Some vacations tend to fade over time, while others remain etched in the memory forever. At Ocean Reef Resort, lifelong vacation memories are on tap every day. Beyond the range of accommodations, Ocean Reef provides guests with the most knowledgeable golf directors to provide a quick getaway to some of the best golf courses on the Grand Strand.
So as you take in all that Ocean Reef has to offer during your next Myrtle Beach golf vacation, why not head over to some of the area’s award-winning golf courses? Here are three we recommend highly:
- Long Bay Club
The Long Bay Club, located at the northern end of the Grand Strand along Highway 9 in Longs, South Carolina, is one of two excellent Jack Nicklaus Signature designs in the Myrtle Beach area. Opened in 1989, it recently passed the quarter-century mark as one of the area’s favorite courses, between the thousands of visitors who play it each year and the committed group of locals who call the course home. With undulating fairways and swift Champion Bermuda greens that are protected by muscular bunkers and pristine water hazards, the course is a memorable and challenging one. At the par five 15th, a dogleg to the right, a hazard crosses the hole in the landing area, so players need to take care to hit the proper club off the tee. Even if driver may not be necessary, the green is still within reach in two shots for confident fairway wood players. The same stream that crosses the fairway in the tee shot landing area continues along the entire right side of the hole, bordering the green closely.
- Grande Dunes Resort Club
Is there any better time to treat yourself than while on vacation? Not according to the enthusiastic golfers who make Grande Dunes Resort Club a part of their Myrtle Beach golf vacation itineraries year after year. A big part of Grande Dunes’ charm: the mighty Intracoastal Waterway, which comes into play on holes eight through 10, 14 and 15 and is visible from the tee boxes of holes 11 and 16. This enormous man-made hazard makes the course one of the most memorable on the Grande Strand. It is also a phenomenal test for the accomplished player, stretching to some 7,500 yards from the longest set of tees. But if you’re not quite ready for such serious golf, don’t worry – Grande Dunes has six sets of tees in total, meaning any level of golfer will be able to enjoy the course. As befits its place in the upper echelon of Myrtle Beach golf, Grande Dunes benefits from some of the best course conditioning in the region. No wonder it was selected as the secondary host course for the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship.
- Shaftesbury Glen Golf Club
A member of the Glens Group, the stately Shaftesbury Glen Golf Club pays tribute to the United States’ great parkland layouts, such as Winged Foot and Augusta National. Designed by Clyde Johnston, Shaftesbury Glen is tree-lined and serene, adopting the principles of the courses that inspired it rather than seeking to duplicate them. As a result, it offers a great mix of challenge and fun – small wonder it is one of the Grand Strand’s most popular golf courses. It comes to a crescendo at the 18th, a long par two-shotter with a huge green flanked by many-fingered bunkers.
If you want to design a Myrtle Beach golf vacation to remember, Ocean Reef Resort is the place to start. Our friendly golf directors have connections to all of the area’s best courses, and they’re honored to help you lay out a trip you will remember for years to come.
