Tidewater Golf Club Review: The Most Beautiful Course in North Myrtle Beach

The cart path dips through a corridor of pines and then the trees just… end. The marsh opens up in every direction — cordgrass rippling silver in the morning light, a blue heron frozen mid-stalk at the water’s edge, the faint mineral smell of pluff mud mixing with fresh-cut fairway. You’re standing on the 12th tee, Cherry Grove Inlet stretching out below you, and the only sound is wind through the sea oats. For a long moment, nobody in your group says a word. Nobody needs to.

That silence is what sets a Tidewater Golf Club review apart from every other course write-up you’ll read. Just ten minutes from our condo at 601 Hillside Dr N, Tidewater delivers the most visually stunning round you’ll play on the entire east coast.

A Course That Feels Private

Tidewater sits atop a peninsula between tidal marshland, the Intracoastal Waterway, and dense forest. Designed by Ken Tomlinson and opened in 1990, it was immediately named “Best New Public Course” in America by both Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. More than 30 years later, it still lives up to that billing.

The design philosophy here was inspired by legendary courses like Merion and Pine Valley, and you feel it in the routing. There are no parallel holes at Tidewater Golf Club — none. Every hole feels isolated, surrounded by nature — longleaf pines crowding the edges, the occasional flash of a red-tailed hawk banking overhead. You’ll go long stretches without seeing another group, just the crunch of your cart tires on the crushed-shell path and the steady tick of sprinklers somewhere in the distance. For a public course on the Grand Strand, that’s almost unheard of.

The Marsh Holes: 3, 4, 12, and 13

The four holes that make Tidewater legendary are the ones that play along Cherry Grove Inlet on the ocean side. Holes 3, 4, 12, and 13 offer panoramic views of tidal marsh and the Intracoastal Waterway that rival anything you’ll see at private courses charging three times the green fee. The cordgrass shifts from green to gold to silver depending on the hour, and at low tide the exposed mud flats catch the light like hammered pewter.

Standing on the tee at #12, with the marsh stretching out below you and the salt breeze tugging at your shirt, you can smell the brine and the warm sweetgrass mixing together. A fiddler crab army works the mud below. You forget you’re at a public course in Myrtle Beach. It’s that good.

The Finishing Stretch

The back nine is where Tidewater really separates itself. The par-5 16th has a green that creates an “infinity” effect — it appears to drop straight into the Intracoastal Waterway behind it, so your approach shot seems to fly toward open sky and water. You feel the wind shift as you reach the green complex, the air turning cool and brackish from the waterway below. And hole #18 is considered one of the toughest finishing holes in the entire Myrtle Beach area. It’s a demanding par 4 that has wrecked many a scorecard — the tee shot framed by towering pines, the green sloping away from you like it’s daring you to hold it — and made for some great post-round stories.

Accolades and Rankings

Tidewater collects awards the way other courses collect lost balls:

• 2022 South Carolina Course of the Year (SC Golf Course Owners Association)
• #7 Best Courses You Can Play in South Carolina (Golfweek, multiple years)
• #38 Best Courses in South Carolina (Golf Digest, 2025-26)
• Best New Public Course in America (Golf Magazine & Golf Digest, 1990)

These aren’t legacy awards. Tidewater earns them year after year because the course conditions, layout, and overall experience consistently deliver.

Course Details at a Glance

• Location: 1400 Tidewater Drive, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
• Holes: 18
• Designer: Ken Tomlinson (opened 1990)
• Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,044 from the tips
• Greens: TifEagle Bermuda | Fairways: Bermuda
• Price Range: Higher end — premier course
• Drive from 601 Hillside Dr N: ~10 minutes

Tips for Playing Tidewater

1. Use the GPS carts. Tidewater’s carts come equipped with GPS, and you’ll want it. The numerous hazards and bunkers aren’t always visible from the tee, and the GPS helps you pick smart targets.
2. Play the right tees. At 7,044 yards from the tips, this course can eat you alive. The middle tees play fair at around 6,500 yards and let you enjoy the scenery without constant damage control.
3. Manage the par 4s. Tidewater’s par 4s are where it gets you. Several of them are long and demand accuracy. Don’t be afraid to hit a hybrid or long iron off the tee if driver puts you in trouble.
4. Eat at Joey’s. Joey’s Clubhouse Grille on-site is genuinely good. Grab lunch after your round on the patio overlooking the course.
5. Bring a camera. Those marsh views on holes 3, 4, 12, and 13 deserve to be documented. Your foursome photos here will be the ones everyone posts.

Who Should Play Tidewater?

Tidewater is for golfers who want an elevated experience without the pretension. The course is challenging from the back tees (course rating 73.9, slope 148 (black tees)), but the forward tees make it accessible to anyone who can keep the ball in play. If you appreciate beautiful natural settings and a course that feels like an escape, this is your spot.

For a great one-two punch, pair Tidewater with Barefoot Resort — two premier experiences in one day, both within 15 minutes of the condo. Our golf course guide breaks down every top course in the area so you can build the perfect lineup around Tidewater. And if you’re mapping out your whole trip, the trip planning guide has you covered from arrival to checkout.

That Salt Breeze on #12 Stays With You — Your Condo Should Too

You’ll still smell the marsh when you close your eyes that night. Standing on the 12th tee with the Intracoastal stretching out below, the salt wind nudging your ball flight — that’s the moment Tidewater stops being a golf course and becomes a memory. Our place at 601 Hillside Dr N in Ocean Keyes sits just 10 minutes from Tidewater’s first tee, which means you can linger on Joey’s patio watching groups finish #18 and still be home before the sunset fades. Three bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen where the post-round debate over that infinity-green par 5 can continue over cold drinks.

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Tidewater is the premier course closest to our door — I never get tired of hearing guests come back buzzing about those marsh holes.