
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="/media/images/West_Course_2nd_hole_1200.png" alt="West Course 2nd Hole"/></figure>


<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="37">
<p><em>Story by Ian Guerin</em></p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="89">
<p>Arnold Palmer is going to hold icon status for as long as people play this game.</p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="270">
<p>He accomplished so much in his playing career, and then chased it with decades of course design that holds his legacy in a similarly prestigious ilk. On his West Course at Myrtle Beach National, he clearly had plenty of help, but his namesake stamp is all over.</p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="91">
<p>As such, we’ve pin-pointed four holes that bring something special to the table.</p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="583">
<p><strong>NO. 2, PAR 4 302 YARDS</strong><br>The routing on West puts the second hole at West in a rare position; it touches six different holes without any of them interfering or drawing from the others. But what the short Par 4 does &#8211; aside from giving you a glimpse of what’s to come &#8211; is get your rolling with some early confidence atop a drop-dead gorgeous hole crafted by some subtle mounding and a couple of fairway bunkers. Trouble is held to a minimum, hence the 15th handicap. But that wasn’t the goal here. And it was executed to perfection.<em>(top photo)</em></p>
</div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://mbn-admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-1024x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9406" style="width:452px;height:254px" width="452" height="254" srcset="https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-300x169.jpg 300w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-768x432.jpg 768w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_8a-2048x1151.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px" /></figure></div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="586">
<p><strong> NO. 8, PAR 3, 156 YARDS</strong><br>As we mentioned above, West was a blueprint in how to route a course when the available land wasn’t abundant. And if you’re looking for an example of how Palmer and his team made it work, look no further than the Par 3 8th. This hole, with the help of a natural grass area, an oversized pond to the right, a few hedges and three green-side bunkers gives you no choice but to lock in on the task at hand. It’s a wonderfully designed distance capped off by a huge green that looks too good to be true. <em>(pictured right)</em></p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="661">
<p><strong>NO. 15, PAR 4, 387 YARDS</strong><br>When does an appropriately sized fairway start to feel like it’s a lot more squeezed? The 15th hole at West is the embodiment of your answer. The thick tree line up the right is a potentially miserable landing spot, as if the water up the left that apparently has a vacuum effect thanks to the ever-so-slight banking toward it. Now add in two front-side bunkers sandwiching a gotcha-style fake start to the green and you’ve got some heavy creativity thrown in during a very short among of space. No. 15 is a solid double-bogey hole waiting to happen, even if you’re playing the rest of the round well.</p>
</div>

<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://mbn-admin.travelboommarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-1024x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9407" style="width:447px;height:251px" width="447" height="251" srcset="https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-300x169.jpg 300w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-768x431.jpg 768w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://admin.mbn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West_17a-2048x1150.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 447px) 100vw, 447px" /></figure></div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="708">
<p><strong>NO. 17, PAR 5, 466 YARDS</strong><br>With a tight dogleg in the front half of the hole, players who walk up to the tee with driver in hand may end up in all sorts of trouble. Cutting the corner requires almost a perfect shot and failing to do so allows for little more than a punch back to the fairway. That component defines the entire hole, and we applaud how it was utilized given the rare Par 3 finisher to follow. Yet, because of the bend, the last big hole of the day feels much more like two shorter ones tied together. Handle them both with caution while taking a few moments to notice the extra care put into the aesthetics on the outskirts of the fairway. <em>(pictured right)</em></p>
</div>

<div class="non-component-container" data-block_name="core/paragraph" data-content_length="376">
<p><em>Ian Guerin has been covering sports and golf in South Carolina since 2004. His game has ebbed and flowed like the Atlantic, but he&#8217;s never had to explain to his kids why his round won&#8217;t be televised. You can follow along with the day-to-day conversation on Twitter&nbsp;<u><a href="https://twitter.com/iguerin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@iguerin</a></u></em></p>
</div>

Palmer’s West Course’s Four Best Holes

Courses in this Article

West Course at Myrtle Beach National

Additional Myrtle Beach Golf News