Mastering Myrtle: Advanced Golfing Techniques for the Myrtle Beach Courses

Mastering Myrtle: Advanced Golfing Techniques for Myrtle Beach Courses

Myrtle Beach, often called the ‘Golf Capital of the World,’ is a canvas of lush, emerald green fairways skirting the azure coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. To make your game as exciting as the surrounding wildlife and natural beauty, mastering a few advanced golfing techniques is essential.

The Myrtle Beach area boasts over 100 beautifully designed golf courses with various challenges and opportunities to test your abilities. Let’s delve in on how to hone your skills to tackle these stunning, yet demanding, courses.

1. Understanding Course Design

Influenced mainly by ingenious architects like Robert Trent Jones, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, the designs of Myrtle Beach golf courses are a blend of strategic potential and aesthetic brilliance. Understanding the course layout, especially considering wind direction, is vital, as this coastline is significantly affected by ocean breezes.
Stronger winds often demand lower shot trajectories, so practicing your ‘stinger’ shot or punch shots would be wise preparation for our coastal conditions.

2. Perfecting Greenside Bunkers

The presence of greenside bunkers is common in Myrtle Beach courses, designed for added challenge and aesthetic beauty. Hence mastering a bunker shot is a must. It primarily involves opening your club-face and hitting a few inches behind the ball to use the sand to ‘throw’ the ball onto the green. This shot is more about touch than strength.

3. Adapting your Swing for Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass, a common feature in Myrtle Beach courses, has a grain that can dramatically affect golf shots. Adapting your putting and chipping style to consider ‘the grain’ will help keep your short game sharp. For instance, a putt will generally be slower moving into the grain and faster with the grain.

4. Perfecting the Recovery Shot

Errant shots can sometimes find their way into the woodland areas that often line these courses. Perfecting your recovery shot could save you valuable strokes in these situations. This typically involves a club choice with enough loft to get over any trees but still reach a reasonable distance. A short swing with a focus on clean contact will often be useful in these circumstances.

5. Tee Shot Strategy

Myrtle Beach golf courses occasionally feature risk-reward par 4’s. In such situations, it’s essential to weigh the potential gain against the risk. If your long game is your strength, going for the green may pay off. But if hitting an iron off the tee to ensure a fairway lie gives you a better chance at birdie, then play to your strengths.

6. Course Management

Effective course management is crucial in Myrtle Beach courses with their natural water hazards and strategically-placed bunkers. Make your club selection not based on distance alone but consider the inherent dangers of the hole. Sometimes it’s wiser to lay up in front of a hazard or to place the ball on the safe side of the green, away from a threatening bunker or water feature.

7. Mastering Greens

The greens in Myrtle Beach are typically quick and undulating, with subtle breaks that often deceive golfers. Spend time studying the green and watch other players’ putts if possible. Remember that putts tend to break towards the ocean!

To truly master Myrtle, you need to become a strategic player who can adapt your techniques to the unique challenges presented by its varied and artfully designed courses. Accomplishing this will not only improve your game but also enhance your appreciation for the sport and make your golfing experience in Myrtle Beach truly unforgettable. So equip yourself with these advanced techniques, take on the lessons of the verdant greens and sand traps and conquer the Grand Strand. Happy Golfing!