Being a McConnell Golf “concierge” is one of my favorite jobs. I love arranging for our members to play golf at one of their sister properties, especially our destination courses and even more so if they’ve never experienced the course. I always recommend Musgrove Mill for the “guys golf getaways” and Old North State for couples retreats. Now that McConnell Golf members have access to the Grande Dunes Members Club and Ocean Club, I’m always going to recommend a trip to the Grand Strand for the whole family.
Starting at the southern tip of the Grand Strand, McConnell Golf ’s Reserve Golf Club is located in one of the oldest resort areas on the east coast - the relaxing Pawleys Island, SC. Like Pawleys Island, The Reserve Golf Club feels as if it has always been there. Surrounded by protected conservation areas, this 350 acre track embraces 160 acres of natural wetlands with wooden bridges and a minimal number of cart paths linking each secluded hole. With very few homes on the course, I strongly consider The Reserve a private sanctuary. Not only is it the fifth-ranked golf course on the Grand Strand, but it is home to alligators, deer, turkeys, foxes & funny looking squirrels with big tails that look like raccoons. Famed PGA golfer and designer of The Reserve’s course, Greg Norman once said, “My philosophy on golf course design is simple, I like to work with nature, not against it...using the site’s intrinsic features to determine what goes where.” The Shark certainly accomplished this when he created The Reserve Golf Club.
Besides golf, families can enjoy The Reserve for much more from fine dining experiences to large events such as The Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art. With great beaches and vacation amenities close by in Pawleys Island, the overall quality of family fun is great for our members who travel to The Reserve Golf Club. Now that McConnell Golf manages The Grande Dune’s private facilities in Myrtle Beach, the family fun continues on the northern end of the Strand. With this new partnership with owners LStar Management, McConnell Golf members are invited to enjoy access to the beautiful Grande Dunes Members Club.
The Members Club features a championship golf course designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer Nick Price and award winning architect Craig Schreiner. With wide generous fairways, this beautiful golf course plays throughout the area’s natural pine preserves and along the Intracoastal Waterway. Ranked as one of the “50 Best Golf Courses in South Carolina,” The Members Course at Grande Dunes adds incredible value to a McConnell Golf membership.
When McConnell Golf first started to expand, we always knew the potential value of adding a beach course to our portfolio of golf courses. In 2010, members could finally smell the beach when The Reserve Golf Club became the 6th McConnell Golf Property. Now that our members have access to Grande Dunes, family fun stretches across the Grand Strand.