Legends Golf Resort (Heathland)

Legends Golf Resort (Heathland) – Played February 2024

• Rankings: None of my four lists
• Location: 1500 Legends Drive, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Year: 1990
• Architect: Tom Doak
• Course Access: Resort
• Walking Rules: Carts Available

Score Card Information:

• Black: 6,853 yards, Par 71, 72.7 Rating/141 Slope
• Blue: 6,432 yards, Par 71, 71.3 Rating/137 Slope
• White: 6,138 yards, Par 71, 70.0 Rating/131 Slope
• Green: 5,365 yards, Par 71, 65.9 Rating/117 Slope
• Red: 4,529 yards, Par 71, 65.9 Rating/114 Slope

A golf group I’m part of planned a trip down to Myrtle Beach to check out Legends Golf Resort and the Heathland course designed by Tom Doak.  With lodging onsite, a full-service clubhouse, and other amenities, this is a good spot for buddies trips.

Like with any course around Myrtle Beach these days, Heathland was bustling.  There are three courses at Legends Resort and the cart staging areas can be a bit hectic.  Once we got all of that settled, it was on to the golf.  Let’s go.

Hole 1 – 378 yards – Par 4

This was the start of our back nine since we started on ten.  Taking your drive up the right side shortens the hole slightly.

The wind was picking up at this point and this pin was comical.  Our group had multiple four putts.

Hole 2 – 311 yards – Par 4

There is a hazard that lurks straightaway on this dogleg right.  Unless you are going for the green, the driver doesn’t make sense here.

Drives positioned in the left side of the fairway have the best angle into this large green.

Hole 3 – 185 yards – Par 3

I didn’t get a photo of the green on this uphill par three, which is a shame because it had some tough slopes.  Being in the right section of the green is important here.

Hole 4 – 329 yards – Par 4

You can see the green off to the left in the first photo below.  With that knowledge, the decision comes on where to aim for your drive.  The green is more long than wide so the farther left you go in the fairway, the better the angle.

Hole 5 – 510 yards – Par 5

A generous fairway greets you on this dogleg left that gets progressively tighter as you approach the green.

Hole 6 – 377 yards – Par 4

This tee is surrounded by trees but the landing area opens up dramatically, so you can swing freely.  The green sits off to the left a bit with a tricky bunker right in front of it.

Hole 7 – 457 yards – Par 5

Birdie is a real possibility on this short par five.  There are miles of room left with a shared fairway in that direction.

This two-tiered green is much easier to chip to from the front than the sides.

Hole 8 – 126 yards – Par 3

This short hole has quick runoffs around the green.  Challenging this back flag comes with consequences if you don’t execute.

Hole 9 – 369 yards – Par 4

Pushing your drive up the left side opens up this green for the approach.  Otherwise, it is obscured by the topography and bunkering.

Hole 10 – 394 yards – Par 4

Long hitters can significantly shorten this hole by going up the left side.  However, bunkers and a hazard await if the carry is not sufficient.

Accurate drives are presented with a large, mostly flat green.

Hole 11 – 372 yards – Par 4

This is a dogleg right but with no trees to speak of the angles are less important.

Hole 12 – 146 yards – Par 3

It’s hard to pick out the green in this photo.  In reality, it’s much easier.  As you’ll see in the second photo, you want to avoid the front right bunker.

Hole 14 – 365 yards – Par 4

I missed getting photos of the thirteenth hole, but here is the fourteenth.  There is room to the right even though the angle is poor.  A hazard runs across the fairway short of the green.

Hole 15 – 316 yards – Par 4

If you can’t get to the green here, playing from short right is a good angle.  As you can imagine, the bunkers are tough tests.

Hole 16 – 425 yards – Par 4

The hazard draws your eye here as it snakes up the hole forcing a longer carry on the left side.  Drives up the right side are preferable.  Doak used the traditional Dye railroad ties on the greenside bunker.

Hole 17 – 181 yards – Par 3

From the tee, you cannot see the ripples in the back section of this green.  If you are in the wrong section of the putting surface you’ll have some challenging putts.

Hole 18 – 377 yards – Par 4

I didn’t get the tee photo and the approach is blurry, my apologies.  It’s a pretty straightforward hole that needs two solid shots.  The ground drops off on the left side of the green.

Beach golf isn’t always my favorite, but the setting of the Heathland course away from the water removes some of the onerous hazards I don’t care for.  Doak is always going to make an interesting set of greens even if he isn’t your favorite architect and this course is no exception.  For the price and the course, Heathland is one of the better Myrtle Beach courses I’ve seen.