Search Golf Packages
Courses
- Aberdeen Country Club
- Arrowhead Country Club
- Barefoot Golf - Fazio Course
- Barefoot Golf - Love Course
- Barefoot Golf - Norman Course
- Blackmoor Golf Course
- Caledonia Golf and Fish Club
- Farmstead Golf Links
- Grande Dunes
- King's North at Myrtle Beach National
- Legends - Heathland Golf Course
- Legends - Moorland Golf Course
- Legends - Parkland Golf Course
- Litchfield Country Club
- Meadowlands Golf Course
- Myrtle Beach National South Creek
- Myrtle Beach National West Course
- Myrtlewood Palmetto
- Myrtlewood PineHills
- Oyster Bay Golf Course
- Prestwick Country Club
- The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
- The Dye Club at Barefoot
- The Heritage Club
- The River Club
- Tidewater Golf Club
- TPC of Myrtle Beach
- True Blue Plantation
- Waterway Hills Golf Club
- Wild Wing Avocet
- Willbrook Plantation
Partners
Written by: Matt
I was recently invited to play a round at True Blue golf course in Pawley's Island, about 45-50 minutes from The Caravelle, and I jumped at the opportunity to play. True Blue is a Mike Strantz design, who is also the late designer of Caledonia Golf and Fish Club. While Strantz was clearly a talented course architect who designed these awesome layouts that were both ranked as top 100 public courses in America by Golf Digest, the two designs couldn't be more different. Caledonia has a real plantation style feel to it, with the entrance lined with beautiful centuries old live oaks leading to the stately clubhouse and the 18th hole of the golf course actually ending adjacent to a former rice field. True Blue on the other hand has a more modern design feel to it with a lot of sand and a very challenging layout.
True Blue opened in 1998 and immediately picked up the nickname "Heaven and Hell". "Heaven" because of the sheer beauty of the golf course and the 18 wonderfully laid out holes, and "Hell" because of the difficulty of the course and the 18 not so wonderfully laid out holes. Despite winning numerous awards for being a great golf course, it was determined that True Blue might be TOO difficult of a course and it underwent a renovation to lighten the blow of some of the more ferocious holes. Some of the changes made included reducing the carry on approach shots and tee shots and enlarging a couple greens, while the greens were also completely overhauled, giving True Blue some of the finest greens on the Grand Strand.
What you will find with True Blue is many holes with wide fairways, yet strategically placed hazards that don't let you bite off more than you can chew on the tee box. The greens are generally fairly large, though very undulating which leaves even the four foot testers with some twists and turns. If your irons are not sharp during your round, then you can expect to be left in some interesting places along side the greens, with situations where keeping the ball on the green at all is your only objective. All told while the course is very challenging, there is opportunity to post a decent number at the end of the round. As an 8-ish handicap, I have posted anywhere from an 80 to a 95 out there, and last week shot 84 after falling apart on the last three holes.
Both True Blue and Caledonia are two of the finest courses in the Myrtle Beach area. While Caledonia is a stunning piece of property with a gorgeous golf course, I would recommend True Blue to golfers who want a more challenging round at a top notch layout. The bottom line is that you can't lose with either course.
Written by: Chip
I
had the opportunity to play the new course that is now open with the "CAT"
group in North Carolina. Leopards Chase
is the new sister course of Panthers Run, Tigers Eye and Lions Paw. This course is the new showcase of the Ocean Ridge group with a price tag to match.
The condition of the course was immaculate
with the greens rolling perfectly - they couldn't have done a better job with conditions. I liked
the way it laid out with strategic mounding that with hitting the proper side
of the fairway off of the tee you could get that extra few yards with a roll.
Your
friendly Myrtle Beach Golf Director had a busy weekend of playing golf.
The morning after a couple ginger ales at our first golf reception of the fall
(runs every Thursday through 11/20) at 2001 Nightclub and a phone call for a
ride home, my life long golfing buddy, Brad and I battled the elements at Man
O' War on an overcast and windy Friday morning. We teed off a little earlier then
usual at 8:00 but even with the cart path only rule for the day, we still spun
around in a shade over 3 hours.
I started off with an earlier morning triple bogey 8 on the 503 par 5 first and
was cursing Linda's name for the final drink of the night before. After a
missed green, bad chip and a rotten putt, I caught a little spark by making a 10
footer for bogey. Par at 3, birdie at 4 and pars at 5 and 6 had me really
thinking that that triple on the 1st could cost me a round in the 30's. Then I
stood on the tee box of a monster. The Par 5 8th is about 560 yards from the
whites and were staring down about a 20 mph wind dead in our face. I don't know
what happened, but I think I let the hole get in my head a little bit. I
doubled the 8th and tripled the 9th to finish with a 44. Not bad with an 8 and
2 7's.
I am thinking I left my golf game back on the 7th after I blade a drives on the
10th and 11th, with the one on 11 leading to a drop and a double bogey. I found it again for par at 12, but after a
quad 9 on the 13th, I was ready to cancel my afternoon tee time. Same can be
said for the drop leading to double bogey at the island green par 4 14th. I
love hitting great tee shots and then shanking iron shots into short par 4's,
don't you? I make par at the island green par 3 15th realize even with the bad
holes, all I need is a birdie and a couple pars to keep my score in the 80's.
Wouldn't you know it, I crush a drive on the 16th and knock one close, watch
Brad hit a house with his second shot, and laugh when I make the birdie putt. I
bogey the 17th and now I have to birdie 18 for that 89.
The 18th is a very nice hole, but it doesn't fit my fade. I hit a nice draw
with the wind at my back and come just short of the bunker that protects the
right side. Now I have a chance to get home in two which rarely happens. I
catch a little too much of a 5 wood, but still get home. Looking back, I should
have hit the hybrid 4, but I wanted to make sure I got to the green. Now I have
a down hill 40 footer for eagle. In my haste, I forget to figure the wind now
stronger in my face and leave the eagle putt about 5 feet short. I did step up
and finish it birdie off for a hard earned 45 for a total of 89. A 9, an 8 and
2 7's and shoot and 89? I can live with that.
If you have a chance this fall, check out the course. They are going to
overseed the course this fall, but will not go cart path only like most of the
other courses. Since they will overseed the entire course (greens, fairways,
rough and tee boxes), they can allow the carts to roam. The recent rain (thanks
Hanna!) has all the ponds to their normal levels and makes the course visually
intimidating. Just remember, it doesn't come into play as much as you think.
When it does, just pretend it is blue rippling grass!!
Off
to lunch!!
Chad
Those
of you familiar to The Caravelle Resort Golf Website will notice some changes
for 2009. The Caravelle Golf packages are changing from a fixed package price
with a built in greens fee and a list of surcharge/non-surcharge courses to
more of an 'A La Carte' system. This new system gives all our golfers the
ability to create a truly custom golf package with a newfound flexibility. As
well, this new system allows you, our golfers, to see the significant savings
we pass along to you.
Any time you are looking for golf quote, it helps to have ready some of the
basic information we need to give you an accurate golf package quote. Arrival date, departure date, room type,
number of golfers, ideal tee times and the courses you are looking to play are
some of the essential questions we ask to quickly and accurately price your dream
golf vacation.
The Caravelle Golf Guys
Chad,
Rick and Bill
Written by: Chad
Two
of the most exciting times I can think of to play golf are (in no particular
order) are the following:
Golf playing friends in Myrtle Beach
Having new clubs in the bag
I had the privilege of playing the Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach just the
other day. My friends Harry, Cathy and their son Tyler, were in Myrtle Beach
for a 5 night vacation from mid-Michigan (and yes they stayed here at the
Caravelle). With so much for their family to do, we only had time for 1 round
so I wanted to make it some place special. That and I were looking forward to
seeing The Thistle's brand new clubhouse. I wasn't let down and my friends were
greatly impressed.
We played the North to West combination of this 27 whole gem. I knew they had
aerated their greens about two weeks before we played, but they were in great
shape. A little slower then I remembered, but still, I have no excuse as to why
I three putted the first 3 holes. Bogey, triple, double is no way to start a
round. I calmed down after the first three holes and still scraped around a
**. Harry was loving life after shooting
42 with a double on the Par 5 ninth, my friend Brad was okay with his score and
Cathy was ready for a drink.
We scooted over grab a couple adult beverages where we finally got our first glimpse
of the new pro shop. Unbelievable. A
HUGE outdoor seating area complete with fireplace for those cool mornings. A 62
inch Plasma TV on one wall, a couple 50 inch plasmas on the others. High
ceilings, ceiling to floor windows with a great view of the course, hand
crafted window frames and probably the best stocked bar I have ever seen at a
golf course. After the round, I got a little tour of the entire clubhouse and
let me tell you, it might be the best on the Strand. The guys grab a couple a
piece and the bartender makes Cathy 'something fruity' and we headed back out.
I finally got my head out of my butt on the 11th. Well, not really. However, three
bad shots and one great putt still makes par! The hardest thing about a 3 week
layoff is getting that touch back around the green. I was greenside in
regulation on the next 4 holes and the best I could make was bogey. Poor chipping
and bad lag putting means I need to spend sometime on the practice green.
Although Harry didn't score as well on the back, he couldn't stop raving about
the course. Cathy couldn't help but to rave about her drink and how 'pretty'
the course was. Brad couldn't stop raving about how well he hit his irons.
On days like this, scores are about as important as what color boxers you have
on. We had a little skins game going on, but that is more for bragging rights.
Playing with some friends that I only get to see a couple times a year beats
any score I could put up. Overall, The Thistle is one of the classiest places
around. The whole atmosphere make you not want to leave.
For those of you who have not played the Thistle, you have been missing out on
one of the best kept secrets in the area. For those of you that have played,
head back and check out the new pro shop. I would the 'Legendary' Head Pro Gene
Weldon and the First Assistant Rob for having us out for a great day.
Until
next time,
Chad
This blog was designed for us at the Caravelle Resort to keep golfers updated on some great courses, our experiences on the links and simple thoughts on the goings on in the golf world. Well I haven't been playing that much golf (at least good golf) of late, so I thought I would take just a few minutes to ramble off about the upcoming fall golf season.
Being from Mid-Michigan, this was my favorite time to play back home. Not too warm out, the game is sharp after playing 5-8 rounds a week all summer, a couple 'pops' on the course before watching Michigan play or before a Central Michigan tailgating session. However, the thing I miss the most is the changing of the colors. The trees going from a deep green to the oranges and the reds. Now this made finding your ball in the middle of the fairway difficult sometimes, but it was also easier to recover from the wooded areas.
I recently played the very familiar Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood and was treated to another solid round of golf. I say that the Palmetto Course is very familiar because the course (and the second course at Myrtlewood - Pine Hills) is located smack dab in the middle of Myrtle Beach on 48th Ave N and 17 Bypass, and I have had the opportunity to play the course a number of times due to its close proximity to the office (save the emails to my boss - we occasionally squeeze in 18 holes after 5 pm during the summer, or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).
The Palmetto Course is the more challenging of the two Myrtlewood courses, and measuring just shy of 7000 yards from the tips, it can provide a fair challenge to a skilled player while being a very playable course from shorter tees for higher handicaps. Upon reaching the bag drop at Myrtlewood, you are instantly struck by the view of the Intracoastal Waterway which is located directly behind the clubhouse, and as you will find out later, frames the 18th hole beautifully.
There is a fair mix of long par 4's (#18 stretches over 460 yards from the back tees) and short par 4's (#12 plays a short 360 yards that can be shortened even further by cutting off the dogleg with a well placed drive) and while the majority of the course is fairly flat, you will be provided an opportunity to hit a variety of shots with most, if not all of the clubs in your bag. Both par fives on the back nine are very reachable in two shots for a skilled player and the longest hitters will make a go of each of the par fives on the front side,
My favorite holes begin at the par 4 14th hole, as hole 14 and 15 surround a lake (as seen above) that allows for wind gusts that you likely haven't faced earlier in the round. Where 14 is a relatively tight driving hole, 15 is fairly open off of the tee but a very long 439 yards. It seems like the wind is usually working against you on the long par 4, making the hole that much more challenging.
After the dogleg right 16, the last two holes certainly make for a fantastic climax for the round. The par three 17th measures 179 yards from the back tees, but the downhill tee shot allows you to drop down one club. As you ponder your tee shot and take aim at the green you can't help but to admire the creek that filters into the Intracoastal Waterway, which is followed by the realization that the green below appears to be fairly shallow and makes for a very challenging approach. As noted earlier, the 18th makes for a great end to the round with its beautiful location on the Intracoastal Waterway. I always enjoy playing Palmetto in the afternoon because you generally get to see a few more boats and jet skiers later in the day, but no matter....whenever you play 18 it is a gorgeous finishing hole.
A recent change that I spotted the last time I played the course has to do with the course not returning to the clubhouse after nine holes. There used to be a "halfway house" snack bar between holes nine and ten where you could replenish your fuel when it was open. That snack bar has been moved to the higher traffic area central to the 5th, 13th and 15th greens and is now called the "Quarter House". As it was not uncommon to get nine holes in and find the halfway house closed, the quarter house apparently allows the course to offer food and drink to more golfers and it is generally open anytime there is significant play on the course.
In the end you wouldn't confuse the Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood with The Dunes Club or Grande Dunes, but for a reasonable price and convenient location it's tough to do better than this course. After playing the course a number of times it's still a thoroughly enjoyable course, and being only two miles from both The Caravelle and the popular Broadway at the Beach there isn't much of a drive to worry about after the round, which makes it all the better.
Written by: Matt
I was recently invited to play in a four man scramble at the Resort Course at Grande Dunes located just across the Intracoastal Waterway on the north end of Myrtle Beach about a quarter mile from the Dixie Stampede and Carolina Opry. Needless to say that I didn't have to be asked twice. Any time I can play this great course, I jump on it.
The first thing that I can say about the round was it was HOT. We teed off shortly after 10:30 am, and if you're not familiar with summer golf in Myrtle Beach then your best bet is to generally try to tee off in the 7:30 - 8:00 am timeframe. This way you can get out while the temperature is around 80 degrees and creeps up into the 90's during the latter part of the round. By 10:30 the temperature was already over 90 and needless to say we went through a couple of gallons of water on the golf course. Nevertheless golf on a hot day certainly beats not playing golf on any day, and playing at Grande Dunes was an added bonus!
We managed to finish in a tie for second, but we lost the tiebreaker so we settled for a third place finish. Our ringer Eric, who is a three handicap, carried us for the first several holes and we nearly witnessed his first ever hole in one on the difficult par 3 eighth hole, as his tee ball was literally hanging over the hole. If his ball had turned just a hair more, then he would have a hole in one on his resume and we would have tied for first place. Instead it was a ho-hum birdie if there is such a thing on a difficult par three.
Grande Dunes is one of the more fun courses to play in Myrtle Beach. The experience starts when you cross over the private bridge to the Grande Dunes development and pull up to the lavish clubhouse. Though not the largest on the Grand Strand, it certainly is one of the nicest clubhouses in the area.
There are six sets of tees, so every golfer should be able to find a set of tees to match his or her abilities. Many of the fairways are wide so you can be aggressive with the driver and the greens are mostly pretty large so if you're not accurate with your irons then you can definitely be left with some pretty lengthy putts. What really sets the golf course apart however, is the beauty of many of the holes. Four of the holes have a view of the Intracoastal Waterway, including the breathtaking par 3, 14th hole. Standing on the tee box looking down on the wide but shallow green is one of the more intimidating feelings on any Myrtle Beach golf course. A few looks to the right to watch some of the boats floating by are needed to calm your nerves before you hit your tee shot. I am also a huge fan of the par 4, ninth hole that also overlooks the waterway and features a downhill slope in the fairway that can take a well hit tee shot an extra 20 or 30 yards.
I think it's pretty clear, but I would definitely recommend playing the Grande Dunes Resort Course if you ever get the chance.
Written by: ChipI got the
opportunity to play the Fazio Course at Barefoot located just across the waterway from Barefoot Landing on the northern end of Myrtle Beach. I was at an event with the International Golf Tour Operators that were
visiting here from around the world. The
participants in this group were represented from countries like
The
experience was made that much better as I played pretty decently shooting a 78
with really no putting stroke all day.
The course was in great shape.
For those of you that have not had the lucky experience to play it I
would highly recommend it.
It is a
course that can play very long (tips are 7000 yds we played from 6800) with
areas that can be difficult. But playing
it from the proper tees it is a pleasure.
The one thing I can always say about the course is that the condition of
the course is always exceptional.
Collars are tight, fairways are generally consistent and the greens are
true and large.
I would
highly recommend played Barefoot Fazio if you get the chance. The price range depending on season are
generally mid-high to high but worth it.
It has been awhile since my last bit on golf here in
Myrtle Beach. Out of state weddings, work, the heat and the fact that most
courses aerate their greens in June are all contributing factors. I have been
playing some, but it is not fair to judge a course during the maintenance time of the season. My buddy Brad and I played King's North at
Myrtle Beach National on the 4th of July. The last time I played out there was
a few days after aeration so I was expecting it to be in good shape. Boy was I
right.
Now, I am not the longest off the tee around, but I felt
pretty good being over the green in 2 on the par 5 1st hole. Solid drive and a
nice hybrid club over the back. I am thinking birdie, as would we all being in
that position. Then I discovered the biggest problem going from aerated greens
to quick greens: Judging speed. A really bad chip and rotten lag putt left a
testy 6 footer to save par. Well, let's just say I was lucky and the hole got
in the way and still made par.
The rest of the front 9, I scraped it around a bit, but
still managed to shoot a respectable score. (I have made it a point not to post
scores on here until I start shooting scores that make me happy.) Nothing
really that good and nothing really that bad. I am still struggling with the
driver off the tee but I am getting really good at recovery shots.
Overall, King's North was just in amazing shape.
The greens were the best I have played on since I can't remember when. Nate and
the rest of the people in the pro shop are great. If you are coming down, but
this one near the top of your 'Must Play' list.
Photos
The Perfect Approach Package
Stay 3 Nights and Play 3 Rounds at Prestwick CC, Arrowhead CC and Wild Wing Avocet. Daily Buffet Breakfast and Welcome Gift included.
From $279
Myrtle Beach National Fall Signature Package
Play the Myrtle Beach National Signature Package and get two FREE rounds and one FREE night on your stay!