With Myrtle Beach Helping Lead the Way, South Carolina Named Top 5 Golf Destination in the World

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) – The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) named South Carolina one of the world’s top 5 golf destinations, and at the heart of the Palmetto State’s broad-based appeal is Myrtle Beach, the game’s most popular destination. 

The Palmetto State is home to 350 courses and the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage, but Myrtle Beach is the destination that’s attracting the most golfers from across the globe. 

There were more than 2.4 million rounds played on Golf Tourism Solutions’ 65 courses alone in 2022, as Myrtle Beach remains the driving force behind the $3.3 billion annual economic impact golf delivers in South Carolina. To further highlight golf’s impact and its importance to the state, the game was responsible in 2021 for $370 million in federal, state and local taxes and generated 44 percent of South Carolina’s total admissions tax collections. 

South Carolina was the only American destination on a list that also included Cypress, Dubai, Los Cabos and Thailand.  

A 12-month destination, Myrtle Beach is the game’s premier buddies trip, delivering an unmatched combination of quality and value. Golfers in search of the nation’s best courses have the luxury of choosing among layouts such The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Barefoot Resort’s four courses, Tidewater, TPC Myrtle Beach, Caledonia and so many more. 

At the heart of Myrtle Beach’s appeal is the value it delivers, allowing golfers on any budget to enjoy a trip that delivers good times on and off course. 

While South Carolina’s PGA TOUR events understandably attract a lot of attention, Myrtle Beach is a Mecca for competitive recreational players, annually hosting 10 events that attract golfers from all walks of life to compete. The most prominent of the area’s amateur events is the PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, a 72-hole net stroke play event again expected to attract 3,200 players from all 50 states and 20 countries in 2023. 

In 2022, Myrtle Beach was voted America’s favorite golf destination in a 2022 National Golf Foundation study of more than 2,200 traveling golfers from around the country.

For more information on everything the Myrtle Beach golf scene has to offer, visit PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com.