Some of the best Myrtle Beach golf advice one can receive before visiting is updated information on the new roads that have been built on the Grand Strand.Longtime visitors may recall the days when tourists and locals alike were limited to Highway 17 to go north and south and Highway 501 to go east and west.
That meant some long commutes to go from North Myrtle Beach to Pawleys Island or from Myrtle Beach to Conway. Fortunately, those days are in the past.
The recent additions of Highway 22, an alternate connection between Myrtle Beach and Conway, and Highway 31, which runs from Little River to Surfside Beach, have made it much easier for golfers to take advantage of the interstate-style roads and play a wider range of courses on a Myrtle Beach golf vacation without spending more time stuck in traffic.
Highway 31, or the Carolina Bays Parkway as it is popularly known among locals, has turned what used to be a long drive dependent on red lights and logjams into a fast, 65-mile per hour flight down the coast on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway. The 26-mile, six-lane stretch has cut into the commute time.
Running from Highway 9 in Little River to Highway 544 in Surfside Beach, a foursome can now make a morning tee time at a North Myrtle Beach or even a North Carolina golf course and make the trip to Pawleys Island for an afternoon round without much difficulty, cutting what used to be a 1 1/2-hour drive in half.
The same is true for Highway 22, or Conway Bypass, which allows golfers to go from the coastal courses to the inland links in significantly less time. And as a beneficial side effect, the new highways have alleviated much of the traffic on the more traditional routes, thinning the crowds on Highway 501 and Highway 17.
The new highways also have led to the construction of some connecting roads that are helping golfers spend less time on the asphalt and more time on the course. The Main Street connector in North Myrtle Beach and Robert Grissom Parkway in Myrtle Beach make it easier for drivers to take new shortcuts to old courses.
Even if you've been visiting the Strand for years, make sure to check an updated map or get the GPS on your rental car to take full advantage of the new roads. They can ensure that golfers spend less time driving on the highways and more time driving on the fairways during their golf trip to the Myrtle Beach area.
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