Golf
Known as the Golf Capital of the World, the Grand Strand is home to more than 100 courses. Many are championship layouts and most are public.
Arrowhead Country Club. Known for its top-notch condition, regardless of the season, Arrowhead is the only Raymond Floyd–designed course in the region. Many of the scenic 27 holes, uniquely grouped into 9-hole themes, run along the intracoastal waterway. All greens are MiniVerde Bermuda grass, a grass species developed to tolerate high temperatures. Chomping at the bit? Arrowhead offers showers, towels, and amenities so you can sneak in one last round before heading to the airport, which is five minutes away. 1201 Burcale Rd., West Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 29577. 843/236–3243; www.arrowheadcc.com. Reservations essential.
Indigo Creek Golf Club. Beauty and bargains await at Indigo Creek, a course cut through forests of huge oaks and pines that once surrounded an indigo plantation. The Willard Byrd design boasts tall oaks, meandering creeks, and stellar maintenance of the Tifdwarf Bermuda greens and tees. 9480 Indigo Club Dr., Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, 29576. 843/650–1809; www.indigocreekgolfclub.com. Reservations essential.
Pine Lakes. Built in 1927 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pine Lakes is reputed as the Grand Strand's "granddaddy" of courses. The patriarch, however, is kept in immaculate shape. A conversation here led to the creation of Sports Illustrated magazine, a piece of trivia proudly displayed on the walls of the clubhouse. 5603 Granddaddy Dr., Central Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 29577. 877/283–2122; www.pinelakes.com. Reservations essential.
Grande Dunes. This course has some of the widest and purportedly fairest fairways in Myrtle Beach, a veritable kingdom of golf, with majestic, nationally award-winning views of the tranquil waterway. 8700 Golf Village La., North End, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 29572. 877/283–2122; www.grandedunesgolf.com. Reservations essential.
TPC Myrtle Beach. Designed by the legendary Tom Fazio, this former home to the Senior PGA Tour Championship was also the training grounds for PGA Tour star and Myrtle Beach local Dustin Johnson, who founded the Dustin Johnson Golf School here. The scenery is both beautiful and challenging, with plenty of towering pines, wetlands, and water hazards. 1199 TPC Blvd., Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, 29576. 877/283–2122; www.tpcmyrtlebeach.com. Reservations essential.
The Witch. Dan Maples–designed, this course is set amidst a pine forest, off the beaten path. True to its name, it can be quite bewitching throughout its 500-acre rolling layout over higher elevations and the lower wetlands connected by a mile of bridges. 1900 SC 544, Conway, South Carolina, 29526. 843/347–2706; www.witchgolf.com. Reservations essential.
