Golf in North Myrtle Beach and Calabash, NC: Everything You Need to Know

What Are the Best Golf Courses in North Myrtle Beach and Calabash, NC?

The complete local guide to golf on the northern Grand Strand — from world-class resort courses to hidden local favorites

By Cathy Cagno | Local to Coastal Realty | North Myrtle Beach, SC

Is the North Myrtle Beach and Calabash Area Really a Golf Destination?

Without question. The stretch of coastline running from Calabash, North Carolina through North Myrtle Beach, Little River, and into the broader Grand Strand is one of the most celebrated golf destinations in the United States. With over 100 courses within a short drive, year-round playable weather, and a mix of layouts that range from beginner-friendly to genuinely championship-level challenging, this area earns its reputation.

What makes this particular stretch — the northern Grand Strand and the Calabash corridor — especially interesting is the variety. You'll find world-class resort courses at Barefoot Resort alongside value-oriented public tracks that locals play weekly. You'll find marsh-view layouts that feel remote and quiet alongside oceanside courses that deliver a visual experience most golfers never forget. Whatever your budget, skill level, or preference, there's a course here worth playing.

Cathy Cagno is a real estate agent with Local to Coastal Realty, serving North Myrtle Beach and coastal communities in North and South Carolina. Golf comes up constantly in buyer conversations — for many people relocating to this area, proximity to great courses and year-round playing conditions is one of the primary reasons they chose North Myrtle Beach over other coastal markets. Here's the honest local guide to the best courses in the area.

Best Golf Courses in North Myrtle Beach, SC

Barefoot Resort & Golf — Love Course

North Myrtle Beach | Semi-Private | Championship | Designed by Davis Love III

The Love Course at Barefoot Resort is one of the most visually striking layouts on the entire Grand Strand. Designed by Davis Love III, it winds through natural coastal terrain with generous fairways that reward accuracy over pure distance. The marsh and waterway views that appear throughout the round give it a distinctly coastal character that sets it apart from inland resort courses.

It's approachable enough that mid-handicappers can enjoy it without frustration, while offering enough challenge to keep better players engaged. The resort infrastructure around it — dining, practice facilities, cart paths — is consistently well-maintained. A strong choice for golfers who want a quality resort experience without the full private club atmosphere.

Tip: Morning tee times tend to have softer conditions and better pace of play. Book ahead during peak season.

Barefoot Resort & Golf — Fazio Course

North Myrtle Beach | Semi-Private | Championship | Designed by Tom Fazio

Tom Fazio's course at Barefoot Resort is generally considered the most challenging of the four Barefoot tracks and one of the more demanding layouts in the entire Grand Strand. The design uses elevation changes, strategic bunkering, and water features to create a round that requires thought on almost every hole. Low handicappers who want a genuine test will find it here.

The conditioning is reliably excellent and the course has a polished, premium feel throughout. For golfers who prioritize course challenge and design quality over value pricing, the Fazio Course consistently delivers. It rewards patience and club selection — trying to overpower it rarely works.

Tip: Play a practice round first if you're unfamiliar with the layout. The greens are complex and local knowledge matters.

Barefoot Resort & Golf — Norman Course

North Myrtle Beach | Semi-Private | Championship | Designed by Greg Norman

Greg Norman's design at Barefoot is known for its wide, inviting fairways and a risk-reward philosophy that gives golfers options on nearly every hole. It's the most player-friendly of the Barefoot championship courses — better suited for higher handicappers and recreational golfers who want a quality layout without being overwhelmed. The conditioning matches the other Barefoot tracks and the overall experience is consistently strong.

For groups with mixed skill levels, the Norman Course is often the best choice — it plays fast and enjoyably for a wide range of abilities. The visual presentation is strong throughout, with water features and natural vegetation framing the holes.

Barefoot Resort & Golf — Dye Course

North Myrtle Beach | Semi-Private | Championship | Designed by Pete Dye

Pete Dye's course at Barefoot is the wildcard of the four — quirky, distinctive, and deliberately unconventional in ways that polarize golfers. The design reflects Dye's signature style: deep pot bunkers, island greens, railroad tie bulkheads, and holes that punish wayward shots in memorable ways. It's not for everyone, but golfers who appreciate creative course design find it genuinely fascinating.

If you're going to play all four Barefoot courses, save the Dye for last — it's the one people are still talking about at dinner. Comfortable mid-to-low handicappers who are open to something different will appreciate it most.

Tip: Accept that you'll lose some balls. The course is designed to make aggressive play costly. Enjoy the experience rather than fighting the design.

Tidewater Golf Club

North Myrtle Beach | Semi-Private | Scenic Championship | Marsh and Waterway Views

Tidewater Golf Club is one of the most scenically remarkable courses in the entire Grand Strand — situated on a peninsula between the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet with marsh views that appear on almost every hole. The layout has been recognized nationally for its combination of challenge and natural beauty, and it consistently appears on best-of lists for South Carolina golf.

The course plays to a genuine championship level — it's not a course you want to play cold without warming up. But the views make even a difficult round thoroughly enjoyable, and the overall experience has a quality that justifies its place among the area's top tracks. For golfers who want stunning coastal scenery alongside a real test of their game, Tidewater is the answer.

Tip: Play early in the morning for the best light on the marsh and water views. The visual experience at sunrise is extraordinary.

Eagle Nest Golf Club

North Myrtle Beach | Public | Wooded and Challenging | Local Favorite

Eagle Nest is a genuinely local favorite — a tree-lined, wooded layout that offers a different character from the open coastal courses that dominate the area. The fairways are tighter and the course rewards accuracy over power in a way that makes it both challenging and interesting. Local golfers who play the Grand Strand regularly often cite Eagle Nest as one of the most enjoyable and underrated courses in the area.

The pricing tends to be more accessible than the major resort courses, and the pace of play is generally good. For golfers who want a challenging round without resort-level pricing, and who enjoy wooded course character over open coastal vistas, Eagle Nest consistently delivers.

Tip: Bring your irons game — the premium here is on accuracy, not distance. A driver-happy approach will cost you on this course.

Best Golf Courses in Little River, SC and Calabash, NC

The Little River and Calabash corridor just north of North Myrtle Beach has its own strong collection of courses that tend to attract a more local, regular-play clientele alongside destination golfers. The Calabash area in particular has a cluster of courses that are well-regarded and often better value than comparable tracks further south.

Thistle Golf Club

Sunset Beach / Calabash Area, NC | Championship | Scenic | Multiple Course Experience

Thistle Golf Club is one of the signature courses in the Calabash corridor, offering a championship layout with strong hole variety, generous playing conditions, and the kind of well-maintained surface that keeps golfers coming back. The course has a flowing, natural feel that integrates well with the coastal Carolina terrain. It plays to a genuine challenge for better golfers while remaining enjoyable for mid-handicappers who manage their game.

Thistle tends to draw a strong mix of locals and destination golfers, which speaks to its consistent quality. The staff and service are regularly well-regarded, and the overall value for the experience tends to be competitive with more expensive resort tracks.

Crow Creek Golf Club

Calabash, NC | Public | Family-Friendly | Great Value | Well-Maintained

Crow Creek is one of the best values in the Calabash area — a well-maintained public course that plays to a fair challenge without being punishing for recreational golfers. The layout is clean and interesting without relying on gimmicks, and the conditioning is reliably good. It's the kind of course that local golfers use as a regular play track because it holds up round after round without getting old.

For families with golfers at different skill levels, Crow Creek is an excellent choice — it's welcoming rather than intimidating, and the pricing makes multiple rounds during a visit financially reasonable. Consistently recommended by local players as one of the better everyday courses in the area.

Tip: One of the better values in the Calabash corridor. If you're playing multiple rounds during a trip, this is a smart choice for a mid-week game.

Brunswick Plantation Golf Resort

Calabash, NC | Semi-Private | Residential Community | Multiple Nines | Scenic

Brunswick Plantation is a larger golf and residential community just outside Calabash with multiple nine-hole loops that can be combined into 18-hole experiences with different character. The courses wind through the community's natural terrain with water features and tree-lined fairways that provide a pleasant and varied playing experience. The semi-private nature means conditions tend to be consistently maintained.

For golfers who are also considering real estate in the broader Calabash area, playing Brunswick Plantation gives a useful sense of what the residential golf community lifestyle looks like in this part of coastal Carolina. The courses are solid and enjoyable, and the community infrastructure around them is well-developed.

Mingo National Golf Club

Shallotte / Calabash Area, NC | Public | Championship Length | Wooded Character

Mingo National is a full championship-length layout in the Calabash/Shallotte area with a wooded, inland character that provides a different visual experience from the open coastal courses on the South Carolina side. The course is well-regarded for its conditioning and challenge level, and it tends to attract golfers who want a proper test of their game at reasonable pricing.

The length and layout make it best suited for mid-to-low handicappers who are comfortable managing a demanding course. Higher handicappers can still enjoy it but should expect the course to ask questions they may not yet have answers for. A good choice for golfers who want a serious round without resort pricing.

Pearl Golf Links — East and West Courses

Sunset Beach, NC | Public | Two Championship Courses | Marsh Views | Highly Regarded

The Pearl Golf Links in Sunset Beach is one of the more celebrated golf experiences in the entire Calabash/North Carolina coastal corridor. The East and West courses offer two distinct championship experiences on the same property, both featuring the marsh and coastal wetland views that define the best of North Carolina coastal golf. The layout quality, conditioning, and overall experience are consistently ranked among the best in the region.

For golfers who are making a dedicated trip to play the best courses in the area, the Pearl is a must-play. It attracts serious golfers from throughout the Southeast and holds up to that scrutiny. The double-course format also means a full day of golf is entirely possible on a single property.

Tip: If you're playing one course in the Calabash/Sunset Beach area, make it the Pearl. Book in advance — it fills up, particularly on weekends.

Why Is the North Myrtle Beach and Calabash Area a Golf Hotspot?

The answer comes down to a few factors that aren't easily replicated anywhere else.

•        Year-round playable weather: South Carolina's mild winters and long springs and falls mean the courses here are playable 10-11 months out of the year for most golfers. February rounds in 65-degree sunshine happen regularly. That's a major draw for golfers relocating from the Northeast or Midwest.

•        Course density: Over 100 courses within the broader Grand Strand means variety that takes years to exhaust. Different courses, different challenges, different price points — the density of options is genuinely extraordinary.

•        Value: The Grand Strand offers championship-quality golf at price points that would be impossible in comparable markets like Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, or Sea Island. World-class design and conditioning at genuinely accessible prices.

•        The Calabash corridor: The cluster of courses just across the North Carolina state line adds a further dimension — a slightly different character, more wooded and inland in places, often with better midweek value than the resort-heavy South Carolina tracks.

•        Residential golf communities: Communities like Barefoot Resort, Tidewater Plantation, and Brunswick Plantation allow residents to live within walking or golf cart distance of the courses they play. For serious golfers, this is a quality-of-life feature that fundamentally changes how they engage with the sport.

Best Courses by Skill Level

For Beginners and High Handicappers

•        Norman Course at Barefoot Resort — wide fairways, player-friendly design

•        Crow Creek Golf Club — welcoming, well-maintained, good value

•        Brunswick Plantation — multiple nine-hole options, less intimidating format

For Mid-Handicappers Looking for a Quality Round

•        Love Course at Barefoot Resort — beautiful, fair challenge, great conditions

•        Tidewater Golf Club — stunning scenery, genuine challenge, memorable experience

•        Thistle Golf Club — solid championship layout, good variety

•        Pearl Golf Links — highly regarded, marsh views, serious quality

For Low Handicappers and Competitive Golfers

•        Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort — the most demanding of the four Barefoot tracks

•        Dye Course at Barefoot Resort — unconventional, punishing, memorable

•        Tidewater Golf Club — championship-level challenge with extraordinary scenery

•        Mingo National — full championship length, serious test

•        Pearl Golf Links — consistently ranked among the region's best

Local Tips Golfers Should Know

One thing that residents consistently say about golf in North Myrtle Beach is that the hardest part isn't finding a good course — it's deciding which one to play next. The variety and concentration of quality golf in this area is genuinely one of its underappreciated strengths, even among people who already know the Grand Strand well.

Cathy Cagno is a real estate agent with Local to Coastal Realty, serving North Myrtle Beach and coastal communities in North and South Carolina. For buyers who are serious golfers, understanding which residential communities offer the best golf access — and what that access actually costs on an ongoing basis — is a conversation worth having early in the home search process.

Frequently Asked Questions About Golf in North Myrtle Beach and Calabash

How many golf courses are near North Myrtle Beach?

The broader Grand Strand area — which includes North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Little River, and the Calabash/Sunset Beach corridor in North Carolina — has over 100 golf courses within a relatively short drive. The concentration of courses in this relatively small geographic area is one of the highest in the United States, which is a primary reason the region attracts dedicated golf travelers and golf-motivated real estate buyers.

What is the best golf course in North Myrtle Beach?

It depends on what you're looking for. For scenery and overall experience, Tidewater Golf Club is consistently at the top of local rankings — the marsh and waterway views are extraordinary. For resort-quality championship golf with four distinct design options, the Barefoot Resort courses (Love, Fazio, Norman, and Dye) are collectively the most recognized. For best value in the Calabash/North Carolina area, Pearl Golf Links and Crow Creek Golf Club are strong answers.

Is the Calabash area in NC worth playing for golfers visiting North Myrtle Beach?

Absolutely. The Calabash and Sunset Beach corridor is only minutes from the North Carolina-South Carolina border and represents a genuinely different character from the Grand Strand resort courses. The Pearl Golf Links in Sunset Beach is one of the most respected golf experiences in the entire coastal Carolinas region. For golfers on a dedicated golf trip to the area, crossing the state line to play the North Carolina courses adds meaningful variety and often better value.

Can you play golf year-round in North Myrtle Beach?

Yes — and that's one of the most compelling reasons golf-motivated buyers choose this market over inland options. South Carolina's mild winters mean courses are typically open and playable even in December, January, and February. The best weather for golf is arguably the spring and fall shoulders — temperatures in the 60s and 70s, lower humidity, and better tee time availability than peak summer season.

Are there golf communities in North Myrtle Beach where you can live and play?

Several. Barefoot Resort is one of the most well-known — a master-planned community built around four championship courses where residents can access golf regularly as part of living there. Tidewater Plantation is another residential community with golf access. The Calabash area has Brunswick Plantation and other golf residential communities just across the North Carolina border. For buyers who want golf as part of their daily lifestyle rather than a occasional activity, these communities are worth understanding in detail.

What is the best time of year to play golf in North Myrtle Beach?

Fall — October and November specifically — is widely considered the best time by local golfers. The humidity drops, temperatures are ideal, courses are in excellent condition, and summer crowds have thinned. Spring (March through May) is a close second. Summer offers year-round play but high humidity and heat in July and August mean early morning tee times are strongly preferred. Winter is mild enough to play regularly, though occasional cold fronts can disrupt plans.

Thinking About Living Where the Golf Is This Good?

For serious golfers, North Myrtle Beach and the surrounding coastal Carolinas area offer something genuinely rare — world-class golf, year-round playability, real estate at reasonable coastal prices, and residential communities where golf can be a part of everyday life rather than a vacation luxury.

Cathy Cagno is a real estate agent with Local to Coastal Realty, serving North Myrtle Beach and coastal communities in North and South Carolina. If you want to understand which communities offer the best golf access, what the real estate market looks like in those areas, and what your budget actually gets you, she's happy to walk through the details.

No pressure. Just real local knowledge from someone who works in this market every day.

© Cathy Cagno | Local to Coastal Realty | localtocoastalrealty.com