“Keep an eye out for gators on the course,” says the starter as I prepare to
tee-off on the 425-yard, par-4 1st. “I’ve seen them on just about every hole
on the course but especially the 13th.” My thoughts immediately turn to
the golf movie Happy Gilmore where Chubbs loses his hand to an alligator,
but thankfully I’m soon distracted by other creatures I spot, including fox
squirrels, racoons, turtles, kingfishers and vultures. With all the abundant
and colourful wildlife around I find it difficult to concentrate on my golf and at any moment I half expect David Attenborough to emerge from the
lush green foliage with film crew in tow.
The front nine of the Dunes is parkland in character with fairways bordered
by splendid mature trees, whilst the back nine plays along salt marshes,
tidal creeks and Singleton Lake. The par-5 13th, known as ‘Waterloo’ is the
Dunes’ famed signature hole and one of the world’s greatest golf holes.
Playing 640-yards from the gold tees, this challenging three shotter is a
severe dogleg wrapping clockwise around Singleton Lake, which is both a
consideration on the drive and subsequent shots. There are numerous ways
to reach the two-tiered green surrounded by deep bunkers, and risk-reward
comes into play no matter what route you take - not to mention the
alligators usually seen basking by the water’s edge.
True Blue Plantation
The second course I play is True Blue Plantation, ranked as one of the ‘Top
Ten Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach’, and situated in Pawleys Island about
fifteen minutes drive down Hwy 17 from the Inlet Sports Lodge. Built on
the site of historic True Blue Plantation, a famed 19th-century indigo and
rice plantation, this dramatic Mike Strantz layout winds its way through
pristine salt marshes, wetlands and maritime forests, and features plenty
of elevation change, large-scale fairways, scrub-filled natural sandy areas,
lakes and undulating greens. Emphasising the natural beauty of the area,
it incorporates native grasses and vegetation to maintain much of the
character of the property.
Right from the superb 624-yard par-5 opener where all three shots flirt
with sculpted sandy waste areas, wetlands and a twisting creek, to the trio
of watery closing holes, the challenge of True Blue never lets up