The World Tour Golf Links has always been a favorite among golfers. Why?  You get a change to play holes replicated after some of the top in the WORLD, some of which are private courses only a few get to play. Located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the course features 27-holes from 23-courses and 6-countries from around the world.

The Open Nine features holes from St Andrews, Pinehurst #2, and TPC at Sawgrass. (Yes, the famous island green hole with the water hazard that likes to eat balls during the Players Championship.) The Championship Nine has holes inspired by “Amens Corner” at Augusta National, Bay Hill Club and Winged Foot. The third of the three nines is the International Nine. This nine has holes from courses like Valderrama, Doral and Spanish Bay.

Large Patio Overlooking The Course

The beautiful 25,000 sq ft clubhouse features a fully stocked Pro Shop that actually has won awards like “Top 100 Pro Shops”. To make is more inviting, display cases of golf history and golf memorabilia are located in the foyer. The Players Grille in the back of the clubhouse is a full service restaurant with a patio overlooking the 9th hole of the Championship course, a hole inspired by the 11th hole at Arnold Palmer`s Bay Hill Club in Orlando, FL.

I was invited to come out and give it the ole @Mbgolfpro first look last week. Like many golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area, The World Tour has converted from bent grass greens to Mini-Verde Ultra Dwarf Bermuda grass. While it sounds like a mouth-full, Mini Verde has become one of the most popular grasses for the South East.

Our round started on the Championship Nine, with a small skins game among the other players in my group. This particular nine is a favorite among visiting golfers because of “Amen Corner”. Golfers that have never or will never play Augusta National (because it’s a private course) will get to feel whats it like to play these distinct holes.

As we came to the 6th hole, no skins had been won just yet. After I hit my tee shot in Rays Creek “The Myrtle Beach Version”, I was able to still play it out, while actually standing on a rock to hit my second shot. After advancing it to the fairway. My third shot found Rays Creek AGAIN just in front of the green. With two of the other three players out of the hole, it came down to me getting up and down or at least sacrifice a bogey. While our fourth golfer was laying three on the back of the green, that set him up for a great chance of three putting, which he did! So I tried to hit the best shot I could and got it on. I missed my putt for par and made bogey to tie the hole and save a skin. Phew.

For our back side, we went to the Open Nine. The first hole is adjoined with the 9th hole and has to be the widest fairway in Myrtle Beach. However, my favorite hole on the Open nine has to be the third hole. It comes from TPC Sawgrass. This short Par 3 like on TV does not look difficult, however the water surrounding the green makes this hole visually challenging. Proving my point, two guys in our foursome hit their tee shot in the water. Myself and one other made par to tie the hole.

As we ran out of daylight and did not get a chance to play the International Nine, but I do have to say the improvements being made at World Tour are great. The new greens, new sand in bunkers and aesthetic changes around the entire facility will make the course back on the top of play list for visiting Myrtle Beach golfers.

As Always, Fairway and Greens
@MbGolfPro

I almost forgot, I won two skins!

P.S. CHECK OUT our FULL PHOTO GALLERY of World Tour

In Honor of the Masters, The Entrance Road to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

It has been one year since we debuted our Top Myrtle Beach Golf Course Rankings. The overwhelming response of emails, votes, tweets and post on our Facebook page let us know that this is what the golfers want and have been wanting for years now. This is what golfers expect and this is what we will continue to produce!

While the golf world has there eyes tuned to Augusta National for the Masters, The Spring 2012 golf season in Myrtle Beach is well under way. Travelers from around the world will be coming to Myrtle Beach to play golf and the Easter Holiday in Myrtle Beach will also bring even more people to the Grand Strand for vacation.

We have been receiving great reports from golfers about conditions of the golf courses. We also keep getting great response to our monthly golf rankings.  With fewer tee times open for the remaining of the Spring Golf season there are still ways to save up to 50% off of tee times at three of the Top 10 Myrtle Beach Golf Courses. Which three you ask? Lets get to the rankings and find out.

1. True Blue – Holding on to the #1 spot for the 2nd consecutive month

2. Thistle – Super Spring conditions have allowed this course to jump up two spots from the previous month.

3. Willbrook Plantation – Holding the #3 spot for the third straight month.

4. Caledonia – One of two courses that has made the Top 10 every month.

5. Tidewater – Moved up three spots from last month. Take a look at the ocean from the 13th green.

6. TPC of Myrtle Beach – One of two courses that has made the Top 10 every month.

7. Dunes Golf & Beach Club – After a brief departure from the Top 10 the Dunes is without a doubt is one of the best  layouts on the Grand Strand.

8. Bald Head Island – After being in the Top 10 for 10 consecutive months and a three month stint at #1 Bald Head Island is back in its rightful place, in the Top 10.

9. Reserve Club @ St James – The only private course at St. James Plantation is one of the most underrated golf courses and one of three Nicklaus designs  on the Grand Strand.

10. Barefoot -Fazio – Dropped eight spots from the #2 position. Considered by many to be the best course at Barefoot Resort.

There you have it folks, Our one year anniversary of Top 10 rankings for Myrtle Beach Golf Courses.

As always, Fairways and Greens

@mbgofpro

Nick Price

The designer of the private Grande Dunes Members Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina made his 11th career Hole-in-One in the first round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Florida on December 9th. World Golf Hall of Fame Member, Nick Price holed out on the 213 yard Par 3, 12th Hole. Price made the shot with a 4-iron and was his first since 1997.

The Grande Dunes Members Club is a Par 71 Championship design featuring a 27,000 sq ft Italian designed clubhouse, with wide fairways & L-93 bent grass greens.  The Members Club at Grande Dunes measures from 5000 yards on the forward tees to over 7000 yards on the Championship tees.

TPC of Myrtle beach is our #3 for Oct. 2011.

We hope that everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween. Although I saw my far share of scary costumes last night, there is nothing scarier than a 3 foot putt that breaks left and right for all the skins. With that said, we move on to November which happens to be @mbgolfpro’s favorite fall golf month in Myrtle Beach.

 Maybe its because im a fan of the contoured over-seeding, or maybe the fact that the golf courses should be in the best conditions or maybe its the great Myrtle Beach golf weather.

Moving on with the Top Ten Myrtle Beach Golf Courses for October 2011. Again these top ten courses are voted by visitors to the NorthMyrtleBeachGolf.com website. We have a newcommer to the rankings that happens to be one of my favorite courses! Let’s get started.

1. Bald Head Island – Remains #1 for the second consecutive month.

2. Caledonia – Remains #2 for the second consecutive month. Great views of the marsh lands on the finishing hole.

3. TPC of Myrtle Beach – Former host of the Senior Tour Championship

4. Dunes Club – One of the only courses on the Grand Strand that has an Ocean View.

5. Barefoot – Dye Club – Home to the Monday after the Masters, this course is a BEAST!

6. Thistle – Known for conditions, the 27-hole Tim Cate design arguably has the best greens on the beach day in and day out.

7. True Blue – Sister course of #2 Caledonia, should be the brother course because it is tuff.

8. Willbrook – Historic plantation course, Maples hit the jackpot with this design.

9. Pawley`s Plantation – One of the only courses in Myrtle Beach with a double green. Great views of the marshlands.

10. Reserve Club at St. James Plantation – Welcome to the Top 10. @mbgolfpro favorite course at St. James Plantation. This is a great Nicklaus design, one of three on the Grand Strand.

Don’t forget to rank your favorite golf courses as well! We need your input!

That is your Top Ten Myrtle Beach Golf Courses for the month of October 2011.

As always, FAIRWAYS AND GREENS.

The 2,300 acre Barefoot Resort and Golf is looking in Prime Conditions for Myrtle Beach Fall Golf 2011. Barefoot Resort and Golf consist of four of Myrtle Beach`s best golf courses, a 30-acre practice facility, marina, Docksiders Bar & Grill and is all accessible by a historic swing bridge that was built in the 1930`s.

  After closing and reopening on July 13th, 2011. The Barefoot Fazio course made the conversion from Bent Grass Greens to Champion Ultra Dwarf which is becoming a popular putting surface along the Grand Strand.  Not only did the Fazio course but also the Barefoot Norman course received new Champion Ultra Dwarf greens.

Champion Ultra Dwarf allows faster putting surfaces than normal Bermuda grass greens. Champion is excellent warm weather grass and can be found at over 400 golf clubs in the south east. Ultradwarfs have become more popular than Tifdwarf because they produce moreshoots per unit area than Tifdwarf and thus provide a smoother and quicker putting surface.

With the Barefoot Dye Club ranked #1 in our Top 10 Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach for two consecutive months, the Barefoot Love, and upgraded Barefoot Fazio and Norman courses will be a great option for Fall Myrtle Beach Golf. The 3+1 Barefoot package allows you to play one of the four course for Free in the afternoon

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We are starting to receive Myrtle Beach golf package rates and pricing for Spring 2012 from the area golf companies and we want it available to you! We currently have single round course rates posted under The Supreme Golf Package. The Supreme is a “Build Your Own” featuring over 90 courses on the Grand Strand. Plus, we recently updated four of our golf packages with 2012 Myrtle Beach golf rates as well.

Along with The Supreme Package, The Legends Package has quickly become one our of most popular golf packages. All Single Round, Three Round and the Four + 1 FREE Round includes Breakfast, Lunch and 2-draft beers for each golfer. That pays for itself!

The Big Cats Golf Courses have changed their package from Three + 1 to a deep discounted Four Round Rate for 2012. To receive the discounted rates though, you now have to play Tigers Eye or Leopards Chase in the afternoon.

Glens Group will continue their Ultimate Glens Package offering three rounds with a Possum Trot for free  AND Free Pre-Booked Replays after 1:30pm.

Also for the Spring 2012 golf season we have brought back our Super Savers Golf Package, which is our low cost budget golf package.

Let’s not forget about the Barefoot golf course 2012 rates we just published as well, featuring courses from the top dogs like Fazio, Norman, Love, and Dye. And finally, the Grand Slam golf package, the one that combines a couple Barefoot courses with Caledonia or True Blue,  a package for the serious golfers only!

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NorthMyrtleBeachGolf.com, your #1 source for the best in Myrtle Beach golf.

Bald Head Island in North Carolina is one of the top 10 golf courses this month.

Since I started publishing a monthly article of  the “Top 10 Myrtle Beach Golf Courses” five months ago, it has quickly become one of our most read blog topics! My June article had the most visits and the most votes for the courses. The feedback that I get from and our Facebook Page NorthMyrtleBeachGolf has been great.

I have also been asked to write a monthly article and rank every golf course on the Grand Strand. While that is something that will be done down the line, the Top 10 is great, because these are very close to my own personal rankings.

The following is the Top 10 Golf Courses in Myrtle Beach for the Month of July 2011.

These rankings are compiled from visitors voting on the northmyrtlebeachgolf.com website.

Barefoot Fazio was knocked out this month but I do expect them back after the new green switch from Bent Grass to Mini Verde. Tidewater Golf Plantation is also welcomed back in the Top 10.

1. Barefoot Dye – #1 for two consecutive months after knocking off the World Famous Dunes Club.

2. Caledonia – #2 for two consecutive months.

3. Bald Head Island – #3 for two consecutive months.

4. Dunes Club – Up one spot from June.

5. Pawleys Plantation – Down one spot from #4.

6. TPC of Myrtle Beach – Up one spot from #7.

7. Tidewater – Back in the Top 10.

8. Willbrook – Up one spot from #9 after making its debut last month.

9. Thistle – Dropped three spots from #6 after its debut in the Top 10 last month.

10. Pearl East – Down two spots from #8.