Designed by Gene Hamm, the Burning Ridge 18-hole, par 72 course is what was formerly known as the East Course when the club opened as a 36-hole Myrtle Beach golf course in 1980. When the West course was closed in 2005 and developed for residential housing, the East course, then known as a “difficult” course, underwent extensive renovations. Trees and bunkers were removed, making the course much more playable while remaining “challenging.”

Now, at 6,780 yards, the course features elegantly mounded, pine tree-lined fairways planted with Bermuda-419. Elevated TifEagle Bermuda greens boast velvet smooth putting surfaces and are protected by water hazards or bunkers. There are quite a few water hazards on the course, mostly creeks dividing the course from the surrounding neighborhood, but most of the water is lateral, with only a few forced carries. On the back side, you’ll probably face two forced carries, #12 and #17, to peninsula-type greens. Those are also among the most picturesque postcard-worthy holes on the course.

This Myrtle Beach golf course offers golfers a good variety of holes from all the tees. It’s a tough course from the Black tees but fair from the Amateur, Women’s, and Senior tees. Burning Ridge’s par 5’s are fair and generally reachable for better players. From the championship Black tees, our par 3’s are longer than most on the Grand Strand and are reasonably long from the amateur tees, as well. The par 4’s are generally considered to be the strength of the layout, with a mix of longer and reachable holes.

“Look to keep your ball on the fairway; there aren’t many holes where you’d try to overpower,” says GM/Head Professional Steve Ubl. “It’s a good shotmaker’s course.” And don’t let Gene Hamm’s design scare you. Hamm is known for what he has done at Burning Ridge: mass the fairways with visual perspective so that it looks like there isn’t a lot of area to land when in reality there is plenty of room.

Bunkers are primarily around the greens, although a few small ones are strategically placed in other locations – and on #6 there’s a par 4 that has a long bunker snaking up the left side.

All of our greens are elevated and drain very quickly when it rains. They are also subtly challenging. “You wouldn’t think they’re as tough as they can be at times,” Steve says, “but they’re a good defense for the course when they’re rolling quickly.”

Burning Ridge Golf Club is also known as a woman-friendly course. The women’s tees were not put in as an afterthought, but were carefully placed to provide a fair challenge to our extensive women membership and numerous ladies groups.

Burning Ridge’s popular all-grass practice facility includes a large putting green and a separate pitching and chipping area with a practice bunker, and a three-tier tee box out on the practice range.