No. 17 at Glen Dornoch: Impossible to find a hole more scenic than this

The finishing three holes at Glen Dornoch are among Myrtle Beach’s toughest, offering stunning views of the Intracoastal Waterway – but with it, wind, wetlands and water, requiring players to be at their very best. The middle of this iconic stretch, No. 17 is considered by many to be the most scenic par 3 in the area. But don’t admire the view too long! The hole is no slouch and has punished more than its fair share of scorecards. Here’s what you’ll see, and need to do, when you play No.17 on your MBGolf.com vacation.

From the tees, the Intracoastal Waterway lies gracefully in the background behind No. 17’s hourglass-shaped green. But that’s not even close to it all. What makes this hole so disastrously captivating, so wonderfully terrifying, is that it’s long (measuring 212 yards from the black tees and 164 from the white) and the green is entirely protected in the front and left by coastal marsh. You might think, “I’ll just bail out right and long then.” But you can’t do that, either, because course designer Clyde Johnston protects the right side of the green with several strategic pot bunkers, a large greenside bunker dug out with railroad ties and a dense forest of Carolina pines. What does that all add up to? A shot that you can’t mishit without the chance of throwing up a big number on the card.

With no place to bail out, the only option is to choose your club wisely, commit to the shot and hit before the beautiful madness gets in your head. Often, the pin placement will tease players to hit shots close to the water. Our suggestion? Don’t succumb to the pressure. A strong middle iron to the center of the green will do just fine, all while still giving you a chance to make a 2 and move on to No. 18.

You’ll step on to the tee box and feel it: The beauty and difficulty of this remarkable par 3.