Tidewater Golf Club

Overview

Best New Public — Golf Digest and Golf Magazine agree.

18 Holes

72 Par

6,985 Yards Black tees

147 Slope Rating 74.1

At 7,078 yards with a slope of 144, Tidewater was inspired by the inland grandeur of Merion and Pine Valley but shaped by a coastal site unlike either. The result is a course that feels simultaneously classic and utterly original — tight enough off the tee to demand accuracy, dramatic enough in its setting to reward every well-struck shot with a view worth the walk.

Golfweek has consistently ranked Tidewater among the top seven courses in South Carolina, and with 40-plus awards to its name, the reputation is well earned. For golfers seeking a course where the scenery matches the challenge, Tidewater remains the standard on the northern end of the Grand Strand.

Golfweek Best You Can Play in South Carolina 2025

GOLF Magazine Top 100 You Can Play — #39 2014

Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses 2011-12

Golf Digest Best New Public Golf Course in America 1990

GOLF Magazine Top 10 New Courses in America 1990

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1400 Tidewater Drive, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582

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(843) 913-2424

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tidewatergolf.com/

Before You Play

At Tidewater Golf Club

Caddie's Notes

4 things worth knowing before your round — from tee selection to where to eat when you're done.

Course Character & Design

Ken Tomlinson's Tidewater is known as the 'Pebble Beach of the East,' and the comparison earns its keep: an 18-hole layout built on a peninsula between the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet, with ocean views, marsh vistas, and waterway scenery appearing simultaneously on multiple holes. Golf Digest named it Best New Public Golf Course in America when it opened in 1990, and it remains on the magazine's America's 100 Greatest Public Courses list.

Signature Holes

The holes on the peninsula tip offer some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in American golf, with the Atlantic visible across the inlet and the Intracoastal framing the opposite side, you're genuinely surrounded by water on the course's most memorable stretch. The par-3s are Tidewater's most photographed holes, each requiring an aerial shot over marsh or water to a green exposed to the coastal breeze.

Course Conditions

TifEagle Bermuda greens are maintained to the standard expected of a consistently top-ranked public course, and the coastal exposure, both the challenge and the reward of Tidewater's setting, keeps turf management demanding year-round. The salt air and marsh environment give the course a distinctive feel that inland layouts simply can't replicate.

Before You Play

Tidewater is in North Myrtle Beach near Little River, which puts it slightly farther north than most Grand Strand courses, factor in drive time if you're staying in the central Myrtle Beach hotel corridor. The Tidewater Golf School is on-site, and juniors 16 and under play free with a paying adult. The coastal wind is a genuine factor here in ways it isn't on inland courses; check the forecast and build in at least one extra club for upwind approach shots.

Course Details

The Essentials

Designer Ken Tomlinson

Opened 1990

Access Public

Course Type Coastal / Intracoastal Waterway

Walking Cart only — Long distances between holes

Caddies Not available

Greens TifEagle Bermuda

Fairways Bermuda

Short Game Area Yes

Driving Range Grass

Club Rental Available

GPS Carts Included

Golf Trail Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

Instruction Tidewater Golf School

Dining Joey's Clubhouse Grille

Lodging None

Green Fees $140 – $230

Best Months October-May

Peak Season March-May

Nearest Airport MYR · 15 min

Notable Features

Often called the 'Pebble Beach of the East.' Sited on a peninsula between the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet with panoramic Atlantic Ocean views. Ken Tomlinson design (1990). Dramatic wind-swept marshland holes with forced carries over tidal wetlands. Named Best New Public Golf Course in America by Golf Digest (1990). Remains on Golf Digest America's 100 Greatest Public Courses list.

Tee Information

Scorecard

Tee	Gender	Par	Yardage	Rating	Slope
Black	M	72	6,985	74.1	147
Blue	M	72	6,729	72.9	145
White	M	72	6,252	70.8	134
White/Green	M	72	5,943	69.2	132
Green	M	72	5,666	68.3	125
Green/Red	M	72	5,429	67.1	123
Red	M	70	4,635	63.8	115

◆ Ratings and yardages are approximate and may vary by season. Verify with the pro shop before your round.

Photo Gallery