Going to Myrtle Beach, SC for Golf? Some insights from many trips to Golf Mecca

Well, if you're thinking of heading to Myrtle Beach to play golf, by yourself or with a group, you've made a great choice. The golf selection in Myrtle Beach is incredible. Over a 100 courses are waiting for you to experience. But it pays to think ahead. If you're a spontaneous person that likes to grab the clubs and hit the road, you wont be disappointed but with a little planning, you can turn a good time into a great time.

First, think about the time of year you plan to go. Late spring is usually a great time to be at hte beach playing golf but it's also the most expensive time. Premier courses charge a premium during this peak time. For example, the Barefoot Resort courses, which play at a high of about $100 during May-Sept can run upwards of $160 during the winter and spring times. This is true for most of the courses down there. So if you're trying to play great courses on a budget, consider changing your time of year to save some money.

Also, if you are planning a group outing, consider using a booking agent like GolfDesk (http://www.goldesk.com) to arrange your tee times. Booking agents will generally get a better rack rate than you will if you're planning in advance.
They can assist you with accommodations and they can recommend courses based on condition, player's ability, etc.

So you're ready to go and you want to low down on what courses are great and which ones to avoid? Well, in general, all of the premier courses and resorts are well kept and good plays anytime. International World Tour, TPC, Dunes, Grand Dunes, True Blue, etc, all are great plays. But before booking tee times just off names, you might want to visit some review sites and read up on the courses just in case there's something that you find you don't like. For example, many courses have condos and golf villas that back up to the golf course. So if you don't like courses where you weave around and through condos and parking lots, you definately want to do some checking into the course specifics. This is very common at a lot o courses in Myrtle Beach. The more upscale courses have plenty of room in the fairways and off the tees, but some have pretty tight OB areas which I don't care for at all.

Another resource for you to look at is the Myrlte Beach Golf Association's web page (http://www.mbga.com/). This site gets updated periodically and lists local recommendations for the Top 20 and Bottom 20 courses. I would definitely make sure you avoid the courses listed in the Basement listing. But in addition to recommendations, the site also has course demographic and overall rating information for many of the courses in the Grand Strand area.

So with a little planning and research, you can identify some great courses to play and maybe save a buck or two doing it.

Next time, I will identify a number of courses in the Grand Strand talk about the course, the management, facilities, etc.

Thanks