Myrtle Beach, boasting an unmatched combination of great golf and value, enters 2023 riding the wave of golf’s ongoing boom.
Myrtle Beach enjoyed a record-setting 2022. More than 2.4 million rounds were played along the Grand Strand in 2022, as recorded by the Omni Golf Tee Sheet that served 59 Myrtle Beach Golf Passport member courses this past year. It is estimated that more than 3 million rounds of golf were played in the Myrtle Beach market in 2022, and all signs entering the New Year indicate the next 12 months may be even better.
With the spring season rapidly approaching, the reasons for excitement along the Myrtle Beach golf scene are many:
- Play along the Grand Stand has increased the last two years and is up 23 percent since 2020, with revenue growing at an even faster rate. Myrtle Beach has seen growth in every category of play – public, membership and package – and early booking for 2023 offers reason for continued optimism.
- While the game is surging, area courses have used the opportunity to reinvest in their property, ensuring the quality of experience for traveling players. The Grande Dunes Resort Course, Prestwick Country Club, Rivers Edge, Thistle, River Hills, Caledonia and True Blue are among the Passport member courses that underwent capital improvement projects in 2022. The Resort Course at Grande Dunes installed new greens, overhauled every bunker on the property, and completely remodeled its clubhouse.
- Rivers Edge reshaped the green surrounds on its stunning 18th hole and renovated bunkers on holes 1, 6, 7, 9, 14 and 18. Prestwick rebuilt the bulkhead on several of its most significant holes and added a waste bunker along the left side of No. 16. River Hills also underwent a greens renovation project in 2022 and is overhauling its bunkers in the first quarter of 2023.
- A significant part of the Grand Strand’s charm has long been its abundant off-course activities, ensuring the fun of a golf trip extends long after the final putt drops. With the opening of Grand Strand Brewery and the growing popularity of Crooked Hammock Brewery at Barefoot Resort, Myrtle Beach has cemented its reputation as a haven for craft beer lovers. New restaurants such as 1229 Shine, The Hangout at Broadway at the Beach and Clearwater Oyster Bar & Grill, among many others, help guarantee the area’s vibrant dining scene continues to thrive.
Myrtle Beach will look to build on its momentum in 2023 as more courses undergo renovation projects and the destination’s off-course offerings continue to expand.