Prestwick Country Club

1001 Links Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575

$$$

Prestwick Country Club is one of Myrtle Beach’s best-kept secrets, but we’re here to give it a little extra attention.

Unlike most courses on the Grand Strand, Prestwick Country Club had not one, but two architectural geniuses behind the beauty of its design: Pete and P.B. Dye. With a name like Dye, it’s no wonder that the 18 holes at Prestwick are an homage to the Scottish links.

This par 72 course features generous fairways with gentle undulations that navigate your ball towards rolling greens guarded by pot bunkers and meandering streams. But the course wouldn’t be complete without the innovative use of railroad ties, a Dye signature that can be found all over Prestwick.

The masterpiece begins with an incredible run of four par 4s that make up the bulk of the defense on the front nine. Keeping in mind that the course does not give you much time to settle into the round, par is a great score on any of these introductory holes. Arguably the highlight of the front nine is the par-5 9th Hole. It’s a monster of a hole playing as long as 537 yards from the tips. A massive lake borders the left side of the fairway and strategic mounding along the right side eliminates any chance of a bailout tee shot. The elevated 9th green, like many on the course, is guarded by steep bunkers and a prevailing wind. Although a difficult finish to the front side, the 9th Hole at Prestwick is a challenge everyone loves.

The back nine is accentuated by two scenic par 3s, No. 13 and No. 16, that both feature water and strategic bunkering/mounding. But the final two holes on this side are what golfers leave the course talking about. The 17th is a long par 5 that has the potential to test every facet of your game. With a meandering stream and relatively precise landing zones, this hole has surely seen more double bogeys than birdies. And if you were hoping for an easy finish, you might be disappointed to see that the 18th Hole is a mirror image of the 9th. Although it plays a tad shorter, it too demands accuracy and precision off the tee and into the green.