Trip Review: Pawley's Plantation, Caledonia, True Blue, TPS Myrtle

[poppyhillsguy]

This is my review from my last golf trip to Myrtle Beach taken 9/26-9/29.

 

Pawley’s Plantation; there were many in my group that loved this course, but I was not one of them. I cannot love a course that has houses lining every hole with the exception of 3 or 4. The landing areas off the tee are very tight. So tight that I think this course puts unrealistic expectations on the average golfers game. The replay rate of $25 was very nice. The restaurant inside was slow, but the food was good. I like their practice facilities. Favorite hole 18, least favorite hole 13.

 

Caledonia; yes it is a beautiful course and setting, but the layout is compact and claustrophic. I was surprised how many near misses there were between carts going from one hole to another. This was the groups choice of the favorite course. The conditions were very good. Surely they must be able to put a hitting bay in somewhere for golfers to stretch before their round. The 9^th hole is a joke at 85 yards long. Too many holes that felt like target golf. Still; the course was well conditioned and side benefits like flower beds near tee boxes add to the beauty. There was a woman collection for Wounded Warriors on a par 3. I was about to sit in her seat and she got irate with me. The golf shop has a very poor selection of merchandise, in particular, hats. Favorite hole 16, least favorite hole 9.

 

True Blue; this was my favorite course. I loved the length and course conditions. Every hole is a beauty. The breakfast was delicious. The range, with multiple targets and fairways was a perfect place to warm-up. It’s too bad the condo’s line some of the holes. This is what my playing partner called “a man’s course”. The starter accidently spit on me when giving us his speech on the first tee. Pretty disgusting start to the round. I like how wide open the course is, yet it is too your advantage to be on certain sides of the fairways. Hands down, my favorite of the four. Favorite hole 18; least favorite hole 4.

 

TPC Myrtle Beach; fantastic clubhouse, restaurant, and locker room. The clubhouse is a shrine to local boy Dustin Johnson. The range was nice and wide open, but I was surprised that I was charge for balls. The course conditions were the worst of the four courses, but not “bad”. The fairway bunkers need a lot of TLC. A few tee boxes were bare dirt. The greens may have been the fastest of the four courses. The beautiful, tall, blond beer cart girl was extremely rude after we waived her by. She said, “Your carts are in the way please move them” rather than just waiting for our group too tee off. After that, we never saw her again which was fine with us. Favorite hole 18, least favorite11.

 

True Blue condo’s; they were adequate. Clean inside with a nice view. The bedroom sheets were hard and there were many spider webs in the stairways leading up to the condo.

 

Why, out of all four courses I played, none of them had GPS on their carts? In this day and age, if you’re an upscale course without GPS then something is very wrong.

 

Here's my personal MB golf course rankings from the trips I've taken the last two years-

1. True Blue

2. Barefoot Fazio

3. Caledonia

4. Barefoot Dye

5. TPC Myrtle Beach

6. Barefoot Love

7. Pawley's Plantation

8. Barefoot Norman

[arlingtonz]

Can't argue with the list right there. I like Love above Fazio, but that is just a fader bias more than anything. True Blue and Caledonia are definitely good one - great list and solid write-up, thanks!

[sabram]

Thanks for the report. Here are photos of your top 6. Consider The Dunes Club, Grande Dunes, Rivers Edge, Bald Head Island and Tigers Eye for future trips. Some of them will make your top ten.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/collections/72157632004669462/ MB photo tours

 

True Blue #18 from tee at dusk - zoomed r by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

Barefoot Fazio #11 par 3 by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

Caledonia #10 from tee after spicy fish chowder by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

Barefoot Dye #5 view back to fairway by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

TPC Myrtle Beach #17 - par 3 - Coastal carolina College logo painted on hill r by tewiespix, on Flickr

 

 

zzj - Barefoot Love #1 from tee by tewiespix, on Flickr

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Sounds like a good capsule description of Myrtle Beach golf. Condos tight to the lines of play, golf carts everywhere and all manner of nonsense (fund raisers, "cart girls", who knows what all) cluttering up the courses. I've lived my whole life within a short drive of the Grand Strand and have never understood the appeal.

[sheppy335]

Thanks for the honest straight forward report on the courses.

GPS in carts i think is a dying thing with the price of handheld one down to an affordable rate.

[poppyhillsguy]

A few pictures....

[bruinsPATSirish]

Glad you enjoyed your time here in myrtle! You might have met me and not even known it!

[Mitchell]

Nice review of courses and relatively recent conditions. I personally also like True Blue, really not a fan of TPC Myrtle- course just seems too short and tricked up, even from back tees, very over-rated in my opinion. Fazio and Love courses are very nice and much more straightforward, in my opinion. Will come back to SC for business, to visit family, and annual golf trip with friends in May, just a bit longer commute from my current locale than previous location in NC.

[jdhallissey]

I love pawleys plantation course is a monster.

[poppyhillsguy]

[quote name='nochrome' timestamp='1382588958' post='8049721']
Nice review of courses and relatively recent conditions. I personally also like True Blue, really not a fan of TPC Myrtle- course just seems too short and tricked up, even from back tees, very over-rated in my opinion. Fazio and Love courses are very nice and much more straightforward, in my opinion. Will come back to SC for business, to visit family, and annual golf trip with friends in May, just a bit longer commute from my current locale than previous location in NC.
[/quote]

My group moved up from the Blue tees to the White tees after the 2nd hole when none of us reached the fairway. We made a good decision!