Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Renovated 2022Grande Dunes Resort Course is Myrtle Beach’s boldest test, blending grand fairways, renovated oversized greens, and five thrilling holes along the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a premium course with brawny yardage, scenic drama, and one of the region’s most talked-about tee sheets.
Grande Dunes Resort Course is a modern, bold take on the Myrtle Beach tradition—brawny yet playable, offering vast landing areas, grand-scale greens, and a resort polish that few area courses match. The 2022 Harvey-led restoration reinvigorated every detail: the putting surfaces ballooned back to massive originals, bunkers were totally rebuilt for consistency, and fairway corridors widened to reward aggressive drivers and creative approaches. Repeated encounters with the Intracoastal Waterway bring water views, wind influence, and drama appropriate to its resort ambitions.
Rulewich and Harvey’s design philosophy prioritized scale, playability for all skill levels, and visual drama, all freshly recaptured in the 2022 renovation.
One of the course’s most iconic shots, the long par 3 eighth hangs out on exposed, wind-prone ground with nothing but green, water, and sky. This is the hole people photograph and fear, especially from the back tees.
Choose your club carefully as both wind and distance fluctuate daily; landing short leaves a tough up-and-down, while long gets wet fast.
Water looms short and right; missing left brings tricky rough or a fried-egg bunker.
Pristine putting surfaces, smooth tee-to-green, and consistently maintained bunkers—especially post-2022 renovation.
Standard Myrtle Beach resort pace—expect 4:30+ on busier days, especially with multi-group play, but no grind.
Big, polished, and energetic—feels like a special occasion with plenty of visiting groups and scenic surrounds.
Collared shirts and resort golf attire required; no denim.
Several par 3s and long par 4s demand confident, accurate shots with hybrids and long irons.
The Intracoastal setting means breezy conditions; practice knockdowns and flighted shots before your round.
Restored greens are huge—long lag putts and multiple tiers reward a deft touch.
Open, sun-exposed holes mean minimal shade and a lot of Myrtle Beach sun all round.
Course opens — Roger Rulewich and John Harvey design launches grand-scale Myrtle Beach golf
Begins earning recognition among Myrtle Beach's top public courses
Featured in regional and national golf publications for its bold, water-adjacent holes
Clubhouse and course show signs of aging, sparking calls for major updates
John Harvey leads a transformative renovation, restoring original green sizes, rebuilding every bunker, and upgrading conditioning
Voted Myrtle Beach’s Best Golf Course by WMBF viewers; earns top local and state rankings
Grande Dunes’ 2022 renovation wasn’t just a touch-up—it restored tens of thousands of square feet to the greens and rebuilt every bunker from scratch. The goal: recapture the 'grand scale' vision the course debuted with and take player experience to new heights.
With yardage stretching to 7,618 from the tips and massive tee complexes, Grande Dunes can humble even low handicaps. Don’t let the open look fool you: it’s a true muscle course if you play it all the way back.
There’s nothing like the five-hole stretch where the course hugs the Intracoastal Waterway, offering unmatched panoramas, breezy hazards, and postcard Myrtle Beach moments. This is the section players photograph and remember most.
John Harvey isn’t just the 2022 renovation architect—he was part of the original build, giving him unique insight into what Grande Dunes lost and how to restore its distinctive identity.
The 2022 renovation restored over 40,000 square feet of green surface lost over the years.
Grande Dunes’ gold tees at 7,618 yards make it one of the longest public plays in the Carolinas.
Bunkers use Capillary Concrete liner technology for year-round consistency and playability.
The course hugs the Intracoastal Waterway for five spectacular holes—no ocean, but true river drama.
It features some of the largest greens you’ll find anywhere in South Carolina.
Iconic, must-play Lowcountry atmosphere
Mike Strantz modern masterpiece with huge visuals
Dramatic marsh and coastal scenery
Jack Nicklaus signature and strong reputation
Palmer design, fun and highly playable
Central or North Myrtle Beach—for proximity to Grande Dunes, airport, and broad course access.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Southern Highlands Golf Club offers similarly polished playing surfaces, making it a compelling counterpart to Grande Dunes Resort Course.
Why it matches: Calusa Pines Golf Club is a natural next stop after Grande Dunes Resort Course: it offers similarly polished playing surfaces.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Ladera Golf Club's own setting.
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