Grande Dunes Members Club

Recently, Heritage Golf Group made its presence known in Myrtle Beach and the Carolinas. In early 2022, they purchased Brunswick Plantation Resort and Cape Fear National Golf Club, just across the state line in Leland, NC. Then in October 2022, they made a grand entrance into Myrtle Beach with the purchase of the Grande Dunes Members Club, the only private golf club in Myrtle Beach. The group also purchased The Club at Savannah Quarters, in Pooler, GA. According to Heritage CEO Mark Burnett, “These acquisitions are in line with our strategy of owning and operating private clubs in residential communities in key locations and providing members with a vibrant club lifestyle.”

Grande Dunes Members Club is located within the upscale Grande Dunes residential community, it offers its members a world-class golf experience along with fine dining and social activities. The golf course was designed by golf course architect Craig Schreiner with a lot of input from PGA TOUR player and Hall of Fame inductee Nick Price.

The Members Club plays 7,029 yards from the Championship Tees (Red) with a course rating of 73.8 and a slope of 136, with a par of 71. Ladies typically play the Gold Tees (5,127/70.1/122). I found the White Tees (6,048/69.5/126) provided an adequate challenge and still allowed me to leave with a little dignity.

The Members Club is set in an excellent location, high on a bluff overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway, with panoramic views that include the surrounding maritime forest. It features modest elevation changes, wide TifSport Bermuda fairways, and 34 acres of lakes.

The greens are very large and play fast; they’re also full of subtle breaks and false fronts. What may go unnoticed is the length of the greens, many more than 35 yards. With a two to three-club distance between a front and back pin placement, this allows the staff to set up the course in an unlimited number of ways, and never let members get the feeling they are playing the same course over and over. After all, variety is the spice of life!

In addition to a spectacular golf course, Grande Dunes Members Club also has some fantastic practice facilities including a full-length driving range, short game area, and practice putting green. The pro shop is filled with logoed golf apparel and accessories from some of the top names including Peter Millar, Ralph Lauren, and Stich Golf. They also have a wide selection of balls, clubs, shoes, and lifestyle pieces.

As I mentioned earlier, Grande Dunes Members Club is the only private club in Myrtle Beach. It has been said many times that "membership has its privileges," and membership with Heritage Golf Group certainly epitomizes this. As a Heritage Golf Group member, you'll enjoy all of the benefits you'd expect at your home club, plus have the option to upgrade your membership for access throughout the Heritage portfolio of clubs. Since golf is always an important part of country club life, your HGG membership gives you access to 28 (and growing) championship Heritage Golf Group clubs. You'll play on uncrowded fairways under pristine conditions on world-class courses. In addition to great golf, you’ll have access to all of the practice facilities and teaching professionals when traveling. And let's not forget the food! Dine in chef-inspired restaurants and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of their clubhouses and lounges. There are membership options for individuals, families, and corporations.

Grande Dunes Members Club was a perfect poster-child for pre-Recession golf development. Built to take advantage of the height of the market, it was billed as a Naples-style exclusive private club - complete with imposing Mediterranean-style residences - in the middle of Myrtle Beach. The hole corridors have always been generous, but the original course was bunkered to an extreme degree, and the bentgrass greens were typically soft, which took much of the interest out of a set of actually quite interesting green contours.

A summer-long renovation project in 2020 solved both of those issues. Several enormous bunkers were removed or reduced in size, often taking out sand where it would only punish the high-handicap player. Greens were converted to TifEagle as the club realizes that firming up the golf course will make it a lot more fun for members, as well as guests, who now have access to the course. If you are staying in the central part of Myrtle Beach, the Members Club is a nice option.

NOTE: Special kudos to the club for painting its fairways, rather than overseeding them, for the winter. The practice enhances playability while still providing some visual contrast.

Only one or two other Myrtle Beach courses is as perfect as this exclusive course. The conditions were pristine, the staff was great, the experience could not have been better. The course is as plush as you can get. The new greens are phenomenal and ,the fairways play almost like greens. There are not many places I have seen like the Members Club. Awesome experience.

As always the best conditioned course in Myrtle Beach. Bent greens rolling around 11 & 1/2. The other review had to be for G D Resort Course. There is NO PUBLIC PLAY @ The Members Course. GDMC is Totally Awesome.

I played this course as part of our package during a buddies trip in March/April 2014 (the computer wouldn't let me select that far back as the date). We played all 5 Legends courses, plus this course as our "add-on" course for our 6th round. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible the day we played -- brutally cold. But more unfortunately, the staff at the course were among the most rude staff we have ever encountered in our annual trips to MB (2013, 2014, 2015, and this coming March/April 2016). The pace of play was fantastic, only because I think we were among a very small group of people actually golfing that day (it was that cold) -- the course was relatively empty. I don't recall anything in particular about the course itself (ie. conditions, layout), so that tells me it was neither terrible nor fantastic -- that translates into "average" for me. But what did stand out above everything else was the unacceptable staff. I'll give credit where credit is due -- the young woman working the beverage cart was great -- very pleasant and she was shrewd -- she brought hot chocolate instead of beer/pop! But even she couldn't make up for her ignorant colleagues. Down to a man, we all said we'd never again spend our money at this course.