Thistle Golf Club Review: Why This Sunset Beach Course Is My Absolute Favorite
The wrought iron gates swing open and you’re already somewhere else. The road curves through a tunnel of live oaks, Spanish moss swaying overhead, until the Scottish-style clubhouse rises out of the trees like something transplanted whole from the Highlands. Inside, the scent of leather and fresh coffee drifts through the pro shop. On the practice green, your putter barely touches the ball and it rolls fifteen feet past — and you realize, grinning, that these greens are going to change everything about your day.
That’s the first five minutes of a Thistle Golf Club review experience, and it only gets better from here. Tucked away in Sunset Beach, NC, about 25 minutes from our condo at 601 Hillside Dr N, Thistle is the course I’ve played more than any other on the Grand Strand — and the one I tell every guest about before they even ask.
First Impressions That Set the Tone
You know you’re somewhere special the moment you turn onto Olde Thistle Club Road in Sunset Beach, NC. You drive through wrought iron gates past a guard shack, wind down a tree-lined road, and arrive at a Scottish-style clubhouse that looks like it was shipped straight from the Highlands. It’s not the typical Myrtle Beach golf experience — and that’s exactly the point.
Thistle Golf Club has earned some serious recognition. It was ranked #23 in the Top 50 U.S. Public Courses by Golfers’ Choice on GolfPass in 2024, named a Top 25 Best-Conditioned Course in the country, and consistently earns Golfweek’s “Best Public Courses You Can Play” honors. Golf Digest gave it 4.5 stars in their Places to Play guide. These aren’t participation trophies — Thistle earns them on course conditions alone.
The Course: 27 Holes of Scottish-Links Golf
Thistle features three nine-hole courses — Cameron, MacKay, and Stewart — designed by Tim Cate and opened in 1999. Any combination of two nines gives you a par-72 round stretching up to roughly 6,900 yards from the tips, with five sets of tees that make it playable for every skill level.
The design is unmistakably Scottish links-style. You’ll find stacked sod bunkers that look like they belong on the Old Course, rolling fairways that feed the ball in unexpected directions, and greens that are among the fastest you’ll putt on all week in the Myrtle Beach area. The wind moves differently here than on the flat coastal courses — you can hear it humming through the wire grass before you feel it on your face, and a shot that looks perfect off the clubface can drift ten yards by the time it lands. The Bermuda greens are firm, true, and unforgiving if you’re not paying attention to your speed.
The McKay Nine
The McKay nine is where Thistle’s Scottish-links character shows itself most dramatically. Fairways sweep along lakeshores, peninsula greens dare you to commit to your line, and the landscape opens up into panoramic views that make you forget you’re twenty minutes from a beach town. Water comes into play on several holes — not as a nuisance, but as a visual frame that makes every approach shot feel like a painting.
The Stewart Nine
The Stewart nine offers a different test. The routing threads through more elevated terrain with stacked sod bunkers, undulating mounds, and waste areas that force you to think your way around the course instead of overpowering it. Several holes feature island-style greens perched above water that will make your palms sweat on the tee box. It’s Scottish links design at its most strategic.
Signature Hole: Stewart Nine #9
The hole everyone talks about is Stewart #9 — a 175-yard par 3 that demands your full attention. You stand on the tee with the pond shimmering below, the morning sun backlighting the flag so the green looks like a fortress on a hill. The green sits elevated above a giant mound with deep pot bunkers guarding the front. A large pond runs along the front and right side, so anything short or right is gone — you hear the splash before you even look. It’s visually intimidating and strategically brilliant. Club selection here is everything.
What Makes Thistle Different
12-Minute Tee Times
This is the detail that sets Thistle apart from nearly every other course in the area. Most Myrtle Beach courses run 8-to-10-minute tee time intervals, which means you’re constantly waiting on the group ahead. Thistle spaces tee times at 12 minutes, so the pace feels relaxed and unhurried. On the back nine, the silence between shots is so complete you can hear a squirrel scrabbling up a loblolly pine thirty yards away. You genuinely feel like you have the course to yourself.
The Greens
I can’t overstate how good these greens are. After the conversion from Bentgrass to Bermuda, the surfaces are consistently smooth, fast, and true. If you’re used to bumpy, grainy Bermuda greens at mid-range courses, Thistle’s greens will feel like a different sport. Bring your A-game with the flat stick.
The Scottish Pub
After your round, don’t skip the pub inside the clubhouse. It’s an authentic Scottish-style bar — dark wood paneling, the low clink of glasses, leather chairs that sink when you drop into them still wearing your golf shoes. The light comes through amber fixtures and the whole room smells like oak and shepherd’s pie. Grab a pint, replay your round, and soak in the atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to cap off the experience.
Course Details at a Glance
- Location: 1815 Olde Thistle Club Road, Sunset Beach, NC 28468
- Phone: (910) 444-2500
- Holes: 27 (Cameron, MacKay, Stewart — any two nines for 18)
- Designer: Tim Cate (opened 1999)
- Par: 72 (any 18-hole combo)
- Yardage: Up to ~6,900 from the tips
- Greens: Bermuda | Fairways: Bermuda
- Price Range: Higher end
- Drive from 601 Hillside Dr N: ~25 minutes
Tips for Playing Thistle
- Respect the greens. They’re fast. If you’re above the hole, you’re in trouble. Focus on leaving yourself uphill putts.
- Play the right tees. Five sets means there’s no shame in moving up. The course is plenty challenging from the middle tees.
- Don’t fight the links. Bump-and-run shots around the greens work better than high lobs on most holes. Play the ground game.
- Book early. Thistle is popular — especially in spring and fall. Book your tee time as far in advance as possible.
- Budget time for the pub. Seriously. Don’t rush off to the next course. The post-round experience is half the fun.
Who Should Play Thistle?
Thistle is ideal for golfers who appreciate course conditioning, thoughtful design, and an elevated experience. It’s not a beginner-friendly course from the back tees, but the forward tees make it accessible for mid-handicappers who want a taste of something special. If you’re the kind of golfer who values the overall experience — the setting, the pace, the aesthetics — as much as the golf itself, Thistle is your course.
If your group has a wide range of skill levels, consider pairing Thistle with a more forgiving course like Crow Creek for your other round of the day. Browse our complete guide to North Myrtle Beach golf courses to find the right complement for your Thistle round, and check our trip planning guide for everything from packing lists to the best time to visit.
After a Pint in That Scottish Pub, You’ll Want a Place That Feels Just as Right
You’ll walk out of Thistle’s clubhouse still tasting that post-round ale, still feeling the speed of those Bermuda greens under your putter, still replaying that par 3 over the pond on Stewart #9. That kind of round deserves more than a hotel room with a blinking alarm clock. Our place at 601 Hillside Dr N in Ocean Keyes is just 25 minutes from Thistle’s wrought iron gates — three bedrooms, a full kitchen for reheating that leftover haggis (or more likely, Calabash shrimp), and a balcony where your foursome can argue about who actually won the Nassau.
Check Availability & Book Your Stay
Thistle is the course I send every guest to first. I’d love to help you plan the rest of your rounds around it.
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