North Myrtle Beach SC - Renowned for its beauty, Tidewater Golf Club is near the top of every list of Myrtle Beach’s best golf courses, but there is so much more to the experience than those Instagram worthy views.

Tidewater is an elite design - it’s the seventh best public course in South Carolina, according to Golfweek - and it will test every part of a player's game, rewarding both power and precision across 18 unforgettable holes. As golfers who are filling Tidewater’s tee sheets this fall begin scouting the course, here is a closer look at the layout’s three most daunting shots. 

● The debate over which par 3 is better - No. 3 or No. 12 - has been raging since the first ball was struck at Tidewater, but which of these two beauties along Cherry Grove Inlet is more dangerous? The vote here, by a margin that is slimmer than some might imagine, is No. 12. From the white tees, the distances are similar but the 12th requires a carry over water that runs to the edge of the green, making it slightly riskier. That being said, don’t sleep on No. 3, which offers a delicate but demanding challenge, especially when the pin is cut on the lower shelf.

● Here is a surprise choice: the second shot on No. 8, a 457-yard par 5 (all distances from white tees). The eighth, which seems to play even shorter than the yardage on the card, is reachable but be wary, especially if you are new to the course. The landing area tightens dramatically the closer you get to the hole and balls run out toward the marshy waters of the Intracoastal. This isn’t the spots to mindlessly swing away in hopes of getting as close to the hole as possible. Players expect to make par or better on No. 8, but those dreams can be instantly dashed with a poorly executed second shot.

● The most demanding drive at Tidewater comes on the final hole. A dogleg left, the 18th plays 410 yards and it rewards a right to left ball flight, otherwise players are left with a long, fearsome approach that includes a carry over the encroaching wetlands. Tidewater is a premium layout and players will need to be at their best as they make the walk to the 18th tee.

Group leaders are busy making fall golf trip plans and the Myrtle Beach Elite package, a four-night, four-round offer anchored by Tidewater Golf Club, is one of the area’s most popular offers.

A primary reason for the storied layout’s popularity is this trio of shots, which alternately challenge and delight players.

For more information or to book a tee time, visit TidewaterGolf.com.