The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
Robert Trent Jones Sr laid out The Dunes Club in 1949, a par 72 of about 7,165 yards routed around Lake Singleton and the Atlantic dunes. The most decorated course on the Grand Strand, home of the famous Waterloo 13th and host of the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic.
Photo via Google, contributed by J.D. Swenson.
The verdict
The Dunes Club is the course that made Myrtle Beach a golf destination. Robert Trent Jones Sr built it in 1949 along Lake Singleton, and for more than seventy years it has set the standard against which every other Grand Strand layout is measured. It is the second oldest course on the strip and, by a wide margin, the most admired, a regular fixture near the top of South Carolina rankings and now the stage for the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic.
Our verdict: this is the one course on the Grand Strand a traveling golfer should move heaven and earth to play. Where most of Myrtle Beach is daily fee fun, The Dunes is a serious championship test with genuine heritage and one of the most famous holes in American golf. For the wider region, see our guide to golf in South Carolina.
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1949
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones Sr
- Type
- Private, package access
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,165 yds
- Green fee
- Around $200
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from The Dunes Golf and Beach Club and leading course databases: Robert Trent Jones Sr, opened 1949, par 72, about 7,165 yards from the championship tees. The Dunes is a private members club with limited visitor access through partner resort stay and play packages; the indicative package green fee is around $200 for the 2026 season and varies by day, season and package. Treat any figure as indicative and always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Dunes is best known for its back nine swing around Lake Singleton, and above all for the 13th, a par 5 named Waterloo. Robert Trent Jones Sr routed it as a crescent that hugs the water all the way to the green, so the bolder the line you take across the lake on the second shot, the shorter the route home. It is a true risk and reward hole and one of the most photographed in resort golf.
Around it sits a layout that has matured into one of the finest in the Southeast: classic Trent Jones bunkering, large undulating greens and a routing that uses the lake, the pines and the coastal land with real strategy. The course was sympathetically restored in recent years and stretched to a genuine championship length for the Myrtle Beach Classic, yet it remains a fair and rewarding test from the right tees.
On a Grand Strand trip The Dunes is the centerpiece, and it pairs beautifully with the bold modern golf nearby at True Blue in Pawleys Island, and further south with the championship links feel of the Ocean Course at Kiawah and the resort variety of Osprey Point.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; visitor play is limited to guests of partner resorts through stay and play packages, so book through an approved package rather than walking up |
| Green fee | Indicative package rate around $200 for 2026, higher in spring and fall peak and lower in summer and winter; confirm current pricing before booking |
| Handicap and dress | No fixed handicap requirement for package play; a traditional collared shirt golf dress code; the course rewards a player who can manage a serious championship test |
| On the day | Plan your line on the 13th in advance, respect the large contoured greens, and allow time to enjoy the historic clubhouse and ocean setting |
| Getting there | On the north side of Myrtle Beach, minutes from Myrtle Beach International Airport and the heart of the Grand Strand |
| Best months | Spring and fall are prime on the Grand Strand, with mild, quieter winter golf and warm, busy summers |
Access and fee details verified June 2026 from The Dunes Golf and Beach Club and leading databases. Green fees are indicative for the 2026 season and change with demand and package terms; always confirm the current rate and tee sheet directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
Because access runs through partner resorts, most visitors fold The Dunes into a Grand Strand golf week and base themselves in Myrtle Beach itself, where the lodging runs from oceanfront resorts to golf villas and rental homes within easy reach of the first tee. Choosing a hotel on the club's package roster is the most reliable way to secure a tee time.
The Grand Strand rewards an unhurried itinerary across its dozens of courses, so anchor a few nights nearby and let The Dunes be the highlight, then add the bold Mike Strantz golf of True Blue down in Pawleys Island.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand.
Build a South Carolina golf trip
The Dunes Club is the course we love to anchor a Grand Strand trip around, and we build the rest of the week to match, with the package access, tee times and lodging arranged for you. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club questions
Who designed The Dunes Golf and Beach Club and when did it open?
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and opened in 1949 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, one of the earliest and most influential courses on the Grand Strand.
What is the par and length of The Dunes Club?
The Dunes plays as a par 72 of about 7,165 yards from the championship tees, routed around Lake Singleton with the famous Waterloo 13th sweeping along the water.
Can visitors play The Dunes Golf and Beach Club?
The Dunes is a private members club, but limited visitor access is available to guests of partner resorts through stay and play packages. Indicative 2026 package green fees are around $200; always confirm directly before booking.
What is the signature hole at The Dunes Club?
The 13th, named Waterloo, is a dramatic par 5 that doglegs around Lake Singleton, asking the bold player to carry water on the second shot. It is one of the most famous holes in American resort golf.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; green fee indicative for 2026 and to be confirmed with the club. Last reviewed June 2026.