NEWSLETTER
While the best and brightest compete up at the Wells Fargo, the grinders and lifers are down at the Myrtle Beach Classic, playing at the alt-event right before tourist season really kicks into high gear on the Golden Strand.
Obviously, no course history here since it’s the inaugural event, but we have seen other events held here in the past, including Michael Block’s win at the 2014 PGA Pro National Championship
Myrtle Beach Classic:
-Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
-Par 71, 7,347 Yards
-Purse: $4 Million, winner gets $720k
-132 man field, 36 hole cut for top 60 plus ties
–How to Watch
Course Overview
“The Dunes Club is an old-school design with its rolling fairways, large greens complexes, and the premium it places on shot-making. While the course has ample length, distance isn’t the key to success. Hitting the ball to the right spot in the fairway can generate extra roll and a preferred angle into the green.“
The Dunes will be played as a par 71 this week, measuring 7,347 yards. One of the par 5s (Hole Eight) has been changed to a par 4 for the event. Built originally in 1949 and restored several times (most recently in 2018), the course has held some Senior Tour and PGA Professional events but has never been a PGA Tour stop. The Myrtle Beach Classic will host those who didn’t make the Wells Fargo Field.
The fairways look fairly spacious, but there are plenty of landing areas that will be <20 yards and the fairway bunkers are not only large, but ofter protruding out into the landing area, rather than just nestled in the first cut waiting for wayward balls. I think accuracy will come into play a bit more here than I originally thought.
The rough is overseeded ryegrass and will be 2 inches or higher, again enroaching in some areas to keep the fairways fairly narrow. While the missed fairway penalty may be low due to the rough, some of the tight, tree-lined areas and hard dog legs may be a bit of an issue if golfers find themselves too far off the beaten path with their drives.
The Bermuda Greens at the Dunes are all heavily guarded by as many as seven green side bunkers, and many feature shaved edges with runoff areas behind the greens. After the renovations, they average 6,000 square feet, which is around average if not a little on the larger side. They should run around 11 or 11.5 on the stimp.
While it’s on the Atlantic, large parts of the course are more like a Parkland track, reminding me a bit of Harbour Town, just a ways down the coast. The water comes into play on six of the holes, both on tee shots and in approach.
Makeup: While there is a monster to be tamed when golfers get to 13, there are some attackable holes to be had. Three of the four par 3s look to be playing at 215+, but a couple of them are listed as some of the easiest on the official scorecard. The 10 and 16th holes will be driveable if the tee boxes are up, the other par 4s range from 425 to 500+.
Even with the massive length (relative to your normal muni), I would think some of the bigger hitters can cut the corner on 13 and just hit the piss out of it on 15 to reach those greens in two. The par 5 fourth hole may be a bit tougher ask with a dog leg AND water to carry over to reach the green.
Signature Hole: “The 13th hole is Myrtle Beach’s most famous. Known as Waterloo, the 590-yard, par 5 plays alongside Lake Singleton and has been ranked as one of America’s best 18 holes by Sports Illustrated.” The hole closes out the three-hole stretch nicknamed “Alligator Alley” since it wraps around a swamp and, eventually, a small lake.
Comp Courses: The aforementioned Harbour Town for sure, but also other Carolina courses like Quail Hollow, Pinehurst No. 2 and Sedgefield. The doglegs, water danger, tree-lined corridors, and heavy bunkering are the main defenses and share some characteristics with all of these courses.
Key Stats:
For the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, I think accuracy will be a little more important than the average “resort course” with some tighter fairways and big, nasty bunkering. The large greens shouldn’t be tough to hit from the right lies, but with the winning score likely close to -20, you’ll need some makeable putts, not just a good GIR%. With the run off areas and heavy bunkering I think good ARG play could come into play as well.
- Total Driving
- Approach Proximity
- Around the Green
- Bermuda putting
- Birdies or Better %
