Photo: Steve Dresser Golf Academy
Oh, how you wish you’d started on golf when you were young, when you hadn’t built a lifetime of bad habits into your golf swing, when you still had a chance to learn the game the right way from the beginning.
You might be too old to start young – but it’s not too late for your children. Myrtle Beach boasts a wealth of playing and learning opportunities for junior golfers, from kid-friendly courses to instructional programs to launch young players on the right path – in the short game, the long game and the mental game, as well as introducing them to the etiquette and traditions of golf.
When it comes time to tee it up for a round of golf with your junior golfer, it’s important to remember this key fact: close to 50 golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area offer free rounds to kids with any paid adult green fee.
With the kids play free courses as a starting point, there are any number of golf courses in the Grand Strand that offer youth-friendly play: not super-long or punitive, with fewer hazards and a relaxed atmosphere to indulge the potentially slower pace of family golf.
Here are a couple courses that fill the bill:
Arrowhead Country Club
Photo: Arrowhead Country Club
This 27-hole complex, designed and operated by golf legend Raymond Floyd, offers three separate nines, each with a different personality: The Lakes, The Cypress and The Waterway. All three feature four sets of tees, so it’s easy for a family to pick the appropriate hole distances for the ability level of the junior golfer (and parents, too).
The longest of the three nines, Cypress, is only 3,349 yards from the back tees. So, while the Arrowhead courses are plenty challenging for good players, less inexperienced golfers can have fun here, too.
What you need to know
arrowheadcc.com
Address: 1269 Burcale Rd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
Nearby Myrtle Beach Resort: Staybridge Suites Myrtle Beach
Cane Patch Par 3 and Driving Range
Photo: Myrtle Beach Family Golf
This ultra-affordable short course in the heart of Myrtle Beach offers short-game challenge on its 18 par-3 holes, some as short as 69 yards, but you and your child can get around in less than two hours, which leaves time for a little extra practice on the lighted 51-bay driving range. You can play at night, too: the course itself is lighted in season.
What you need to know
canepatchpar3.com
Address: 7201 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Nearby Myrtle Beach Resort: Beach House Golf & Racquet Club
Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Foundation
Photo: Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Foundation
When it comes time for formal instruction of your junior linkster, Myrtle Beach has you covered. One good place to start is the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Foundation. This nonprofit organization offers weekly group lessons, private lessons and summer camps at River Oaks Golf Plantation, plus the opportunity to compete in junior leagues and tournaments around the area.
What you need to know
mbjgf.org
Address: 831 River Oaks Dr, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Nearby Myrtle Beach Resort: Sheraton Broadway Plantation Resort
Steve Dresser Golf Academy
Photo: Steve Dresser Golf Academy
One swing does not fit all, according to founder Steve Dresser, whose academy in Pawley’s Island has built its reputation mainly on its popular three-day school, for junior golfers and adults, at True Blue Golf Course. Golf Digest magazine rated the Dresser school among the Top 25 in the nation.
A seven-person staff of PGA teaching professionals stands ready to help your child find and refine his or her own best golf game. The three-day school is offered Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday or Thursday-Friday-Saturday. Every student leaves with a CD of his or her swing with voice-over analysis.
What you need to know:
dressergolf.com
Phone: (800) 397-2678 or (843) 650-2272
Address: 80 Pinehurst Lane, Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Nearest Myrtle Beach Resort: Ellington at Wachesaw
Classic Swing Golf School
Photo: Classic Swing Golf School
The junior academy at Legends Resort offers teaching for ages 5-17, for young players just taking up golf right through accomplished players fine-tuning their games for elite competitions. The program includes three-day schools and summer camps. Golf Magazine has ranked Classic Swing among the best 25 teaching facilities in the US.
What you need to know
classicswing.com
Address: 1500 Legends Drive, PO Box 50955, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
Nearby Myrtle Beach Resort: Staybridge Suites Myrtle Beach
And for your convenience, here’s a complete list of courses in Myrtle Beach where kids play free.
Photo: Marina Inn at Grande Dunes
