Stunning Water Holes

Oyster Bay Golf Links:

A Dan Maples' Award-Winning Myrtle Beach Favorite.

Posted by: Rick Parnham

The Legends Golf Resort of Myrtle Beach is one of the many collections of multiple course facilities gracing the Grand Strand. Boasting a collection of five courses Legends golf packages have been a favorite for visiting golfers for years. Oyster Bay Golf Links is one of the splendid courses in the collection.  Located across the border in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, a the short drive from the main resort is well worth the effort to be able to experience a terrific round on a Myrtle Beach golf get away.

Daunting Hole 13

Those familiar with Dan Maples designs know that his work is creative and not without a twist of daring in many aspects. His routings feature elements that many consider non-traditional, placing holes where others would never try. Oyster Bay is a wildly creative layout featuring 15 holes with water in play. Maples' highly acclaimed course plays as a par 70 and is great blend of beauty and beast. Shot shaping is a must, along with distance control and nerves of steel.

Location:

Sunset Beach, North Carolina

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks: Oyster Bay

Feature Holes Descriptions:

The first of the par 5 holes is a double dogleg beauty that hugs the southern banks of the Calabash River. Your drive must clear a marshy inlet and ideally be placed on the plateau landing area that is wedged between thick pines on the left and bunkers and marsh to the right. The thick stand of trees framing the left side blocks out anything but a perfectly played shot. The safe play is to lay up carefully to a wedge yardage. The ninth hole is a risk / reward par 5 the plays in the opposite direction, this time with water and marsh left.  The ideal drive is to tempt the left side of the fairway to open up a better angle to the green with your second. Great care must be taken with the second as the green is reachable but well protected short and green side with bunkers and the marsh creeps in precariously on the left.

Challenging Shot Making Holes

The back nine begins with a challenging par 4 dogleg right that must climb the rising fairway. Again favoring the left is the desired drive to open up a shot at this heavily sloped wide, shallow green. Pay close attention to the pin as a back shelf on the green makes a three putt likely. The devilishly precise 13th has plenty of options available on the tee.  A driver may not be the best play as you run out of fairway long and bring in some sentinel trees that make the approach to the severely elevated green even more tricky. Perched high and jutting out into a lake, the green is fronted by a cavernous bunker complex.  The approach requires a deft touch to clear the bunker but also have enough spin to hold the green avoiding the drop off into the lake behind.

Course Stats:

For those having experienced a Dan Maples design and appreciating the creative genius he brings to his routings Oyster Bay will not disappoint. Tricky doglegs, tight corridors, greens with multiple tiers and plenty of slope, along with the accompanying water hazards on most holes makes this a most contrasting round as both beautiful vistas and stern challenge awaits you.

Drive Time: Myrtle Beach International Airport 50 mins.

Contact:

Oyster Bay
614 Lake Shore
Sunset Beach, NC

28468
800-697-8372

[website]