WONDERS OF
WACCAMAW
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COURSES
South Carolina has long been known for its
golf courses in Myrtle Beach, but Waccamaw
Golf Trail offers 11 top courses 20 minutes
south of the Grand Strand.
Some golfers prefer to stay in Myrtle
Beach for its nightlife, but those hoping to
play as many rounds as possible often stay
at the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort
(litchfieldbeach.com; 888-734-8228) to
play its four courses and visit other Waccamaw Golf Trail courses.
Two standout Litchfield properties
include Pawleys Plantation & Country
Club (pawleysplantation.com; 877-2832122), a challenging and award-winning
Jack Nicklaus signature golf course on
the south end of the Trail, and Willbrook
Plantation Golf Club (willbrookgolf.com;
877-283-2122), a Dan Maples-designed
tree-lined course that winds through azaleas and moss-draped live oaks.
TPC Myrtle Beach (tpcmyrtlebeach.
com; 843-357-3399) will require your
best golf on its stadium course designed
by Tom Fazio and Lanny Wadkins. Host
of the 2000 Senior Tour Championship, this Golf Digest five-star course is
also the home course of PGA Tour star
Dustin Johnson.
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (caledoniagolfandfishclub.com; 843-237-3675) is
ranked among Golf Digest’s “100 Greatest
Public Courses in America” and offers Old
South charm and a Mike Strantz-designed
vsga.org
OPPOSITE: The par-3 17th at TPC Myrtle Beach will
put your precision to the test. ABOVE: Murrells Inlet,
also known as the seafood capital of South Carolina,
is home to both world-class golf and cuisine. BELOW:
Danger is at every turn on the 13th hole at True Blue.
par-70 layout through mature trees and
winding streams.
True Blue Golf Club (truebluegolf.com;
843-235-0900) is another stellar Strantz
design that has been ranked as the Myrtle Beach area’s top public course by Golf
Digest. All ability levels will appreciate five
sets of tees on this course that was once an
indigo plantation.
THE FINER POINTS
OF FLORIDA
In Northeast Florida, you can find courses
lined with giant live oaks and drooping
Spanish moss, or seaside tracts that come
standard with a stiff Atlantic breeze. There’s
even one course that arguably boasts the
most famous par-3 island green in the world.
TASTES OF
THE TRAIL
Close proximity of the courses to
local restaurants in Murrells Inlet
and Pawleys Island allow golfers to
enjoy Southern breakfast favorites,
such as pork chops and eggs, and
corned-beef hash at Litchfield
Restaurant (litchfieldrestaurant.com;
843-237-4414) or to stop by Hog
Heaven BBQ, Seafood & Country
Cooking (hogheaveninc.com; 843237-7444) for pulled-pork barbecue
and fried chicken after the round.
Another local favorite is Pawleys
Island Tavern (pawleysislandtavern.
com; 843-237-8465), called the PIT,
for drinks, live music and the signature Psycho Burger, as well as Quigley’s Pint and Plate (pintandplate.
com; 843-237-7010) microbrewery
in Pawleys Island, where you can
enjoy such Low Country favorites
as shrimp and grits, crab cakes and
fried green tomatoes.
Frank’s Restaurant & Bar (franksandoutback.com; 843-237-3030)
and Frank’s Outback, a smaller
restaurant located behind the
original, offers Low Country cuisine
that has been featured in national
magazines. Dishes range from lamb
chops and lobster ravioli to she-crab
soup and sautéed local clams.
For seafood and steaks, dine on
the water at Capt. Dave’s Dockside
(davesdockside.com; 843-6515850) in Murrells Inlet, or for an
oyster roast and steamed clams in
a family-style seafood atmosphere,
try Nance’s Creek Front Restaurant
(843-651-2696). Locals claim they
have the best hushpuppies in town.
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