Shaftesbury Glen Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, SC, designed by architect Clyde Johnston, was nominated by Golf Digest as one of the Best New Public Courses in America after its opening in 2001. They also gave it a 4 Star Rating in 2005. Its most recent honor was to be named as Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year by the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association in 2009. GolfWorld ranked Shaftesbury in its Top 50 Golf Resorts in the United States. The course is located along the Waccamaw River in the town of Conway. With compliments of the new Conway Bypass (Hwy. 22), it is now only about ten minutes northwest of the center of Myrtle Beach. This golf course is combined with the terrific Shaftesbury Fish Club. Those of you that love golf and fishing will surely want to take advantage of both of these fantastic offerings.
Clyde Johnston designed the Myrtle Beach golf course in the style of a traditional British Isles course tucked amongst the beautiful farmlands and forests along South Carolina’s gorgeous Waccamaw River. Johnston was hired to create a course with a layout to be inspired by the Tillinghast theme. A.W. Tillinghast, who lived between 1874 and 1942, was a Scottish-born golf course architect who earned his fame with elevated greens, open green fronts, wide fairways, taunting doglegs and flashed up bunker faces. Johnston chose to use Tillinghast’s style as a strong “inspiration” for the course while not copying him. He states that the greens of Shaftesbury Glen were modeled after Tillinghast’s Winged Foot Course of Mamaroneck, New York. Johnston spent extensive hours studying old photographs, books and magazine articles on Winged Foot and visited the actual course twice before constructing Shaftesbury.
Johnston freely admits that the land sites on which Winged Foot and Shaftesbury were built are as different as night and day. While the New York course boasts towering hardwood trees and rolling hills, they are replaced at Shaftesbury by the pine trees and mud bogs of the Waccamaw River basin landscape. Not being able to change the nature of the land, Johnston chose to reproduce many of the most striking characteristics and flavors of Winged Foot. Shaftesbury’s owners came from New York and are striving to recreate the spitting image of Winged Foot. Because of this, Shaftesbury remains a work in progress. Johnston plans for Shaftesbury in 2009 are to carry out plans for planting new trees and creating a new series of fairway bunkers to bring the course closer to the actual landscape of Winger Foot. As time passes, this course and its foliage will continue to mature into becoming more like its predecessor.
Shaftesbury is a 6,935 yard course with a rating of 74. It is par-72 and has a slope of 135. A-1 Bentgrass has been used through the greens to create a lightning fast and well conditioned course. The tees boxes on the course are slightly elevated to offer clear views of the landing areas and golfers tend to really appreciate the huge putting area. The 9th and 18th holes tend to be among the toughest. The par-4, 18th hole supports five greenside traps. You’re sure to run into at least a few sand traps along the course as they are fairly prominent. This is a course that golfers enjoy playing time after time while making many great golfing memories.
With a stone-gated entrance leading to the Olde English Clubhouse, it brings reference to an old English manor house, complete with its own pub and matching interior. The pro shop carries some of the finest name brands in golf. Ashworth, Ping, Antigua, Tail and Cutter & Buck are among those that are available. Green fees range from around $59 for the summer and winter up to $100 in the spring and fall.
Shaftesbury Glen Golf Course
951 Shaftesbury Lane
Conway, SC 29526
866-587-1457
https://www.shaftesburyglen.com/
If you’re looking for more golf courses, be sure to visit our list of the best Myrtle Beach golf courses.