by Edward Schmidt

Created on: December 14, 2009   Last Updated: January 11, 2010

Myrtle Beach has more than 100 golf courses on a 75-mile coastal strip that is often called “The Grand Strand”. It's one of America's best golf vacation spots because of the variety of courses to choose and the seemingly endless number of golf packages that include selection of courses and accommodations.

There are miles and miles of fairways in Myrtle Beach designed by a Who’s Who line-up of course architects, including Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman. The courses wind along saltwater marshes and through dense native forests and historic plantations. The topography is dominated by wetlands, sandy marshes and terrain peppered by live oaks, pines and palmetto. More than four million rounds of golf are played in the region every year.

At first glance, the sheer size of the golf menu can be overwhelming. To simplify matters, the area has three primary golf sections.

The northern end of The Grand Strand, which extends into North Carolina, features golf options like Barefoot Resort, Long Bay Club, Sea Trail Golf and Conference Center, Thistle Golf club and Tidewater Golf Club and Plantation.

Central Myrtle Beach offers easy and quick access to the area’s beaches, shopping, dining and nightlife. Golf possibilities include The Dunes Club, Pine Lakes, North Course at Myrtle Beach National and Grand Pines.

The southern end of the Grand Strand has the highest concentration of luxury resorts and high-end golf courses, with layouts like Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue Plantation, Pawley’s Plantation, Willbrook, TPC Myrtle Beach and Heritage Club.

Major golf resorts in the area includes Avista Resort at Kingston Plantation, Hilton at Kingston Plantation, Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, Sea Trail and Ocean Dunes/Sand Dunes Resort & Convention Center.

With miles of Atlantic Ocean shoreline, Myrtle Beach is foremost a family-oriented beach destination during its summer high season. Golf is played throughout the year, however spring and autumn are the busiest times when golfers take full advantage of a mild climate and off-season accommodation rates.

One of the best and more economical ways to book a golf vacation to the area is to go through Myrtle Beach Holiday, a 40-year old non-profit trade association that represents 77 golf courses, 115 golf package providers and five golf schools.

Like its extensive golf course inventory, Myrtle Beach has lots of places to stay with 460 hotels encompassing more than 89,000 hotel rooms and condo accommodations. In addition, there are 60 miles of sandy beaches, 1,900 restaurants and an assortment of shopping complexes, theme parks, miniature golf courses and live entertainment theaters.

For more golf vacation travel tips, go to The Golf Travel Guru blog.

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