Myrtle Beach has a course for everyone

• Brandon Tucker
• Aug 25, 2011 1:03 PM ET

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- One of the greatest appeals of Myrtle Beach's is how suitable it is to so many different types of vacationers. Whether it's buddy trips, corporate retreats, families or couples, there is a golf course or resort for each. 

An estimated 4 million rounds of golf are played annually on the Grand Strand: that's a lot of different tastes to satisfy, but Myrtle Beach fulfills them better than most destinations with about 100 golf courses within about sixty miles along the coast. 

Chances are your group falls into one the following categories, and we've listed some courses in each worth including in your upcoming golf vacation to the Grand Strand. 

Myrtle Beach golf courses for low-handicappers

Scratch golfers usually try and sniff out a Dye course in the area. Pete has two tough ones to take on: Prestwick Golf Course and Barefoot Resort's Dye course, while his son, P.B., built the Legends Moorland course, rated one of "America's 50 Toughest" by Golf Digest.

The TPC Myrtle Beach and Dunes Golf & Beach Club have both hosted the Senior Tour Championship. To the north, low handicappers will enjoy Ocean Ridge Plantation's Leopard's Chase or Tiger's Eye. Tidwater Golf Club boasts a solid championship tee as well.

Jack Nicklaus has two signature designs in the area, both beastly tough: Long Bay Club and scenic-but-tight Pawleys Plantation.

Is your group filled with testosterone-laden, ego-trippin' long ballers? Go back, way back, to Grande Dunes' Resort Course 7,600-yard set of tees. 

Golf in Myrtle Beach on the company dime

If you're showing oft to clients or being rewarded for a great year, Myrtle Beach's high-end facilities are as good as anywhere.

The Members Course at Grande Dunes is open to resort guests of the Marina Inn and Grande Dunes. It's a rare course that won't have a stacked tee sheet during the spring peak season, so you'll feel like the course is all yours. My forecaddie told me he was on the bag for Roger Clemens and his wife a few weeks earlier.

Tom Fazio-designed TPC Myrtle Beach (pictured) offers up one of the best upscale experiences with tour-worthy conditions, facilities and service.

Of Barefoot Resort's four courses, Barefoot Resort's Fazio course and Barefoot Resort Love are premium conditioned with bentgrass greens and a wealth of natural acreage to play on. With four courses at Barefoot, chances are there should be plenty of space on the tee sheet on at least one.

Myrtle Beach golf courses for off-season swings

If you've been watching more golf than playing recently, you might be craving forgiveness on your golf trip.

The Wizard boasts large fairways and large greens with not too much trouble until the watery 16th. Myrtle Beach National's West Course offers wide fairways, no surrounding homes to take a window out of, and big, bent grass greens.

More golf courses that are forgiving off the tee: Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club in Conway, the Palmetto course at Myrtlewood Golf Club and Wicked Stick.

Myrtle Beach golf for couples

It's not all buddy trips in Myrtle Beach, couples make up a very large segment of the golf market in the spring.

Willbrook Plantation is constantly ranked as one of the top women-friendly plays in the nation, and next door, River Club's Head Professional Christa Bodensteiner ensures the tastes of women golfers are met as well.

The new Pine Lakes Country Club is old school charming and offers four sets of tees, two of which are under 5,800 yards. Also try out Heather Glen, Lion's Paw or Arcadian Shores. These should keep the banter pleasant for both parties during the day.

Myrtle Beach golf courses for seniors

For the best 24/7 vacation experience, seniors should stick to the Lowcountry courses of Pawleys Island and Litchfield just south of Myrtle Beach. Here, the vibe is slower and a little more upscale: no more neon lights, massive beach shops and rowdy bars. The golf courses are a step back in time; full of mossy oaks and dotted with finger lakes. Litchfield Country Club is one of the area's oldest standing courses with shady, dog-legging fairways. It's not too long and is even walker friendly.

Tradition Club features a laid back vibe and the five sets of tees include one at 6,300 yard and another at 5,700 yards. Gary Player is known for his senior-friendly golf designs, so check out his design firm's Blackmoor Golf Club.

For a premium Lowcountry experience, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is also as pretty as you'll find, maxes out at just 6,700 yards and is much easier to hit the greens compared to its tougher neighbor True Blue.

Myrtle Beach for bargain hunters

Bargains fluctuate greatly depending on the time of year, but if you're going during the April-May peak spring season, you're best off looking for Myrtle Beach golf packages that are offering the best incentives at the time.

As for individual golf courses, the following aren't the "cheapest," but their golf experience supersedes the green fees they usually ask: Possum Trot, The Witch, River Hills, Aberdeen and Indian Wells.

Myrtle Beach for photographers

If the camera is the most important piece of equipment on your vacation, stick to some of Myrtle Beach's saltwater courses. River's Edge, Tidewater, Glen Dornoch and Pawleys Plantation are your best bets for great photos, especially if you can play in the evening when the sun is setting to the west and creates a golden glow over the water. 

For lowcountry scenery, try Caledonia and Willbrook Plantation. For must-see-to-believe golf course architecture, tee it up on True Blue. 

Myrtle Beach for the insatiable golf appetite

One of the best ways to save cash on a top shelf golf course is via P.M. replay (some packages offer replays for discounts even further than what you'll be quoted in the clubhouse, so be sure to ask). Multi-course facilities are the best way to go to ensure your group can get out for cheap in the afternoon.

Off Highway 501, Myrtle Beach National features three courses, and a popular day out is either SouthCreek or West Course as a morning warm-up followed by the big dog: King's North in the P.M.

Just down the street, Legends Resort features three courses. The Parkland, Heathland and Moorland - all of equal standard, but differing styles and a replay rate all out of one clubhouse so you can be flexible with the tee times that are available.

North of the border, Ocean Ridge Plantation features four courses, three of which share two clubhouses next to one another, while Leopard's Chase is a short drive away.