The public-access courses along this 60-mile expanse of Atlantic coastline, stretching from Georgetown, South Car-olina to Southport, North Carolina, are among the best anywhere. The range and quality of accommodations has never been better. There are outstanding restaurants (with more than 1,600 outlets for food and drink, there’s bound to be at least a handful of winners) and a dizzying array of entertainment opportunities. For the requisite “take-home” items, the Beach offers specialty boutiques, outlet centers and mega-malls. It is easily accessible from almost anywhere, and the weather is great. We could go on, but you get the idea.

Still not convinced? Allow us, then, to guide you through an ideal “golf-eat-drink-sleep-repeat” week in Myrtle Beach. Trust us; we’ve done the due diligence. If you want to truly be the master of this unique universe, allow us to enlighten you on what is undoubtedly one of the greatest places in the world to play golf. > DAY 1
When doing the strand, we’ve always preferred to work south-to-north. So we begin on an extraordinary note in Pawleys Island with a round at Heritage Club (800-552-2660;
legendsgolf.com). Heritage was sculpted from 600 acres of 300-year-old oaks, fresh-water lakes and marshes—the site of two former rice plantations—and blanketed with stands of crape myrtle, camellias and azaleas.

Afterward, toast your good fortune with a drink in the Colonial-style clubhouse that overlooks the Waccamaw River, then head over to Wachesaw Plantation Club and settle into one of its quaint guest cottages. The private community offers a limited number of cottages as rentals, and these Lowcountry-style town homes are beautifully decorated and fully equipped. (Seasonal rates from $169-$219 per night; 800-373-1263; wachesaw.com).

 Later, get some shopping out of the way at the Hammock Shops (thehammockshops.com). In addition to the world-famous hammocks, the complex also features a variety of specialty shops and galleries nestled around a meandering moss-draped footpath.

Then head back into “downtown” Pawleys Island for dinner at Frank’s (843-237-3030; franksandoutback.com). A local landmark, Frank’s is an elegant candlelit room with crisp white linens, impeccable service and extraordinary food. Stop for a drink at the massive, antique mahogany bar and, weather permitting, dine outside at Frank’s Outback.

> DAY 2
Time to get serious. Grab a danish and coffee on the fly and make the short drive over to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue. No excursion is complete without a stop at this magnificent Pawleys Island property, the former site of a working rice and indigo plantation. Start with True Blue (888-483-6800;
truebluegolf.com), a brutally engaging spread from the hand of the late Mike Strantz with varying elevations, sprawling fairways, numerous waste bunkers and native vegetation. As a test of golf, this one favors the longer hitter, but it also lends a greater appreciation of your afternoon round at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (888-483-6800; fishclub.com). Sited on just 115 acres and playing to just over 6,500 yards, Caledonia is a shot-makers course that seamlessly blends into its palette of massive live oaks and Waccamaw River wetlands. As the afternoon shadows begin to fall across the 18th fairway, with the antebellum-style clubhouse looming in the background, you’ll begin to wonder how it can possibly get any better. 

Drag yourself back to the cottage for a quick shower, and then head down U.S. 17 to Louis’s at Pawleys and The Fish Camp Bar (843-237-8757; louisatpawleys.com). “Louis” is the inimitable Louis Osteen, a culinary legend who is passionately devoted to the foods of his Southern ancestry and the Lowcountry. You can dine at The Fish Camp’s outdoor deck, nestled among the oaks and strung with fish lights and whimsical art, or venture inside the renovated plantation house overlooking Pawleys Creek and choose from a variety of fresh seafood as well as the best Shrimp and Grits on the planet. > DAY 3
You’ll check out of your Wachesaw Plantation digs this morning, somewhat reluctantly, and head north on U.S. 17, then west on Hwy. 501 to Myrtle Beach National and its signature layout, King’s North (843-448-2308; mbn.com). This is one of the Grand Strand’s most intriguing courses; Arnold Palmer’s 1996 re-design of National’s old North Course resulted in some of the most striking holes in Myrtle Beach. Traditionalists may scoff at the course’s borderline quirkiness, but King’s North is an aesthetic wonderland that is immaculately maintained and flat-out fun to play. 

This afternoon, head into the heart of Myrtle Beach and check into the stunning new Marina Inn at Grande Dunes (877-913-1333; marinainnatgrandedunes.com). One of the newest additions to this sprawling 2,200-acre luxury community, the Marina Inn offers well-appointed guest rooms or multi-bedroom villas overlooking the marina or the Intracoastal Waterway. Have a cocktail by the pool followed by dinner at New York Prime (843-448-8081; newyorkprime.com), a classic Big Apple-inspired room with USDA Prime aged beef, live Maine lobsters of up to 13 pounds, and one of South Carolina’s most extensive wine lists.

> DAY 4 
Start with an early breakfast and then make the short jaunt over to a Myrtle Beach institution: The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (843-449-5236; thedunesclub.net). Since its opening in 1947, The Dunes Club has been the Grand Strand’s most revered club and one of America’s most honored layouts. Rees Jones supervised a $6 million renovation of his father’s design in 2003 that included the installation of A-1 bentgrass and changes to several greens that restored the character of the original design.

Take the afternoon to savor your experience and reward yourself with dinner at Collectors Cafe & Gallery (843-449-9370; collectorscafeandgallery.com), one of Myrtle Beach’s most celebrated restaurants. Inconspicuously tucked within a strip shopping center, this funky little room is adorned with artwork and features imaginative entrees, sumptuous desserts and a great wine list. Make sure you call for reservations.

Finally, on the way home, stop and catch a few innings of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Coastal Federal Field (843-918-6000; myrtlebeachpelicans.com). The Class A Carolina League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, the Pelicans’ season runs from early April through early September. Minor league baseball is always a blast, and Coastal Federal Field offers an intimate and fan-friendly atmosphere missing from most major league parks. > DAY 5 
It’s time again to pack up and move north—North Myrtle Beach, to be precise—and settle into a beautifully furnished deluxe golf villa at Barefoot Resort (888-556-4972; barefootgolfresort.com). Barefoot offers four great courses, but devote this day to The Love Course

Davis Love III’s traditional design is visually striking and features green complexes where Love pays homage to, but doesn’t try to duplicate, the crowned surfaces of Pinehurst No. 2. The faux plantation house ruins strewn along the front nine are a nice aesthetic touch.

Tom Fazio’s Course at Barefoot is more taxing, but every bit as enjoyable and, like the Love Course, impeccably maintained. This course is quintessential Fazio: a balanced mix of bunkering and water features, spread over uneven terrain lined with indigenous hardwoods, with different looks at every turn. 

This evening, go casual and unwind at the House of Blues Myrtle Beach (843-272-3000; hob.com), located just across the waterway at Barefoot Landing. The tin-roofed juke joint serves up Southern-inspired fare and, on many nights, live entertainment.

> DAY 6
Just one round today, but it’s worth savoring. Tidewater Golf Club (866-657-9768; tidewatergolf.com) has been lauded for more than a decade as one of the Grand Strand’s best courses and rightly so. Set high on forested bluffs overlooking salt water marshes, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, the entire layout seamlessly blends into its gorgeous setting. Five tee settings allow the course to play from just over 4,600 yards to a teeth-grinding 7,078 yards and a 144 slope.

Later, you can replay every swing over dinner at Greg Norman’s Australian Grille (Barefoot Landing, 843-361-0000; shark.com/australiangrille). This North Myrtle Beach institution, located waterfront in Barefoot Landing, offers an outstanding selection of Mediterranean cuisine, wood-grilled classics, and authentic Australian fare, complemented by an extensive wine list.
> DAY 7
Get an early start for an across-the-border trek to Sunset Beach, North Carolina to Ocean Ridge Plantation and Tiger’s Eye Golf Links (800-233-1801; big-cats.com). 

One of four feline-themed courses at Ocean Ridge (with a fifth on the way), Tim Cate’s Tiger’s Eye stands out for its unique character: elevation changes of up to 60 feet, wildflowers, abundant use of native grasses, a waterfall at the 18th tee and the use of native coquina boulders as bulkhead material.

After lunch, make the short drive to Southport and The Reserve Club at St. James Plantation (910-253-5100; stjamesplantation.com). This new Nicklaus Design course is a terrific layout with multi-level bentgrass greens and split fairways enveloped by native vegetation and coastal wetlands. This is a limited opportunity, however; the community plans to take the course private in February 2008. 

 It’s been a long and rewarding day, so head back to North Myrtle Beach and relax amid the conviviality of Joe’s Bar & Grill (843-272-4666; dinejoes.com), a rustic former plantation house perched against the salt marsh and surrounded by moss-draped oaks. Joe’s is a NMB landmark and conveniently across the street from your digs at Barefoot Resort.

 > DAY 8
It’s moving day; time to put the close on this idyllic trek and head back to reality. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sneak in just one more round.

Our recommendation is another North Strand favorite, Surf Golf & Beach Club (843-249-1021; surfgolf.com). If you’re a fan of The Dunes Club, you’ll appreciate the straightforward, traditional excellence of the Surf Club. Designed by George Cobb in 1960 and refurbished by John LeFoy in 1992, the course may have the best greens in all of Myrtle Beach. It’s a point worth debating as you head out of town … and simultaneously begin planning your return to the Grand Strand.