Grand Strand golf, from Little River to Pawleys Island
Grand Strand golf area by area: North Strand, central Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island, with courses, roads and drive times.
Open the 3D map of every course →
Grand Strand golf runs along US 17 from Little River at the North Carolina line to Pawleys Island, with Myrtle Beach in the middle. Our map has 57 courses open to visitors in five clusters: the North Strand, central Myrtle Beach, the inland US 501 corridor, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Pick a cluster first, because crossing the whole Strand takes an hour or more.
This guide walks the coast from north to south, with the courses, stays and evening spots in each area, then the roads that tie them together. Course-by-course detail sits in the area guides linked below.
Quick facts
- Length: about 60 miles of the board from Little River to Pawleys Island.
- Open to visitors: 57 courses on the map; 15 more off it.
- Private: five clubs on the map, plus the Dunes Club's limited guest system.
- Main road: US 17, split through Myrtle Beach into the slow Business route (Kings Highway) and the Bypass.
- Fastest inland road: SC 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway.
- Time zone: Eastern Time, including the North Carolina courses.
Grand Strand golf by area
Drive times are free-flow router estimates from the SkyWheel on Ocean Boulevard, without traffic.
| Area | Public courses on map | Drive from SkyWheel | Best-known rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Myrtle Beach | 7 | 26-38 min | Barefoot (four courses), Tidewater |
| Little River and Longs | 7 | 34-57 min | Long Bay, Glen Dornoch, River Hills |
| North Carolina line | 4 | 43-47 min | Thistle, Meadowlands |
| Central Myrtle Beach and US 501 | 19 | 8-33 min | Dunes Club, Pine Lakes, King's North, Legends |
| Conway | 4 | 16-36 min | Wild Wing Avocet, Shaftesbury Glen |
| Murrells Inlet | 6 | 19-26 min | TPC, Wachesaw East, Blackmoor |
| Pawleys Island and Georgetown | 10 | 34-70 min | Caledonia, True Blue, Pawleys Plantation |
North Myrtle Beach
The North Strand's anchor is Barefoot Resort, with four 2000-built courses by Pete Dye, Davis Love III, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman. The Norman course runs seven holes along the Intracoastal Waterway. Barefoot's villas are 4 to 5 minutes from all four.
Tidewater sits on the bluffs above the Cherry Grove marsh, with an Atlantic view from the 13th green. Beachwood and Azalea Sands are the value rounds on US 17. In the evening, Barefoot Landing on the waterway has Greg Norman's Australian Grille and Flying Fish. See North Myrtle Beach golf and the Tidewater course guide.
Little River, Longs and the state line
Inland of North Myrtle Beach, Long Bay is Jack Nicklaus's 1989 course, with an island-fairway 10th and island-green 13th. Glen Dornoch closes along the Intracoastal Waterway, and River Hills, Aberdeen, Eagle Nest, Valley at Eastport and Colonial Charters round out the area. The Hampton Inn Harbourgate is 6 to 16 minutes from Valley at Eastport, River Hills, Glen Dornoch, Eagle Nest, Aberdeen and Long Bay. See Little River golf courses and the Long Bay course guide.
Just over the line, Thistle in Sunset Beach has a 4.8 out of 5 GolfPass score from 793 reviews, and Meadowlands, Crow Creek and Brunswick Plantation are in Calabash. Further on, the Big Cats and Sea Trail courses are off the map; see Brunswick Islands golf.
Central Myrtle Beach
The oldest golf on the Strand is here. Pine Lakes, "the Granddaddy", opened in 1927, and the Dunes Club in 1948. Grande Dunes Resort, Arcadian Shores, Arrowhead, the two Myrtlewood courses, Whispering Pines and Prestwick are all within 17 minutes of the SkyWheel. This is also where the oceanfront resorts, the Boardwalk and Broadway at the Beach are, which makes it the easiest base for a group that wants nights out.
Carolina Forest, US 501 and Conway
West of the waterway, US 501 leads to Myrtle Beach National's three courses, including King's North after its 2024-25 renovation, and on to Legends, where the Heathland is Tom Doak's treeless links-style course. Man O' War and The Wizard are in Carolina Forest. Closer to Conway, Wild Wing Avocet has just come through a May-September 2026 restoration with a new clubhouse, and Burning Ridge and Coastal Carolina University's Hackler Course are budget rounds. US 501 is the main and most congested entry road. See Carolina Forest golf.
Murrells Inlet and Garden City
TPC Myrtle Beach is the south end's headline public course, a Tom Fazio design with wetlands on 11 holes. Wachesaw East, Blackmoor (Gary Player's only Myrtle Beach design) and International Club are good value, and Indigo Creek is cheaper still. The MarshWalk, a half-mile boardwalk of seafood restaurants and bars along the inlet, is the South Strand's best night out. See Murrells Inlet golf.
Pawleys Island, Litchfield and Georgetown
The Waccamaw Neck holds the Strand's best pair: Caledonia and True Blue, both by Mike Strantz. Pawleys Plantation is the South Strand's only Nicklaus design, and Heritage Club, Tradition, Willbrook, Litchfield, River Club and Founders Club fill the cluster off US 17. Further south, Wedgefield near Georgetown is a cheap, long round on the Black River, 70 minutes from the SkyWheel. The Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort books condos and villas across the area. See Pawleys Island golf.
Private clubs, area by area
Each cluster has at least one club you cannot simply book, so check before you plan around a name.
- North Myrtle Beach: The Surf Golf & Beach Club, a 1960 George Cobb course near Cherry Grove, is private. A 2009 article said visitors could call for limited times, but the current policy is not confirmed.
- Central Myrtle Beach: the Grande Dunes Members Club is private, and older articles about Marina Inn guests playing it are unconfirmed for 2025-26. The Dunes Club sells limited guest times, never to unaccompanied guests on Fridays, Saturdays or holiday weekends.
- Murrells Inlet: Wachesaw Plantation, an early Tom Fazio design, is for members and their guests. Wachesaw East next door is public.
- Pawleys Island and Georgetown: The Reserve, a Greg Norman course, is for members, their guests and McConnell Golf members. DeBordieu, a Pete Dye course in a gated beach colony, is for members' guests and, by one listing, DeBordieu renters with a golf-only membership.
Our guide to private golf clubs in Myrtle Beach has the guest routes.
The roads that tie Grand Strand golf together
- US 17 runs the length of the Strand. Through Myrtle Beach it splits into US 17 Business (Kings Highway, slow, many signals) and the US 17 Bypass inland. South of Murrells Inlet it is four-lane divided, with heavy summer traffic.
- SC 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) is a toll-free freeway inland of the waterway from the SC 707 and SC 544 area to SC 9 near Little River. It is the fastest way between the South Strand, central Myrtle Beach and the North Strand.
- SC 22 (Conway Bypass) links US 501 near Conway to US 17 north of Myrtle Beach, crossing SC 31; it is the preferred route from I-95 to the North Strand.
- US 501 is the main entry road from I-95 and the most congested, especially through Carolina Forest, over the waterway and on summer Saturdays.
The planned I-73 would replace the I-95 leg, but no construction start had been announced as of November 2026.
Inland vs coast
Inland courses play a little warmer by day. NOAA normals at Conway run about 2-4F warmer by day than the North Myrtle Beach airport and about 1-2F colder at night, so frost delays are likelier on clear winter mornings away from the beach. Summer cuts the other way: Conway's July normal high is 90.8F against 87.6F at the coast, so book inland rounds early in the day. Big storms can also bring inland river flooding, as Florence did around Conway in 2018.
For where to sleep in each area, see where to stay in Myrtle Beach for golf.
Plan it on the map
Open the Myrtle Beach golf map to see Grand Strand golf from Little River to Pawleys Island on one 3D board, with each course's drive time and nearest stays. The $30 plan keeps each day's rounds in one area.
Courses in this guide
Questions golfers ask
What is the Grand Strand?
The run of beach towns along US 17 from Little River at the North Carolina line through North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island to Georgetown. Our map covers it from Wedgefield near Georgetown to the Calabash and Sunset Beach courses just inside North Carolina.
How many golf courses are on the Grand Strand?
Our map shows 57 courses open to visitors, including the Dunes Club's limited guest times and two short courses, plus five private clubs. Fifteen more public courses sit off the map, most in North Carolina's Brunswick Islands.
Which part of the Grand Strand has the most golf courses?
Myrtle Beach itself, counting the inland US 501 corridor: 19 public courses on our map, from Pine Lakes and the Dunes Club near the ocean to Myrtle Beach National and Legends inland. Pawleys Island has nine public courses and North Myrtle Beach seven.
How long does it take to drive the Grand Strand?
From the SkyWheel, Barefoot is about 26 minutes north and Caledonia about 40 minutes south, free-flow. From a Pawleys Island villa, Long Bay in Longs is 73 to 75 minutes. Summer and event Saturdays add 20 to 60 minutes or more on US 501, US 17 and Ocean Boulevard.
What is the fastest road along the Grand Strand?
SC 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway, a toll-free freeway inland of the Intracoastal Waterway from the SC 707 and SC 544 area north to SC 9 near Little River. It avoids Kings Highway, the slow, signal-heavy US 17 Business through Myrtle Beach.
Is it warmer inland on the Grand Strand?
By day, yes. NOAA normals at Conway, about 14 miles inland, run about 2-4F warmer by day than the North Myrtle Beach airport, and about 1-2F colder at night. Frost delays are more likely inland on clear winter mornings.
Which end of the Grand Strand is best for a golf group?
It depends on the courses you want. The North Strand has Barefoot's four courses and Tidewater, the South Strand has Caledonia, True Blue and TPC, and central Myrtle Beach has the Dunes Club, Pine Lakes and the most hotels and nightlife.
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