Myrtle Beach, SC: Grande Dunes Golf
By Melissa Newsom
Navigating A Beautifully manicured route along La Costa Drive and Bellaserra Lane, golfers destined for the prestigious Grande Dunes Members Club might imagine they are somewhere in Tuscany instead of halfway between New York and Miami.
New to the area yet steeped in tradition, Grande Dunes, the 2,200-acre, world-class addition to the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, landscape, is renowned for an Italian ambience that reaches from the panoramic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean to the pristine tranquility west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Estate homes, grandiose villas and extravagant amenities such as the Ocean Club, Tennis & Fitness Center, 130-slip marina and exceptional restaurants accentuate the prevailing allure of Grande Dunes–two phenomenal, 18-hole golf courses.
"You stay here and you don’t have to leave," proclaims Members Club General Manager Mike Buccerone.
The full-resort amenities differentiate Grande Dunes from the 100 other golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area, says Buccerone. People from coast to coast have discovered the unparalleled pleasure of living in Grande Dunes, where golf is a treasured pastime. And worldwide travelers pamper themselves when their golf vacation includes lodging at Grande Dunes’ oceanfront Marriott Resort, Myrtlewood Villas or the Marina Inn and Condominiums.
The public golf course at Grande Dunes opened in 2001. Designed by Roger Rulewich, seven holes of the Resort Course are perched atop a bluff overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and boast picturesque views of the landmark Grande Dunes Bridge and planned Marina Village’s boutiques. From the Golf Academy’s half-day and three-day golf schools to the Tapas Room lounge, the distinguished Resort Course is an extraordinary experience for golf connoisseurs.
The exclusive Members Course, designed by Nick Price and Craig Schreiner, is a private masterpiece within a gated Grande Dunes community. Only 20 to 30 rounds a day are played on the course, according to Buccerone, and that, coupled with the neighboring Lewis Ocean Bay Preserve, combine to make it a remarkable respite.
The Members Course is unique, even in golf-crazy Myrtle Beach, for another reason.
"We promote walking," Buccerone says. "Every guest has a caddy. We are the only club in Myrtle Beach that features this service. It’s just one way Grande Dunes brings back the heritage of golf."