On The Waterfront

Prepare for a wet and wild time at Glen Dornoch in Myrtle Beach.

- Francis X. Gallagher

WE FREQUENTLY PLAY Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links on our annual Myrtle Beach tour, but the course hasn’t made the pages of Global Traveler for a long time. The facility occupies 270 acres of environmentally sensitive and preserved land (due to golf) on the north side of the Grand Strand. Water features heavily on 12 of the 18 holes, and the Intercoastal Waterway threads its way around the course. Add in a little Southern charm with century-old live oaks, and you have a lovely golf experience.

Designed by Clyde Johnston, the course opened in 1996. Johnston designed many courses in Myrtle Beach and Florida, including Jacksonville Golf and Country Club, which he will refresh this year after his original design some 30 years ago. At Glen Dornoch, passing boat traffic makes for an interesting diversion while you search for your ball in the high grass.

Glen Dornoch belongs to The Glens Golf Group, which includes sister courses Heather Glen (see the November 2015 Global Traveler), Possum Trot and Shaftesbury Glen; the latter two might be referred to as “tracks,” or courses not up to par. Glen Dornoch and Heather Glen remain the shining stars of The Glens Golf Group. Glen Dornoch just finished a total replacement of greens, and by the looks of them, they were not succeeding. Frankly, the greens were a huge disappointment and may result in a future no-play for the annual trip.