Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
A longstanding Myrtle Beach favorite, Palmetto mixes approachable resort fun with true championship length and Intracoastal Waterway views. Expect a comfortable, scenic round with wide fairways, strategic bunkers, and a memorable closing stretch.
Palmetto Course at Myrtlewood is rooted in the classic Ault tradition: open resort corridors, generous greens, and strategic bunkering arranged across gently undulating terrain beside the Intracoastal Waterway. Broad fairways provide a friendly landing for all skill levels, while bold bunker placements and water-hugging holes inject challenge for those seeking a championship test. The 2019 renovation revived Ault’s original intent, recapturing green sizes and nuanced contours that reward both aggressive play and smart course management—especially across the lengthy par 5s and the famous closing stretch along the water.
Ault intended Palmetto to blend approachability with strategic interest, enhanced by waterway vistas and a finish to remember.
The longest hole on the course at 566 yards, this dogleg par 5 demands three well-placed shots to navigate its broad fairway and defendable green. Strategic bunkering and subtle undulations test both power and precision.
Favor position off the tee to set up a risk/reward layup, then evaluate flag access given pin location and green contours.
Straying into fairway bunkers or missing left brings heavy rough and treelined trouble; the approach punishes poor distance control.
Well-kept, resort-level fairways and greens; can vary with season but generally reliable and playable.
Steady public pace; peak resort times can get busy but weekday rounds often run smoothly.
Friendly, accessible, Myrtle Beach vacation atmosphere; welcoming to all handicaps.
Standard public golf attire; collared shirts recommended, no denim or cutoffs.
The open site can amplify breezes off the waterway: pack an extra club for par 3s.
Focus on angles and layups, not forced carries, especially on long par 5s and finishers.
The closing stretch and 18th green near sunset deliver true Myrtle Beach photo-ops.
Myrtlewood Palmetto Course opens, first along Intracoastal Waterway
Major renovation restores greens and bunkering closer to Ault’s original intent
Dan Schlegel leads restoration drawing on Ault’s original plans
In 2019, architect Dan Schlegel—who once worked for original designer Edmund B. Ault—returned to direct a restoration project using the course’s original blueprints. The work enlarged greens by nearly 28,000 square feet and revived Palmetto’s classic Ault bunkering.
Palmetto made Myrtle Beach golf history as the first course anywhere in the region to play alongside the Intracoastal Waterway. Its 18th hole remains one of the most recognizable finishing stretches in town.
Intentionally designed as an accessible daily-fee layout, Palmetto embodies Myrtle Beach’s democratic golf culture—welcoming all players, with approachable playability and a vibe that invites repeat visits.
From dawn until dusk, countless visiting golfers have stopped on Palmetto’s 18th to snap photos with the sun setting over the waterway, providing both a memorable ending and fantastic backdrop.
First Myrtle Beach course routed directly along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Nearly 28,000 square feet of green surface was restored in 2019.
More than a thousand golfers play Palmetto weekly in peak season.
The 18th hole is among the most photographed in Myrtle Beach golf.
The 2019 restoration converted the greens to Sunday ultradwarf Bermuda.
The area's oldest and most storied classic; highly playable, loaded with history.
Upscale resort experience with riverside holes and big greens.
Dramatic, photogenic coastal holes—often named among the area's top public courses.
Major lowcountry design, creative visuals, and bold risk-reward drama.
Sister course with a different routing and flavor, convenient for a same-day 36.
Stay in central Myrtle Beach for the easiest access to Myrtlewood, Pine Lakes, and other local stars.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: What links these two? A comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character — a familiar feeling, expressed in Buffalo Golf Club's own setting.
Why it matches: If Myrtlewood Golf Club – Palmetto Course is your kind of course, Waccabuc Country Club is worth a look because it a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Portland Country Club a comparable balance of challenge, variety, and character, making it a compelling counterpart to Myrtlewood Golf Club – Palmetto Course.
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