Closed golf courses in Myrtle Beach and what to play instead

Closed golf courses in Myrtle Beach include The Witch (2021), River Oaks (late 2025), Waterway Hills (2015), Indian Wells (2019) and Possum Trot (2019), plus Carolina Shores just over the North Carolina line (2024). Most were sold for housing. None can be booked, so if an old package page or directory lists one, plan around it instead.

This guide lists every closed course in our research, when it closed, what replaced it and an open course nearby to play instead. None of the closed courses appear on our map.

Quick facts

• Most recent closures: River Oaks (late 2025), Carolina Shores (November 2024), The Witch (November 2021), Farmstead (about 2021).
• Usual cause: land sold for housing.
• Partly closed complexes: Wild Wing (Falcon and Wood Stork gone, Avocet open), Burning Ridge (West gone, the remaining course open).
• Watch list: Brierwood in Shallotte, NC, has approval to reopen nine holes but was not operating as of November 2026.
• Status unclear: Conway Golf & Country Club. Call first.
• Stale listings: some aggregators still show Black Bear and Indian Wells. Ignore them.

Closed golf courses in Myrtle Beach, by area

Central Myrtle Beach and the 501 corridor

The Witch was the third Mystical Golf course, a 1989 Dan Maples design. Man O' War and The Wizard, by the same designer, are open; our Man O' War and Wizard guide covers both.

River Oaks was a 1988 Gene Hamm course on the US 501 corridor by the Intracoastal. The Bear nine went to Mungo Homes in 2021. The remaining 18 were sold to Chris Manning Communities in February 2024 and closed permanently in late 2025.

Waterway Hills was famous for its gondola over the Intracoastal from Restaurant Row. It opened in 1975. If you want waterway golf in the city now, the Grande Dunes Resort Course runs along the Intracoastal, and Myrtlewood Palmetto finishes along it. See the Grande Dunes golf guide.

Cane Patch was a 27-hole par-3 complex on North Kings Highway. The driving range reportedly stayed open after 2017, but its 2026 status is not confirmed.

North Myrtle Beach, Little River and Longs

Possum Trot was a 1968 Russell Breeden course. It closed when the landowner did not renew the lease, and North Myrtle Beach council advanced a Del Webb 55+ plan for the site in October 2020.

Heather Glen was run by the Glens Group; Glen Dornoch's site says it belongs to the Glens Golf Group today. Bay Tree had three courses, Gold, Green and Silver, and closed after 34 years. Gator Hole was a 1980 Rees Jones course on US 17.

For what is open up there, see North Myrtle Beach golf and Little River golf courses.

Surfside Beach, Garden City and Murrells Inlet

Indian Wells was a Gene Hamm course and the 2004 Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year. Some GolfNow mirror pages still show "Links at Indian Wells"; ignore them. Wicked Stick was a John Daly-branded public course that ran from 1995 to 2015. Deer Track closed in about 2006 per most sources, although one site carries a conflicting 2018 note.

Prestwick, on the south side about 14 minutes from the SkyWheel, is the nearby open alternative, though public times there are limited. See the Prestwick course guide and our Murrells Inlet golf guide for the south side.

The Brunswick Islands, North Carolina

Carolina Shores was a 1974 Tom Jackson course at the centre of the town of Carolina Shores. Farmstead was a 2001 course of 7,242 yards known for its par-6 18th. Brierwood's owners applied in December 2024 to reopen nine holes, the clubhouse and the restaurant, and the town approved it unanimously, but GolfPass still lists it as closed.

Meadowlands in Calabash ran $64.99 plus a $3.49 fee on GolfNow Hot Deals for November 2-6, 2026, and Thistle Hot Deals for November 2-8 started at $80.99 plus the fee. See the Meadowlands course guide and our Brunswick Islands golf guide.

Status unclear: Conway Golf & Country Club

Conway Golf & Country Club at 400 Country Club Dr in Conway is listed as semi-private by some directories, and one says nine holes, which may be out of date. We found no dated 2026 evidence on whether it takes visitors. Status unclear, call first on 843-365-3621. It is not on our map.

Temporary closures to watch for

Closed for good is different from closed for work. Recent examples in our files:

• King's North at Myrtle Beach National: back nine closed May 26, 2025 and reopened October 2025 after a renovation.
• Long Bay: closed May 17 to August 14, 2023 for new greens.
• Wild Wing Avocet: renovated in 2026, with new greens in July and a new clubhouse for fall; the nine-hole Hummingbird stayed open.

Most Grand Strand courses aerify greens in summer, roughly June to August, which can mean a few days of sanded greens or a short closure. Ask the shop when you book a summer round.

How to avoid booking a closed course

• Check the course's own site or a live tee sheet, not a directory. Old listings for Black Bear and Indian Wells still circulate.
• Use the course list on our map. It leaves out the closed courses.
• Check private clubs separately. Some open courses are not open to you. Our private golf clubs in Myrtle Beach guide covers them.

The full list of what you can book is in Myrtle Beach golf courses, with a Man O' War course guide for the closest replacement to The Witch.

Plan it on the map

Open the Myrtle Beach golf map to see every open course on the Grand Strand and the Brunswick Islands, with none of the closed ones in the way. The $30 plan builds a day-by-day golf trip from courses that are actually taking tee times.