We like to think that the Caribbean Resort is one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to a Myrtle Beach vacation. But when it comes to best-kept secrets, we’re proud to share some of the best golf courses our guests can play during their vacation, just minutes from the resort.
Taking the word from Caribbean Resort’s experienced golf managers, here’s a look at three of the courses our golf directors recommend most highly:
- Shaftesbury Glen Golf Club
A member of the formidable and well-respected Glens Group, Shaftesbury Glen pays homage to the classic golf courses of the United States – courses like Winged Foot and Augusta National. Shaftesbury Glen is a tree-lined, majestic Clyde Johnston design, and while it does not outright duplicate any of the holes on the courses that inspired it, it adopts the principles of fun, challenge and variety that make them so famous. As a result, it is one of the most popular Myrtle Beach-area golf courses. It is highlighted by the 18th, a long par four whose massive green is guarded on either side by broad bunkers.
- Arcadian Shores Golf Club
Located in the section of Myrtle Beach known as “Restaurant Row,” Arcadian Shores is one of the area’s most historically significant golf courses. Opened in 1974, the course helped to launch the career of architect Rees Jones – the course would be his first solo design effort. In the proceeding four decades, it has hosted numerous local PGA Chapter events, testing players with tree-lined fairways and undulating, well-protected green complexes. In building the course, Jones drew on the “hard par, easy bogey” philosophy for which his father, architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was famous. As a result, the course is an excellent test for low-handicap players while also preserving a sense of fairness for the middle and high marker.
- Pine Lakes Country Club
Known as “The Granddaddy,” Pine Lakes is the oldest golf course in the entire Grand Strand, dating to 1927. Designed by past PGA President Robert White, it is a classic design that honors the traditions and heritage of the game. “The Granddaddy” is rare among Myrtle Beach in that there is no interior housing to interrupt from the business at hand: pure golf. Pine Lakes is also home to the famous Myrtle Beach chowder tradition – on chilly days, golfers are welcome to a bowl before or during their rounds. Even though it is Myrtle Beach’s oldest course, Pine Lakes is a pioneer: it was the first course in the area to make use of the saltwater-tolerant Paspalum variety of grass.
If you’re reading this, consider yourself lucky: you’re in on the secret of these three wonderful Myrtle Beach golf courses. Feel free to include them in your next trip itinerary – especially if you’ll be staying at Caribbean Resort. Just make sure not to tell too many people…
