Arrowhead Country Club – One of the Strand’s Best Maintained Courses

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Arrowhead in Myrtle Beach3Arrowhead Country Club is a very unique golf facility in Myrtle Beach. First of all, it’s a 27-hole facility, something you don’t see a lot of here. Secondly, it plays like three 9-hole courses, each one with its own distinct characteristics. All holes feature Bermuda Fairways and MiniVerde Bermuda grass, are well manicured and feature some of the best greens in the area.

Ray Floyd and Tom Jackson have created a 27-hole golfing masterpiece that hugs the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Arrowhead has been voted “Best of the Beach” for four consecutive years by readers of the Myrtle Beach Sun News as well as being voted “South Carolinas Golf Course of the Year” by the National Golf Course Owners Association. It’s located literally minutes from Myrtle Beach International Airport and sees its fair share of last minute rounds.

Being located along the Intracoastal, my first thought was flat and boring however Arrowhead is anything but. As you make your way around the courses, you’ll encounter several elevation changes, hardwood forests of pine and live oak and wetlands – lots of wetlands.

Arrowhead in Myrtle Beach2If you feel the need to warm up before your round, Arrowhead has a full-length driving range as well as separate chipping and putting areas. Inside the clubhouse, you’ll find a full service bar and grill that serves all of your favorite club food and libations as well as a fully stocked pro-shop complete with all of the logoed gear you could ever want. When you combine all of these things with a well-conditioned golf course, reasonable greens fees and free range balls you can understand why Arrowhead is a popular repeat-play venue for visiting golfers and locals alike.

Lakes Course: The Lakes offers golfers several risk/reward opportunities as it plays its way onto the Sand Hills that border the Intracoastal Waterway. Water is visible on all 9 holes but really only in play on 7; as if that’s not enough. You’ll need a certain amount of moxie, combined with a target golf mentality and shot making skills if you are going to score well here. After all, Raymond Floyd wouldn’t have it any other way.

Favorite Hole: Number 9, Par 5, 506 yards (White Tees). This is a prime example of a risk-reward par 5. If you’re feeling particularly froggy, the aggressive line off the tee is down the edge of the water leaving you with a chance to get home in two, or make a double bogey. A drive of 250 along the water will leave an approach shot of around 200 yards, which is very doable. Alternatively, an average drive down the right side followed by a layup short of the bunkers may be a better chance at birdie for the majority of players.

Waterway Course: This nine must get its name from the fact that the Intracoastal Waterway runs down the left side of the 5th hole, providing some really interesting scenery. A large party boat going by can provide an instant gallery so be ready for anything. Seriously, they should name this nine Sandway, because sand is everywhere in the form of waste and formal sand bunkers. You can make up a few shots on the holes that offer risk/reward opportunities, but to keep low numbers on the card, you’ll need to have a great short game.

Arrowhead in Myrtle Beach1Favorite Hole: Number 4, Par 5, 497 yards. From the tee, the trouble is obvious in the form of a long waste bunker down the left side with fingers at various distances that poke into the fairway. You’ll also notice a tremendous amount of mounding and undulation in the fairway. Longballers will have a great chance of getting on in two with a good drive that finds the fairway; if you’re laying up, the bunker in back of the green is a good line. Par is a good score here.

Cypress Course: This nine winds its way through a natural Carolina hardwood wetland and requires more thought than brawn, precision shot making and the ability to hit your target area. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 have been described as three of the most scenic holes in America. A couple of holes require a long iron or hybrid off the tee to set up a medium length approach shot, usually over water.

Favorite Hole: Number 4, 335 yards. Actually, either of the par 5s on this nine could easily make the grade, but the 4th hole is the poster child of target golf. Hit the tee shot left of the double bunkers on the right side; 200 yards is all you need. Then it’s a 100-yard pitch shot, slightly downhill and over water to a green protected on all sides by sand. This hole can yield a low score with two well executed shots. It can also lead to a big number with poor execution off the tee.

Last Word: Arrowhead provides some of the most aesthetically pleasing golf holes in the Myrtle Beach area. It will also have you thinking more about each shot and executing it rather than just bombing away. There are plenty of holes where you can do that too and the undulation and mounding in the fairways will leave you with some uneven lies. The emphasis here is on shot making and hitting your shot – whether it’s a drive or approach shot – to a particular spot in order to score well. Longball hitters will find some of the par 4 holes drivable while the rest of us will just have to rely on a good short game to score well. Only a couple of par 3s require any type of carry over water but nothing too significant. Just be sure to take enough club.

Whether you’re looking to play 27, 18 or just a quick 9, Arrowhead is a sound selection. The conditioning is some of the best in the area, the greens roll fast and true and the courses are a joy to play. Pick the right set of tees that best suit your handicap and you are pretty much guaranteed a good time. For more information or to book a tee time, you can call the pro shop at (843) 236-3243 or visit them online at www.arrowheadcc.com.

David Theoret

David Theoret has been in the golf and golf travel industry for over 12 years, primarily selling online advertising. For the past seven years, he has also been a golf writer, reviewing golf courses, resorts, destinations, equipment, golf apparel, and training aids – the latter of which never seems to help. What started as a dream years ago, by God’s grace, became a reality in 2015 when The Golfin’ Guy editorial marketing company was founded. Working together with golf course designer Ron Garl; David’s articles and reviews have been posted on many golf travel, equipment, and apparel websites.

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