True Blue Golf Club: Where to Stay, Eat & Play Near This Pawleys Island Favorite
If True Blue Golf Club is on your Myrtle Beach golf trip itinerary, you may want to spend a little more time on the south end of the Grand Strand.
Located in Pawleys Island, True Blue is one of the area’s best-known public golf courses and the sister course to Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. But this part of the Grand Strand offers more than great golf.
Stay nearby and you can build a vacation around championship courses, locally owned restaurants, quiet beaches and the laid-back Lowcountry atmosphere that makes Pawleys Island feel very different from central Myrtle Beach.
Here’s what visiting golfers should know about True Blue Golf Club, including where to stay, where to eat and what else to do while you’re here.
About True Blue Golf Club
True Blue Golf Club opened in 1998 and was designed by acclaimed golf course architect Mike Strantz.
Strantz also designed neighboring Caledonia Golf & Fish Club. While the two courses are often paired together on Myrtle Beach golf trips, they offer distinctly different experiences.
True Blue is big and bold.
The par-72 course can stretch to 7,126 yards and offers multiple sets of tees, making it playable for golfers with different abilities. Wide fairways, large undulating greens, expansive bunkers, native grasses and surprising elevation changes are all part of the design.
The course was created to preserve much of the natural character of the property, which was once part of an indigo and rice plantation.
For visiting golfers, that means this doesn’t feel like a course squeezed between rows of development. True Blue takes advantage of the Lowcountry landscape.
What Is It Like to Play True Blue?
True Blue can look intimidating, particularly when you see some of its enormous waste areas and bunkers.
But don’t automatically assume big means brutal.
The generous fairways give golfers room off the tee, while the size and contours of the greens create much of the strategy. Better golfers can take aggressive lines and chase scoring opportunities, while recreational golfers can choose tees and routes that make the course much more approachable.
There’s also plenty of variety.
The routing includes five par 3s and five par 5s, including back-to-back par 5s at Nos. 9 and 10.
The final stretch introduces more water into the challenge, culminating at the par-4 18th.
True Blue is the type of course that can generate plenty of conversation back at the vacation rental that evening.
True Blue vs. Caledonia: Should You Play Both?
If you’re traveling to Pawleys Island for golf, the easy answer is yes, if your schedule and budget allow it.
True Blue and Caledonia sit near one another and were both designed by Mike Strantz, but they aren’t duplicate experiences.
Caledonia is known for its historic Lowcountry setting, live oaks, strategic design, and memorable finish beside the clubhouse.
True Blue feels larger and more expansive, with wide landing areas, dramatic bunkering and enormous green complexes.
Playing them on consecutive days gives golfers an opportunity to experience two interpretations of Strantz’s design philosophy without driving across the Grand Strand.
For a golf group staying on the southern end of Myrtle Beach, they make an excellent centerpiece for a multi-day golf vacation.
Where Is True Blue Golf Club?
True Blue Golf Club is located at:
900 Blue Stem Drive
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Pawleys Island sits on the southern end of the Grand Strand, south of Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach.
That location matters when planning where to stay.
The Grand Strand stretches for miles, and booking accommodations based solely on the words “Myrtle Beach” can leave a golf group spending more time in the car than expected.
If True Blue, Caledonia and other South Strand courses make up most of your itinerary, consider staying closer to Pawleys Island, Litchfield, Murrells Inlet or the southern Myrtle Beach area.
Where to Stay Near True Blue Golf Club
Golf groups have different accommodation needs than the typical beach vacation.
You’re bringing clubs. You may have several vehicles. Everyone is getting ready at roughly the same time, and nobody wants to discover on the first morning that four golfers are sharing one bathroom before a 7:30 a.m. tee time.
That’s why a vacation rental can make a lot of sense for a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
Instead of booking several separate hotel rooms, a house or condo can give your group bedrooms, common areas, a kitchen and a place to relax together after the round.
When choosing a vacation rental for your golf group, look beyond the number of beds.
Consider:
- How many actual bedrooms and bathrooms the property has
- Parking for multiple vehicles
- Space to safely store golf clubs
- Washer and dryer availability
- Kitchen and refrigerator space
- Proximity to your entire golf itinerary
- Nearby restaurants and nightlife
- Beach access for downtime
- Outdoor space for relaxing after your round
VRMB Owner Direct helps Grand Strand visitors find vacation rentals and connect directly with local property owners and managers.
If most of your tee times are on the South Strand, search for a property that gives your group convenient access to several courses instead of simply choosing the rental closest to one.
Where to Eat Near True Blue Golf Club
One of the benefits of staying in Pawleys Island is that your golf group doesn’t have to drive back into Myrtle Beach to find a good meal.
Pawleys has a strong local dining scene ranging from casual Southern food to seafood and restaurants worth saving for the final night of the trip.
Stay Right at the Course: True Blue Grillroom
Don’t overlook True Blue Grillroom.
The clubhouse restaurant overlooks the lake and 18th hole and is open to the public. Breakfast and lunch are served daily, and the tavern offers beer, wine and cocktails.
It’s an especially convenient choice for breakfast before a later tee time or lunch and drinks after your round.
If the weather cooperates, try to get a spot overlooking No. 18.
Casual Southern Food: Rustic Table
For comfort food and a relaxed Pawleys Island atmosphere, Rustic Table is a good fit for a golf group.
The menu leans toward Southern favorites and Lowcountry-inspired dishes, making it an easy choice when everyone in the group wants something different.
A Pawleys Island Dinner: Bistro 217
If you’re looking for something a little more polished after spending the day on the course, Bistro 217 offers seafood and an eclectic menu in a casual-upscale setting.
This can be a good option for the night your group wants to trade golf shirts for something slightly nicer without turning dinner into a formal affair.
A Local Favorite: Chive Blossom
Chive Blossom Cafe is another Pawleys Island staple, combining Lowcountry cooking with Mediterranean, French and Asian influences.
The oak-shaded courtyard adds to the experience and gives visitors another taste of the character that separates Pawleys Island from the busier sections of the Grand Strand.
Make One Night Special
If your group likes to finish a golf trip with a memorable dinner, Frank’s & Frank’s Outback is worth considering.
It’s particularly known for the outdoor Frank’s Outback setting and works well for the “we survived four rounds in four days” dinner at the end of the trip.
What to Do Near True Blue When You’re Not Golfing
Golf might be the reason you came, but you don’t need another tee time to fill every free hour.
Spend Some Time on Pawleys Island Beach
Pawleys Island Beach offers a quieter beach experience than you’ll typically find in the heart of Myrtle Beach.
If you’re traveling during warmer months, an afternoon at the beach after an early tee time isn’t a bad way to recover before dinner.
Visit the Hammock Shops
Hammock Shops Village is one of Pawleys Island’s recognizable landmarks and includes locally owned shops and dining in a relaxed outdoor setting.
It’s an easy stop if some members of your group don’t golf or if you’re turning the golf trip into a couples vacation.
Work on Your Game
True Blue also has an 18-acre practice facility and is home to the Steve Dresser Golf Academy.
If you’re making golf the focus of the vacation, you can add instruction or practice time instead of squeezing another full round into the itinerary.
Other Golf Courses Near True Blue
True Blue and Caledonia are only the beginning of the golf available around Pawleys Island.
The surrounding area includes courses such as Pawleys Plantation, Heritage Club, Willbrook Plantation, River Club, Tradition Club and Founders Club.
That concentration of courses makes Pawleys Island particularly attractive for groups planning several rounds.
Rather than driving north and south every day, you can build an entire golf vacation around the South Strand.
A Simple Pawleys Island Golf Trip
If you have three days, you don’t need to overcomplicate it.
Day One: Arrive, settle into your vacation rental and have dinner in Pawleys Island.
Day Two: Play True Blue, stay for lunch or a drink overlooking No. 18, then spend the afternoon at the beach before dinner.
Day Three: Play Caledonia, explore Pawleys Island or Murrells Inlet afterward, and finish the trip with a great local dinner.
Have another day?
Add another South Strand course.
That’s one of the advantages of staying near Pawleys Island. You can build a serious golf trip without making the entire vacation feel like a commute.
Is True Blue Worth Playing on a Myrtle Beach Golf Trip?
For golfers traveling to the Grand Strand specifically for golf, True Blue deserves consideration.
Mike Strantz created a course that is visually dramatic without making it inaccessible to everyday golfers. Its generous fairways encourage you to swing the driver, while its bunkering, greens and strategic options give better players plenty to think about.
Pair it with Caledonia and you’ve already got the foundation for a memorable Pawleys Island golf trip.
Add good food, the beach and a vacation rental where everyone can spend time together, and suddenly the trip becomes about more than your scorecard.
Planning a Golf Trip to Pawleys Island?
Choose your courses first. Then look at the map.
If True Blue, Caledonia and other South Strand courses dominate your itinerary, staying nearby can mean less driving and more time enjoying your vacation.
VRMB Owner Direct connects visitors with vacation rentals throughout the Grand Strand and directly with the local owners and managers behind those properties.
Find a place with enough room for the golfers, the clubs and everything that comes with a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
Luxurious 5BR Retreat with Pool! The Blue Palm
The Salty Shell luxury house in the heart of Murrells Inlet
Garden City Chateau Papillion luxury home- steps to sand
Tuscan Son – Gorgeous 5 BR Elite Beach Retreat
Find Your Myrtle Beach Stay → VRMB Owner Direct
