What better way to celebrate golf in the Carolinas than to play a course designed by one of its native sons, Davis Love III. Barefoot Resort and Golf features four championship courses, each crafted by renowned architects—Fazio, Norman, Dye and Love—and Golf Digest has recognized the Love Course as one of the best in Myrtle Beach.
Love used the natural coastal Carolina topography to create a traditional layout, modeling the greens complexes after Pinehurst No. 2. The greens are planted with A-1 bentgrass, the fairways with 419 Bermuda, and the rough features pockets of fescue and zoysia to add variety and challenge. When I played, the course was in good condition, though not quite at the peak standard I experienced on the Dye Course. Zoysia tends to go dormant and brown in winter, and it had not fully greened up during our visit.
Barefoot Resort operates like a well-oiled machine, efficiently moving golfers through tee times and maintaining a friendly, international atmosphere. Our foursome included several regulars who have returned to Myrtle Beach for years: Gerry “Gerbils” Patrick, Mikie “Corky” Donahue, John Boy Ecklund, Jimmy the Cop, “Lucky Bob” Hancock and myself.
Hole 4 | 294 yards, par 4
This hole is both famous and controversial because of its faux-ruin feature resembling a Southern plantation home. A well-placed drive can reach the green, which is exactly what “Lucky Bob” did, settling his ball on the front fringe. Overshooting the green is perilous: a wall sits just behind and makes recovery nearly impossible. Over the years I’ve had my ball come to rest against that wall (unplayable), ricochet off it onto the green for a near-eagle, or wind up over the wall requiring a lob wedge to return to play amid cheers from my group. It’s picturesque and memorable—an element of the course I’d miss if it weren’t there.
Hole 5 | 463 yards, par 4
Rated the No. 1 handicap hole, this long par 4 plays demanding unless you can drive over the crest of the central hill. A large bunker guards the right side and somehow seems to draw errant tee shots toward the lake beyond. I aimed right and found myself too far off line for a straightforward approach. Thinking I could shape a recovery shot, I instead made matters worse and ended up in a wooded area near the green. Mikie also struggled here, zigzagging through trouble like a lizard on hot sand.
Hole 8 © Francis X. Gallagher
Hole 8 | 552 yards, par 5
Many consider this the best-designed hole on the course. We played it twice in pleasant weather, and I managed a bogey both times—consistent, if not stellar. The ideal drive has a gentle draw to position you for the dogleg left. A pond hugs the right while trees line the left, making the fairway entry appear narrow. After a too-far-right drive, I hit a second shot that left me 130–140 yards from the green, where a marsh guards the approach. It’s a shot many players mishit. My approach landed right of the green, leaving a long putt that I managed to knock in for bogey.
Hole 13 | 484 yards, par 5
I have a love-hate relationship with No. 13. Davis Love packed this hole with challenges. The fairway is split by a creek that meanders left to right, creating multiple ways to find water on the drive. You can tee off and land on either side and still have a playable approach. I aimed left but flubbed a 3-wood into rough near the right edge, almost out of bounds. For fun I dropped another ball and hit a flawless shot that landed short of the green. Bob shouted, “Hey, this is not a driving range!” I played the original ball and still ended up with a double bogey. Mikie’s misadventures in the trees were so extensive I half-joked about recruiting him as a park ranger.
Hole 14 | 439 yards, par 4
This deceptively simple par 4 often causes trouble. A pond on the left looks harmless while bunkers and fescue lurk on the right. The smartest play is a center drive, perhaps favoring slight right as the hole bends that way. Perfectly straight, long drives can bounce badly, sometimes off a cement cart path that can send balls into the water or into lackluster bunkers that feel like an afterthought. From there it’s a manageable approach to a green bordered by woods that suffered a fire a few years ago, an event that took nearby houses and a condo.
Hole 18 | 596 yards, par 5
Did Love intend to frustrate golfers? Maybe, but he also created a fantastic finishing hole. This long par 5 turns left near the end and features a pond beside the green. I was pleased to card a 5 and a 6 on our two rounds. The tee shot must be straight to find the safe landing between trees. The next shot must avoid the pond and wetlands to the left—these were dry during our visit, but they remain a serious hazard. John played confidently through the damp areas, showing no fear of the snakes that sometimes inhabit them. The green sits slightly elevated; reach it hazard-free and you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying finish and plenty of reason to love the course.
The Love Course Barefoot Resort and Golf
4980 Barefoot Resort Bridge Road
North Myrtle Beach SC 29582
tel 843 357 3310
barefootgolf.com