Founders Club

Pawleys Island is known for its Lowcountry charm, salty marshlands and year-round seasonal weather to enjoy the great outdoors, and Founders Club at Pawleys Island continues to be a part of the area’s tradition, with history dating back to 1966 as the fourth-oldest golf course in the Myrtle Beach area. So, looking to play a course with a distinct sense of character during your upcoming golf vacation? Well, then look no further than Founders Club.

A recent renovation by Thomas Walker restored the natural sandy areas throughout the course which are common to this coastal region, creating beautifully framed visuals set amid tall, long-leaf pines and sprawling oaks. Meanwhile, subtle mounding and Founders Club’s natural topography create stunning shadowing throughout the course, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.

This unique topography perhaps is best showcased on No. 14, a 449-yard (all yardages back tees) par 4 that doglegs to the right and plays into an elevated green flanked by bunkers that devour dreams of par. Your approach shot here is absolutely critical, one of the most important you’ll hit all day. Don’t get too aggressive but be sure to get the ball hole high.

Other notable holes at Founders Club include No. 3 – fittingly, a par 3 measuring 190 yards. This hole requires a shot over water with a mid- to long-iron approach and encapsulates several of the course’s defining characteristics – notably, sand, undulating greens and water. For just a par 3, there are so many difficulties here, with upper and lower tee boxes and numerous potential pin placements.

Finally, No. 18 is a proper finishing hole, a short par 4 which plays to 373 yards and sends players home with a visual they will remember forever, an approach shot over water into a green that rests in the shadow of the course’s Lowcountry-style clubhouse. This hole gives players an opportunity for a good score, but it still is as challenging as it is aesthetically beautiful.