SirShives

Six days ahead of Christmas and we have temps almost reaching 70*? This is why I love North Carolina! Apparently I wasn’t the only golfer who had the bright idea to take advantage of the beautiful weather because the course was packed. I can’t blame any of them for being out there, but pace of play was sluggish because of it.

The course is in really good condition and I enjoy the layout. I have played on the new greens twice now and they take a few holes to get used to. The greens are lightning quick. I had several chips that were hit great (or so I thought) but ended up running off the opposite side of the green. You have to bring your A game with your wedges and flat stick on these greens.

Overall, it was a great day and I enjoyed my round. I will be back again and I highly recommend the course.

Whispering Pines is close to where we stay while in Myrtle Beach, so I decided to give the course a shot. It was HOT(over 90*) at 1:15 when I teed off and I only ran into one other group during my round. I got around in just over 2.5 hours. Despite the high temps, I found the course in good shape. The layout is not overly long, so the course challenges you with small greens. The greens were rolling quite fast. I loved the red, white, and blue pin placement system they use there. More courses should do something similar.

I didn't find the proximity to the airport to be an issue. If you're the type of golfer who is easily distracted by the helicopters buzzing by, maybe look elsewhere. There are no houses on the course, which is not typical for many Myrtle Beach courses.

I enjoyed my round at Whispering Pines and I would certainly play there again.

Country Hills won't beat you up with length and if you are hitting the ball relatively straight you won't find too much trouble. The real challenge during my recent round was green speed.

While we were waiting to tee off the starter/ranger David briefed us on the newly upgraded greens which have yet to fully mature. He also gave us a putting tutorial on the new greens which he stated were firm and fast. David told us to expect some inconsistencies with roll and distance depending on which side of the hole we find ourselves on. Boy was he right on. We struggled to get the ball to stop on approach shots and long putts, even shorter putts were tricky. The greens were lightning quick, but I expect they will slow down over time.

Although the greens were somewhat frustrating, the rest of the course was in very good shape. I generally had a good lie while hitting from the fairway or the rough. The hole layouts are interesting with enough risk/reward to keep things challenging. The Saturday morning tee sheet was full but we played in 4 hours 15 minutes.

By far my favorite part of the course though was the starter David. He chatted with us as we waited to tee off at the start and gave us an overview of what to expect on most of the holes. Once we got out on the course, he was buzzing around keeping play moving and continuously reminded us to "just have fun." I hope Country Hills keeps David around because he is an asset to the course experience.

I will certainly recommend the course and be back in the future.

I have played Pine Knolls a few times previously, and I have enjoyed my rounds there. The course has lots of elevation changes but is not terribly long. The tee boxes were in good shape and I had a good lie anytime I hit into the fairway. Greens rolled at a moderate pace with very little undulation.

The regular weekday rate is a good price for this course and if you can find a Hot Deal the value is fantastic. I will be back again.

I have played Olde Homeplace close to 10 times and I always enjoy my round there. The layout is challenging but offers plenty opportunity for scoring

The course is certainly still seeing the effects of this years winter kill. There are obvious efforts underway to re-sod areas on many fairways, so be prepared to see plenty of "grounds under repair" areas. Overall this did not negatively impact my round, however you should be aware that the fairways are not yet back to the usual standards for this course. The greens were in fine condition and rolled quite well.

The fairways are recovering nicely from the winter kill with only a few patches of dead areas here and there. Critical landing areas in the fairways were in good condition. My friend and I walked 9 and got around quickly which was expected for a late afternoon round.

I have played Oak Hollow many times and I love the layout and the course stays well maintained year round. My issue is with the greens. How do I accurately describe the greens during my last few rounds? Furry, slow as molasses, and pock marked like the surface of the moon. Please, please speed up the greens!

I'm not saying I don't enjoy my rounds at the course, but the green speeds are WAY, WAY TOO SLOW. Also, apparently everyone forgets how to fix their ball marks when they play here. Obviously, firmer greens would help this situation too.

Play the course; it's fantastic. Just remember to give the ball a little more with the putter than you think is necessary.

I had heard rumors that Wicked Stick may be closing so I wanted to play before that happened. My first round was last fall and I liked the course and wanted to play again this spring. I made a mid-afternoon tee time and had the course almost to myself. Fairways are in good condition. Greens are hard and fast. The layout is enjoyable and a few of your tee shots must be strategically to avoid the hazards. Not every hole is "grip it and rip it" as touted.

Overall Wicked Stick is a great value for a Myrtle Beach golf course. Its really too bad they are going to turn this place into more shopping or whatever they plan to do with it. Play it before September!

Forest Oaks is easily a top 5 course in the Triad. The fairways and greens were in excellent condition and despite the wet winter, the putting surfaces were fast, as anticipated. I was able to secure one of the few Hot Deals available through GolfNow.com, but in terms of the quality of the course, I should have paid triple what I did. The course is challenging without being overly difficult for the average golfer. Stop wasting time reading this review and book a tee time already!

Greensboro National is easily one of the top courses in the Triad. Course conditions were very playable despite our mid-winter tee time. Fairway lies were good and the greens rolled nicely.

Overall, the layout offers a fantastic challenge without being overly penal for the occasional errant shot. The staff is cheerful and helpful throughout the facility. The food at the turn is not your typical cheap hotdog and pack of nabs and is definitely worth the stop.

The list of courses in the Triad this nice for under $30 is incredibly short and Greensboro National is right at the top. I will certainly return.

River Oaks Plantation has not been high on my must play list among Myrtle Beach courses, but the Hot Deal was too good to pass up. I played Otter-Fox. Liked Fox better. Course was in good condition. Even on a busy day the pace of play was brisk. Had good lies on the fairways and from the rough. Greens were quick and well maintained. Sand traps were hard, wet, and need attention. It was a real frustration to keep hitting into them.

I would play River Oaks again, but there are other Myrtle Beach courses I'd like to play before returning.

Course is in great condition tee to green. Most fairways were firm allowing for good run. Green speed was moderate. Subtle breaks offer a good challenge without being overly difficult. Seemed to be a busy Friday afternoon but pace was perfect as we finished right at 4 hours. As always, staff was very friendly and helpful. Have played the course 4 or 5 times now and always enjoy my round. I will continue to recommend Olde Homeplace.

Course was in great condition tee to green. Was greeted by numerous staff members and given some helpful hints on what to expect on the course. They have a well maintained range. Got around the front 9 fairly quickly but course was pretty empty on a Tuesday afternoon. Started the back but was chased back to the club house by a thunderstorm. Staff was very helpful keeping everyone updated on when play might resume during 35 minute delay. After brief heavy rain, play was restarted and course dried very quickly. Was impressed with how quickly conditions returned to normal after the rain.

Very interesting layout with plenty of risk/reward. Flat greens rolled great, not too fast or slow. Only complaint I have was someone in a group ahead of me left some serious spike marks around the hole on every green. Tread a little lighter bro. Would highly recommend and will certainly be back!