Vacation and relaxation, sun and fun, golf and challenging; these are all synonymous of each other…just like Myrtle Beach and Golf are spoke of, for the most part in the same sentence.  The Grand Strand has gained a reputation for amazing golf…defining this area as a fascinating golf destination are the myriad of course and level-of-play selections.  Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand are home to about 90 golf courses stretching from Georgetown, SC to Ocean Isle, NC.  Most of us who choose to vacation with golf being the primary focus, plan a minimum of 18-36 holes per day, and for those who have to minimize the golf to enjoy local attractions, water sports, sightseeing and tours with the family, it will be valuable to know some of the courses within areas of The Grand Strand and what they have to offer before buying or renting a Myrtle Beach timeshare.�
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North Myrtle Beach
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This area is home to gems like the Barefoot Resort and Golf, which holds within it the; Norman, Love, Fazio and Dye courses, each named after its’ respected designer.  Barefoot Resort and Golf invites each person to live an unforgettable golf vacation.  The distinctive seaside settings, subtropical climate and versatile terrain will deliver on all expectations for golfers from intermediate to low-handicap in a world-class resort setting.  �
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The Norman Course is approximately 7,200 yards long, par 72 and was designed with Norman’s philosophy to bring into play the bump and run shots around the greens.  The courses’ stunning waste areas and the site’s natural vegetation were used to frame each hole. The course resembles one found in the deserts of the Southwest, without the desert.

The Love Course is a Par 72 and plays over 7,000 yards.  The course will challenge the scratch golfer, yet provide playability and enjoyment for the average player.  The Love Course is a traditional course with a Low-country character and incorporates Davis Love III’s Carolina golfing experiences in the design.  This visually striking course features generous landing areas and greens complexities similar to those found on Pinehurst #2 at the 1999 U.S. Open.

The Fazio Course is a Par 71, approximately 6,834 yards long and has four sets of tees to give players of all skill levels the opportunity to play a course of championship caliber, yet maintaining an appropriate balance of fun and challenge.  This European-like course does not return to the clubhouse after nine holes.  It is not a British links land course, but rather a classic Low-country course, filled with live oaks, pines, sand, natural areas and native grasses.  The Fazio is located between the Dye Course and the Love Course, and has been strategically designed incorporating extensive tree cover and many lakes into the surrounding landscape.

The Dye Course is a par 72, 7,343-yard layout filled with pitfalls to capture less than perfect shots. However, if played from the appropriate set of tees, players of all abilities will be able to navigate this masterpiece.     �
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Another excellent option in the north Myrtle Beach resort area is the Tidewater Golf Club and Plantation.  Nearly two decades of above par ratings by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine prove that Tidewater Golf Club is purely a memorable course that brings players back time and time again.  Nestled like a sleeping giant between the Intra-coastal Waterway and Cherry Grove, this legendary golf course offers the perfect combination of natural beauty and challenging play.  Effortlessly marrying the game to its natural surroundings, architect Ken Tomlinson evokes the style and majesty of some of the game’s greatest venues and allows the course to deliver an experience that puts Tidewater on the must-play list of Grand Strand vacationing golfers.

Central Beach
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This area is the heart of Myrtle Beach condo rentals; home to Seawatch Resort and Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel.  Golfers be aware, the options here are abundant!
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The Dunes Golf and Beach Club is rich in history and is signatured by “Waterloo”, which is the 13th hole and has been made famous worldwide because of its’ natural incorporation of Lake Singleton.  This Robert Trent Jones signature course has a rating of 75.7 and a slope rating of 144; built in 1948 and is recognized as one of Jones’ finest designs.  In 2000 the club began a $6 million project to renovate the clubhouse, the driving range and the golf course to accommodate its growing membership.  Some of the course renovations included changes to the 18th hole, which had a new tee box added, thus reconfiguring it from a dogleg right to a dogleg left.  A par-3 alternate hole was built between the 13th and 14th holes, and was designed as an extra hole should another hole on the course be closed for maintenance.  Additionally, there were improvements to the drainage system…�
Noted by its’ long tradition and outstanding service on the golf course and in the clubhouse, members will find the amenities above-board and the personal service exemplary of Grand Strand premier golf destinations.�
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One certainly not to miss is an Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane course, The Myrtle Beach National King’s North.  For over twenty-five years the North Course at Myrtle Beach National was the most requested and best recognized course on the Beach.  The par-3, 3rd with its island green and South Carolina shaped sand traps is the signature hole for the course.  Also talked about is the daring short cut on the island fairway of Hole 6, and the 40-plus sand traps guarding the fairway on Hole 18;  King’s North features some of the most dramatic and unique holes in all of golf and is one of the most visually exciting and challenging courses in America.
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For those who are working around a packed schedule, The World Tour Golf Links features three 9-hole courses; Open, Championship, and International.  With three 9-hole courses brilliantly brought together, one has 27 of the worlds most renowned and challenging golf holes inspired from 23 courses in six countries and 10 states.  Some of the parallels to expect are Augusta National’s “Amen Corner”, the Seminole Club, Winged Foot, Oakmont, Pine Valley, St. Andrews, and Royal Melbourne.  To some this may seem non-trivial; but to play the courses which inspired each hole throughout The World Tour Golf Links one would have to travel 20,000 miles through 6 time zones and 5 countries.  16 of the courses provoking hole-inspiration at the World Tour are so exclusive that the average golfer would not be able to play them at any price.  Of the 6 public courses offering inspiration, one round at each would total more than $1,000, which does not include airfare and lodging.  Boasting its’ pride in research and development in replicating some of golf’s most famous holes throughout the world; a drive around the 25,000 square foot antebellum clubhouse flies the flags of the 6 countries represented and 10 states.

Legends Golf and Resort offers five of the best golf courses available in the Myrtle Beach area and the state of South Carolina; the Heartland, Mooreland, Parkland, Heritage and Oyster Bay.

The par 71 Heathland Course, designed by Tom Doak, is a return to the “Grand Old Country” traditions of the game.  The challenge and difficulty of this course comes primarily from the unobstructed breeze that wafts constantly over the course, and the intricately placed bunkers and lush, deep rough that closely border all fairways.
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Considered one of the greatest challenges on the East Coast is the Mooreland, a par-72 triumph.  Moorland was designed by noted golf architect P. B. Dye, and will cause golfers to rise to incredible heights on the sculpted terrain, sink to considerable depths in the bunkers, and constantly use every ounce of skill and luck a golfer can fathom.�
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Parkland is a par-72 modeled after the architect-style of Augusta National and Riviera Country Club.  Playing the challenging fairway and green-side bunkering requires a delicate touch off the tee and on the approach.  From the first to last shots, strategy will be the order of the day on this breathtaking 18-hole playing field.
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The Par-71 Heritage Club, a Dan Maples design, follows the natural contours of the land, stretching out beside long abandoned and historic rice fields.  Heritage features spacious, rolling fairways and large undulating greens.  The 600 plus acres of giant magnolias, 300-year-old oaks, fresh water lakes and marshes have been transformed into a golfing community that cannot go un-played.�
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The par-70 Oyster Bay Golf Links designed and developed by Dan Maples and Larry Young, respectively, is noted by severe marsh-oriented holes, two island green par-threes, strategic fresh water lakes, long holes and short holes.  A well managed game and consistent shot making are essential.�
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The excellence of the resort does not end with the award-winning courses.  Carrying over to the golf villas, The Legends Golf and Resort has created the feel of a Scottish Village in which everything that you need is available and accessible.
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Centrally located within the resort is an exclusive Ailsa Pub named after the Ailsa Craig, a famous Scottish landmark off the Turnberry Links, where you can gather with friends, watch a game or tournament-round on one of the 16 high definition TVs and relax after an exhilarating day on the links, or simply enjoy the adjacent pool and hot tub.
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Another resort option in Central Beach area that should be considered is the Pine Lakes International.  The golf course was constructed as a complement to the famed Ocean Forest Hotel and was to be a playground for the rich and famous.  Upon the destruction of the hotel, the golf course at Pine Lakes was the only thing remaining.  The course has been remodeled over the years and has evolved from the original 27-hole layout to an 18-hole course which is currently on the National Register of Historical Places.  This par-70, 6600 plus yard historic gem consists of natural dunes, is less than a half mile from the ocean and features numerous freshwater lakes and rolling fairways; the Southern architecture of the Clubhouse symbolizes the deeply rooted history and tradition of the Myrtle Beach area and sets the stage for an unforgettable round of golf…the way the game was meant to be played.
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Pawleys Island, S.C
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Does the ease of walking out your condo to the first tee box sound interesting?  Pawleys Island, S.C. offers an abundance of courses to choose from with many condos and rentals within walking distance.  Some of the courses that may fit your fancy are; Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, the Reserve Golf Club, the River Club and Willbrook Plantation.
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Built upon the site of a working southern rice plantation, Caledonia has been and continues to receive “eagle-like reviews” from Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek.  Noted and awarded for a great public course with an incredible design and modern, elegant beauty.  This par-70, 6,526 yard playing field offers some forgiveness, but requires strategy to each shot.
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The Reserve Golf Club is a Gregg Norman par-72, 7,179 yard gem.  A private club that truly allows golfers of all skill levels to find solace and peace, to be “in the zone”!  The moment you approach the first tee, you experience a calming sense that you have entered your own private sanctuary without distractions or intrusion.  Of the more than 100 golf courses in the Carolina Grand Strand Region, The Reserve has been recognized as one of the premier courses in the area with both national and state rankings.  A true design feature has been to let nature take its course so that each player can experience the peace and freedom needed to play at the peak of their game…
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The River Club is another Norman par-72, 7,212 yard beauty offering world-class golf in a serene forested setting.  The legendary player and designer has taken full advantage of the natural topography.  Course features include but not limited to; dramatic elevation changes, spectacular views of the Chattahoochee River Valley and a variety of challenges, which include 10 of the 18 holes playing across or along five large bodies of water.  Golf Digest recently rated the River Club as one of the best private clubs in the state of Georgia and Golfweek magazine recently included The River Club as one of its Best New Courses.�
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Willbrook Plantation is known for not only the tactical play required, but also for the natural surroundings you’ll experience.  Carved from the site of two Carolina plantations, Willbrook Plantation Golf Club is a course that renowned architect Dan Maples has referred to as one of his best.  Located on the south end of the Grand Strand, Willbrook winds its way through centuries-old oak forests.  A 6,732 yard par-72 forested golf haven will remind you what it feels like to let the mind free in nature and challenge your games’ fundamentals!
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Located 70 miles north of Charleston and 25 miles south of Myrtle Beach Pawley’s Island is known as one of the oldest summer resorts on the east coast.  This historic island get-a-way is a barrier island 4 miles long and mostly 1 house wide, separated from the mainlined by gorgeous salt marsh and accessible by two short-haul causeways.  Generations of visitors return and have returned with the feeling that their anxiety and pressure situations disappear once they cross the causeway.

For additional information on Myrtle Beach resorts and timeshares visit buyatimeshare.com.