Tradition Club: 5 Things to Know About This Myrtle Beach Must-Play
As Tradition Club nears the 30th anniversary of its opening, the Ron Garl design continues to deliver a memorable experience in the shadow of courses such as Pawleys Plantation and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.
In some regards, Tradition’s place in the Myrtle Beach golf market mirrors that of its prolific but underrated architect. While Garl isn’t a household name in the way Tom Doak and Bill Coore are, there are few architects who can match the breadth of his work.
In a 40+year career, Garl has designed or renovated nearly 300 courses across the globe. Included among his international designs are Golf D’Atalayoun, a layout that plays along the Mediterranean Sea on the grounds of Morocco’s Royal Palace, and Thailand’s Chiangmai-Alpine Golf Course, where Tiger Woods once triumphed in the Johnnie Walker Classic.
We could go on, but you get the point. Garl’s career is long and distinguished, and his layout at Tradition Club continues to shine. As you make plans for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip, here are five things you need to know about a courses that over-delivers when it comes to experience and value.
1. When Tradition opened in 1995, most courses were built as the centerpiece amenity for residential communities, with homes along the layout being the most valuable. With Garl as part of the course’s original ownership team, Tradition was built with the idea of providing an outstanding course and nothing else. As a result, there are a limited number of homes on the property and they are all at a distance. There isn’t a single house on the course that creates an out of bounds area. It’s you and the golf course.
“If you want a great layout, the layout has to dominate; not how many are on the course,” Garl said matter-of-factly.
2. As a byproduct of the decision to prioritize the golf course over housing, Garl had plenty of room to craft a layout with generous fairways and all the strategic options that presents.
“Options and angles are important at Tradition, and where you hit it in the fairway matters,” he said.
Golfers like a challenge, but they don’t want to get unnecessarily beat up. The width of Tradition’s fairways are vital to the layout’s ability to test players without overwhelming them.
3. Few things are more memorable than a risk-reward hole and the par 5 14th at Tradition certainly fits the bill. Playing 450 yards from the white tees, the 14th is reachable but with water fronting the green, the approach is a perilous one. For fans of the Masters, Garl took inspiration from the par 5 15th at Augusta National when designing the No. 14 at Tradition. The routing, elevation change and risk-reward nature of the hole are similar.
4. Garl was ahead of his time in catering to female golfers, and his work at Tradition is exhibit 1A. He partnered with Golfweek and Golf Magazine to glean information about how far women hit the ball and created tees at Tradition to make sure the course presents a balanced challenge for men and women. As a result, there are three sets of women’s tees (gold – 5,728 yards, red – 5,189 yards, blue 4,106 yards).
5. The practice facility at Tradition is one of the area’s best and that was by design. The huge putting green, practice bunkers, chipping area, and expansive range provide a warm welcome for players, positioning them to enjoy an outstanding day.
“The first (impression) sets the tone for your golf facility,” Garl said of the importance of the range at Tradition. “It gets you ready physically and mentally to play the game.”
The No. 1 priority at Tradition Club has always been the golfer experience, and 30 years later that’s a decision that continues to pay dividends.
Photos for this feature from our Instagram Account @MyrtleBeachGolfTrips
