Artmbgolf Group Trip May 3 - 8, 2026

MYRTLE BEACH -- GROUP TRIP REPORT 5/3-5/8, 2026

COMMENT: Earlier I posted my single days report.  

SPRING GROUP PHASE: I have been going to MB since 1978. We started this group
with all East coast guys PA/NJ/DE in 1998. One guy invited his brother from CA, who later
invited some CA friends. We grew to as many as 16. Lately we have had around 12 on the trip.
This trip we had 12.

Sunday 5/3 -- RIVERS EDGE:
New owner has enhanced everything but the greens. Clubhouse: Great renovations.
Carts: Plush. Staff: Very nice. Tees, fairways, bunkers: Very good condition.
Range balls included.  Overseed was wall to wall and hardly any sign of drought. 
Greens: Have many fairway bermuda spots, some 50% or more fairway bermuda
grass, which is like putting on the old 1980's tifdwarf greens, with grain.  
HOWEVER, This Trip is the First Time I have seen some speed on the greens since 
they had bent when it opened.  They actually cut the greens lower.   
Due to challenge, 5 hour rounds may be common at RE.  RE does have 10 minute
tee times and single tees.    Lots of golfers can't decide what to do on #9, taking 
way too long to play it.  

Monday 5/4 -- THISTLE:
Range balls provided. Played Mackay/Cameron.
Both are renovated. The new greens are in good condition with medium speed
and are larger. The Stewart/MacKay combo is the most interesting + challenging 9's.
There is little housing in play, but more are being built. Conditions were very good everywhere.
The stacked astro turf sod bunker walls look nice, but they can be unplayable if close to
them. A new outside snack bar has been added for on the turn.

Tuesday 5/5 -- GRANDE DUNES:
Range balls provided, GPS on carts. The new greens in 2022 are very good,
smooth + fast.
The restaurant + pro shop are also renovated. More upscale than previous.
The greens have many pin position choices and the wide fairways allow playing
position or just letting it rip. When you play the proper tees here, there are 5-6 holes
where you can carry it to the fairway downslope, to get bonus yards. The waterway holes
are 8,9,10,14,15. This is a tour style course with waterway views.

Wednesday 5/6 -- TPC:
We played it 2 days after the PGA Tour Monday qualifying to get into the MB Classic.
Range balls were included. Carts have GPS. Conditions were good everywhere.
The greens were smooth, firm and tour fast, they said 11 stimp.  Rough also
overseeded, but not deep.
There are 3 forced carries from the tee, that will help confirm if you are playing the
proper tees.  TPC is challenging, but still fair, unless maybe you are a beginner.
Much of the challenge is the green complexes, where most of the greens require
accurate approach shots. It is a difficult course to scramble around the greens.
Hole #9 is a brutal long uphill par 4, designed like a par 5.
TPC Myrtle Beach has a good logo that says Myrtle Beach, if you want MB apparel,
so others don't have to ask where is that course.
White tee players should consider making up combo tees, playing the gold on 3,4,9,11,15.
If you are losing a club length with irons, then you are also losing distance on drives,
since it's sea level.   Add about 7% to a tee yardage, to see how it plays.   
So a white tee listed at 6000 yards will play like a 6420 yard course.   

Thursday 5/7 -- PRESTWICK
Greens were very green, smooth + medium speed.  
Fairways and rough were very thin with brown spots.  Looks like no overseed in 
the fairways.  Holes are interesting, but it is not an attractive course on many holes.  
New bulkheads look good and don't change how the holes play.
The new bulkhead on #16 adds a bunker on the left and makes the hole look nicer.
This Pete and PB Dye design has a Country club atmosphere, with a mix of wide and
narrow fairways. The primary challenge is around the small to medium sized greens,
surrounded by pot bunkers, waste areas, mounds, water, etc. It has a links look,
but with trees.
The Dyes included some forgiving holes, not all out Dye on every hole.
Holes 9 and 18 play around a big lake, heading into the clubhouse. 

Friday 5/8 -- ARROWHEAD:
Range balls are provided.
Good overseed in fairways.  Greens not overseeded, kinda slow and
not as good as usual, not consistent, looking like they are starving for fertilizer.       
We played Cypress/Lakes. I feel Waterway is the best 9 based on holes 2-5 + 9.
AH isn't long from the white tees, but it is fairly tight, not always a driver from the tee.   
  
For my entire trip, the greens and courses that showed little to no signs of a
cold winter or drought were: 
Tidewater, TPC, Kings North, Parkland, Rivers Edge, Thistle, Grande Dunes. 
 
Greens only good: Prestwick.    
 
Best Greens:  TPC       Close 2nd:  KN, TW, Grande Dunes  
 
Worst Cart Paths:  Oyster Bay   
 
Most disappointing greens for the price: 
                     True Blue (not close to $180-200 greens)   
 
* Some courses above were played during my single days.      
  

RESTAURANTS: (In no particular order)   Single + Group Phase.

Boundary House, Lil Pigs, Dagwoods, Clarkes, Gios, J Peters, Flamingo Grill, 
Abeulos, Rioz, CA Dreaming, Fire +Smoke, Chesapeak House were all good. 

Thanks for participating in MBGT with Trip Reports and other MB info!

Art