CHERRY GROVE, S.C. – Ask about Tidewater Golf Club and the first words out of someone’s mouth usually revolve around the layout’s beauty. With nine holes that play along either Cherry Grove Inlet or the Intracoastal Waterway, Tidewater is Myrtle Beach’s most scenic golf course.

Players are introduced to the property’s beauty on the par 3 third hole, which plays along Cherry Grove.

After taking a few pictures, golfers must turn their attention to a hole where everything from ace to complete disaster is in play. Water borders the left side of the green but that’s not the biggest concern on a challenge that plays 160 yards from the tips and 146 from the white (most commonly played) tees.

Three cavernous bunkers front a green that features two distinct shelves. The bunkers are more menacing than the water given that everyone has to clear them, but Tidewater’s third hole is defined by its putting surface. 

The green’s upper tier is larger and easier to hit, especially if you find yourself in the sand, but it’s still a significant challenge. The green runs from back to front and the undulation is severe in spots, meaning a ball that lands in the middle portion of the putting surface could roll back down to the bottom, leaving a doozy of a two-putt.

When the flag is on the bottom shelf, things really get interesting. 

The area you have to safely land the ball is much smaller and the putting surface cants to the left, pushing balls towards the water or a small bunker that is best avoided. If you are playing out of one of the bunkers short of the green, you will have the opportunity to admire the beauty of Cherry Grove and the risk involved in your next swing. Good luck.

Tidewater’s third hole is challenging, oh-so-memorable and one of the many reasons the course is universally regarded as one of Myrtle Beach’s best. 

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