Go old school at the Surf Golf & Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Surf Golf & Beach Club, one of the few parkland courses of the Grand Strand, has opened its doors to limited public play.

Head Professional Bill Campbell, who has been at the club for nearly three decades, said it's best to call and inquire about what tee times might be available on a daily basis. Architect George Cobb designed the 6,842-yard course in 1960. The greens were renovated by John LaFoy in 1992 and resurfaced with bentgrass in 1996.

The Surf Club remains one of the few Myrtle Beach golf courses sticking with bentgrass greens. Most have converted to mini-verde Bermuda grass to combat the scorching summers. Fast-rolling greens, especially on delicate downhill putts, are the course's main defense. Water guards three of the four par 3s. A peculiar quirk -- all the par 5s dogleg left and all the par 4s dogleg right -– would seem to add up to a boring, predictable round.

That's hardly true. The best example could be the tee shot on the par-5 10th. Some players choose to bite off the corner of the dogleg, trying to clear two ponds with a 230-yard blast. Those who don't do the long ball face the daunting task of avoiding the water left and out-of-bounds right to find a narrow fairway. It's one of the rare scary shots on a true classic.