jones, a renowned golf course architect, and has hosted major events like the PGA Senior Tour, the Myrtle Beach Classic, the USGA Women's Open, and more. Besides the impressive parkland course design, its beachfront location also offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Dunes was the top Myrtle Beach course picked by 50 PGA pros, as surveyed by MBN, gaining nearly half of the first-place votes. In a review for Myrtle Beach Golf Trips, one golfer says, "Everything about that place is first class from the pro shop, range, and putting green to every hole on the course which is always in spectacular shape even down to the bunkers." Reviewers also frequently say it's one of the more challenging courses in the area.

The Dunes is a private club, as those wanting to join must have one member sponsor and three endorsers. Plus, you'll have to purchase stock in the club and pay an initiation fee, along with the membership fee. However, the course offers limited guest tee times (starting around $200 per player) that you can book online. From a traveler's standpoint, it's a strong one-round splurge, as you're not just paying for greens — you're paying for that old-school, classic club feel. Once you're ready for the "19th hole," you'll have breathtaking ocean views, along with excellent service, food, and drinks from two on-site restaurants and a clubhouse bar.

To whittle down the extensive list of well-ranked golf courses in Myrtle Beach, we focused on courses specifically praised for their designs as well as their aesthetics. To do this, we cross-referenced golf-specific online outlets, social communities like Reddit, and review platforms like Google and Tripadvisor, seeking consistent mentions of each course's scenery and architectural design.

We particularly paid attention to courses from well-known and established golf course architects. We also preferred courses whose descriptions and third-party write-ups emphasized water views, marshy settings, Lowcountry landscapes, unique elevation, "signature hole" visuals, and memorable play reports.

We leaned on credible industry sources like Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and PGA Magazine for rankings and course descriptions. We also cross-referenced local outlets like Myrtle Beach Golf Trips, tourism resources like Discover South Carolina, and hole-by-hole reviews by golf writers and bloggers to find notable courses beloved for their iconic designs, memorable play, and ambient settings with breathtaking views.