Title: Discovering the Enchantment: The Coquina Boulders at Tigers Eye
The Myrtle Beach golf scene unfolds a myriad of breathtaking gems for both seasoned golfers and aspiring amateurs. One aspect of local golf culture that has steadily caught eyes for years is the captivating presence of Tigers Eye, a notoriously challenging course dotted with the beautiful and formidable Coquina Boulders.
Even the most seasoned golfer must marvel at the incredible thought and creativity that went into the making of Tigers Eye, located at Ocean Ridge Plantation. The course bends the common golfing traditions and wraps players delightfully in an atmosphere that feels both eerily prehistoric and lushly alien. It’s an integration of skill, nature, and architecture that sets it apart from the myriad other courses dotting the Myrtle Beach triumvirate—Longs, Little River, and Sunset Beach.
The genius behind the Tigers Eye design, Tim Cate, created the course to challenge golfers of every skill level with its fascinating topography, unexpected water features, and those distinctive Coquina Boulders. Derived from sedimentary rock, these boulders augment the aesthetics and the difficulty, rendering the course as eye-catching as it is challenging.
It’s no coincidence that these boulders are reminiscent of the ancient ruins you might find on a Southwestern adventure—the Coquina is quarried from the Arizona desert before making its way across the country to Tigers Eye. Formed over millions of years, these boulders consist of a colorful mosaic of tiny shells and coral compressed into limestone. It’s a contrast that boosts the uniqueness of the course—the deep desert orange of the Coquina against the lush green Carolina turf.
However, the Coquina Boulders serve more than just an aesthetic purpose. Strategically placed, they dictate a player’s strategy and technique, making each swing a dance between risk and reward. Their very presence on the fairways and around the greens turns every stroke into a contemplation, a mental game, a test of precision, patience, and power.
From holes 4 to 6, for instance, a massive Coquina Boulder looms—a daunting sentinel that has often altered the strategy of many golfers. Circumventing this mighty impediment might protect your ball from the imminent risk of being bounced off-course, yet it’s a sobering challenge to take the risk and go for a direct shot.
Yet, they bring more than just hardship. Approach hole number 11, a par three, and you are greeted by a stunning water fall cascading over Coquina Boulders into a tranquil pond—an oasis amidst the challenging land.
The penultimate challenge lies in the 18th hole, where multiple Coquina Boulders and a vast lake surround the green. It’s here where victory tastes sweetest, as, by navigating the obstacles, golfers can finish strong, illustrating that the journey’s end justifies the means.
Tigers Eye’s elevation changes, challenging topography, manicured greens, and perfectly positioned Coquina Boulders make it for a complete-package golf adventure. PGA.com has consistently ranked the golf course in its ‘Top 5 Public Courses’ in North Carolina, with the Coquina Boulders often singled out as defining elements of this iconic course.
Playing at Tigers Eye is a transcendental journey—an odyssey through desert rock, rolling hills, and thick forests. As players navigate the tumultuous terrain, contending with the alluring yet merciless Coquina Boulders, they are not just testing their skill, but their capacity to adapt, innovate, and persist.
In conclusion, the Coquina Boulders, stunning as they are, don’t simply add an ancient aesthetic touch to the Tigers Eye—they redefine the gameplay. They are a testament to human ingenuity in seamlessly integrating natural elements into a sporting space, redefining golf design, and breathing life into the landscape. Each swing, each play, brings a unique interaction, a thrilling experience, a memory etched into the mighty Coquina and retained in the golfer’s heart long after the last shot.
Play at Tigers Eye, and you play with the Coquina Boulders—silent witnesses to the countless triumphs and defeats that unfold daily on this splendid course. For every golfer, it’s a must-visit! Enjoy the challenge, relish the beauty, and cherish the experience!
I’ve played at Tiger’s Eye twice, and let me tell you, those boulders can really mess up your strategy more than you’d expect! It’s a real test of mental strength and accuracy. The 18th hole is a killer but it gives you the sweetest taste of victory once you’ve played that right. This blog pretty much sums up my experiences there. If you’re looking for a good course to test your skills, this would be my recommendation.
Just reading about the Coquina Boulders is giving me the chills, I can’t imagine how challenging yet thrilling it must feel to play around those! I heard about Tiger’s Eye being an exceptional golf course but this article just gave me a whole new perspective on that. Tim Cate has indeed left no holes barred in challenging golfers across every skill level.