Barefoot Resort Dye Course: North Myrtle Beach Golf Vacation Guide
If you’re planning a North Myrtle Beach golf trip and want a course that will test both your swing and your decision-making, the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf belongs on the list.
Official Barefoot Resort Dye Course website
Designed by legendary golf course architect Pete Dye, the Dye Course is one of four championship courses at Barefoot Resort and the only one that operates as a semi-private facility.
But visiting golfers can still play it.
The par-72 layout stretches to 7,343 yards from the back tees and brings many of the design features golfers associate with Pete Dye: dramatic bunkering, water, intimidating visuals, risk-reward decisions and plenty of trouble waiting for a poorly placed shot.
And when the round is over, you’re already in one of the best locations in North Myrtle Beach for turning a golf trip into a complete vacation.
Here’s what visiting golfers should know about playing the Barefoot Dye Course, where to stay, where to eat and what to do nearby.
About the Barefoot Resort Dye Course
Barefoot Resort is unusual even by Myrtle Beach golf standards.
The resort features four championship courses designed by four of golf’s biggest names:
Pete Dye – Dye Course
Tom Fazio – Fazio Course
Davis Love III – Love Course
Greg Norman – Norman Course
Instead of four versions of essentially the same golf course, the collection gives visiting golfers an opportunity to experience four very different design philosophies without traveling all over the Grand Strand.
The Dye Course may be the most intimidating of the four.
Pete Dye built a course that demands accuracy and rewards golfers who think their way around it.
What Is It Like to Play the Dye Course?
Pete Dye wasn’t exactly known for making golfers comfortable.
That’s part of the appeal.
The Dye Course uses strategic bunkering, water hazards, native grasses and dramatic visual effects to make golfers question shots before they ever swing the club.
A landing area may look smaller from the tee than it actually is.
A bunker may make you reconsider the aggressive line.
And an approach that looked perfectly reasonable from 150 yards can suddenly become much more interesting once water enters the picture.
The course’s fairways use GN-1 Bermuda grass, while Champion UltraDwarf Bermuda is used on the greens.
But the most important part of playing the Dye Course isn’t the grass.
It’s choosing the right tees.
The course can stretch to 7,343 yards, but Barefoot offers multiple tee options. Playing from a distance appropriate for your game can turn a punishing afternoon into the type of challenge Pete Dye intended.
Don’t Let Your Ego Choose the Tees
This deserves its own section.
You’re on vacation.
Nobody back home needs to know which tee markers you used.
From the championship tees, the Dye Course carries a rating and slope designed to challenge accomplished golfers. Moving forward changes the experience considerably.
Pete Dye created enough trouble without golfers voluntarily adding another 700 yards to the equation.
Pick the tees that match your game and enjoy the course.
Your scorecard will probably thank you.
Is the Barefoot Dye Course Open to the Public?
Yes.
Although the Dye Course is the only semi-private course at Barefoot Resort, public golfers can book tee times.
Official Barefoot Resort Dye Course tee-time page
That’s an important distinction for visitors researching the course.
You do not have to be a member or stay at Barefoot Resort to experience the Dye Course.
Golfers staying elsewhere in North Myrtle Beach or along the Grand Strand can still add it to their vacation itinerary.
Where Is the Barefoot Resort Dye Course?
The Dye Course is located within Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The resort sits near the Intracoastal Waterway and just across the water from the Barefoot Landing area.
That location makes it especially convenient for visitors staying in:
North Myrtle Beach
Windy Hill
Crescent Beach
Atlantic Beach
Barefoot Resort
For golfers, location matters more than many first-time Myrtle Beach visitors realize.
The Grand Strand stretches for miles.
If most of your golf itinerary is concentrated around Barefoot Resort and North Myrtle Beach, staying nearby can save your group a significant amount of driving during the trip.
Where to Stay Near the Barefoot Resort Dye Course
Golf groups don’t travel light.
Four golfers can mean four sets of clubs, multiple vehicles, luggage, coolers and everyone wanting to shower at approximately the same time after the round.
That’s one reason a vacation rental can make sense for a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
Depending on the property, your group may have:
- Multiple bedrooms
- Multiple bathrooms
- Full kitchen
- Washer and dryer
- Living and dining areas
- Parking
- Outdoor space
- Room for clubs and luggage
- Beach access
Through VRMB Owner Direct, visitors can browse Grand Strand vacation rentals and connect directly with the local owners and managers behind those properties.
VRMB Owner Direct North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals
For golfers playing Barefoot Resort, look closely at vacation rentals in North Myrtle Beach, Windy Hill and the surrounding area.
VRMB Owner Direct North Myrtle Beach/Windy Hill properties:
Shady Rest Too: Private Pool, Pet Friendly + Golf Cart Privileges in North Myrtle Beach
Sea La Vie Villa 3BD Beach Retreat | fence yard
Don’t automatically choose the property closest to the Dye Course.
Look at your entire golf itinerary first.
If you’re playing several Barefoot courses, staying nearby makes perfect sense.
If your group is playing courses from Pawleys Island to North Myrtle Beach, a more central location may work better.
Should You Play All Four Barefoot Courses?
This is where Barefoot Resort becomes particularly interesting for a golf trip.
You could build several days of golf without leaving the resort.
The four courses give you four completely different architects:
Pete Dye.
Tom Fazio.
Davis Love III.
Greg Norman.
For golfers who appreciate course architecture, playing all four can almost become a comparison exercise.
Which one fits your game?
Which has the best holes?
Which one would you play again tomorrow?
And which architect irritated you the most?
After playing the Dye Course, Pete may have an early lead in that final category.
Where to Eat After Playing the Dye Course
You don’t have to travel far to find dinner after your round.
Dye Clubhouse
The easiest option is staying right where you are.
The Dye Clubhouse overlooks holes 9, 10 and 18 and offers dining along with a place for golfers to have a post-round drink.
Official Barefoot Resort Dye Clubhouse page
After spending four hours trying to avoid Pete Dye’s trouble, sitting down and discussing where everything went wrong isn’t a bad way to finish the round.
Barefoot Landing
For more options, head toward Barefoot Landing.
Official Barefoot Landing website
Located along the Intracoastal Waterway, Barefoot Landing combines restaurants, shopping and entertainment in one destination.
That makes it particularly convenient for golf groups because everyone can choose what kind of evening they want.
Flying Fish Public Market & Grill
If seafood sounds good after golf, Flying Fish Public Market & Grill is located at Barefoot Landing and offers seafood, sushi and waterfront views.
Umberto’s at Barefoot Landing
If your golf group is ready for a hearty dinner after the round, Umberto’s at Barefoot Landing is a good option.
The Italian chophouse combines traditional Italian dishes with steaks, chops and seafood in a relaxed setting, making it a good fit when the group wants something more substantial after a day on the course.
It’s also located right at Barefoot Landing, so you can have dinner and then spend the rest of the evening exploring the shops and waterfront area.
LuLu’s North Myrtle Beach
For something more casual, LuLu’s North Myrtle Beach combines food with live entertainment and a relaxed waterfront atmosphere.
Official LuLu’s North Myrtle Beach website
This can be particularly useful if your golf trip includes spouses or family members.
What to Do Near Barefoot Resort When You’re Not Golfing
One of the advantages of staying around Barefoot Resort is that you don’t have to build the entire vacation around golf.
Spend an Evening at Barefoot Landing
Barefoot Landing offers restaurants, shops, entertainment and seasonal events along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Official Barefoot Landing website
You could easily spend an evening here without needing a detailed plan.
See a Show at House of Blues
House of Blues Myrtle Beach is located at Barefoot Landing and hosts concerts and other live entertainment.
Official House of Blues Myrtle Beach website
Check the schedule before your trip. A concert after an afternoon round can make a great addition to a golf weekend.
Visit Alligator Adventure
If you’re traveling with family—or simply want to see something besides golf courses—Alligator Adventure is also located at Barefoot Landing.
Official Alligator Adventure website
Go to the Beach
This part is easy to forget when planning four tee times.
You’re still at the beach.
North Myrtle Beach gives your group access to miles of Atlantic coastline.
An early tee time at Barefoot followed by an afternoon on the beach is one of the advantages of taking a golf vacation on the Grand Strand instead of traveling somewhere where golf is the only attraction.
Other Golf Courses Near the Barefoot Dye Course
You don’t have to go far.
Three of your most obvious next rounds are right at Barefoot Resort.
Barefoot Resort Love Course
Designed by Davis Love III, the Love Course gives golfers a completely different experience from Pete Dye’s layout.
VRMB Barefoot Love Course Guide
Barefoot Resort Fazio Course
Tom Fazio’s Barefoot course provides another opportunity to compare two legendary architects during the same vacation.
VRMB Barefoot Fazio Course Guide
Barefoot Resort Norman Course
Greg Norman designed the fourth course in the Barefoot collection.
VRMB Barefoot Norman Course Guide
And if you’re ready to leave Barefoot for a day:
Tidewater Golf Club
Head farther north to play Tidewater Golf Club near Cherry Grove.
VRMB Tidewater Golf Club Guide
Build a North Myrtle Beach Golf Trip Around Barefoot Resort
Barefoot makes planning a golf trip remarkably simple.
Arrival Day: Check into your North Myrtle Beach vacation rental and spend the evening at Barefoot Landing.
Day One: Play the Dye Course. Stay for a post-round drink or lunch at the clubhouse and head toward the beach later in the afternoon.
Day Two: Play the Love Course, then have dinner at Barefoot Landing.
Day Three: Play the Fazio or Norman Course and spend the evening along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Day Four: Head north and play Tidewater Golf Club.
Or give yourself a day off.
There are no prizes for returning home from your Myrtle Beach golf vacation exhausted.
Is the Barefoot Resort Dye Course Worth Playing?
If you enjoy challenging golf and want to experience one of Pete Dye’s designs during your Myrtle Beach trip, the Dye Course is an easy one to put on the list.
It isn’t designed to make every golfer comfortable.
That’s the point.
The bunkering, water, visual deception and risk-reward decisions force you to think your way around the golf course.
And because it’s part of Barefoot Resort, you can compare Dye’s approach with courses designed by Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Greg Norman without traveling across the Grand Strand.
That’s a pretty unique golf vacation.
Planning a North Myrtle Beach Golf Vacation?
Start with the courses you want to play.
Then choose where you’re going to stay.
If the Barefoot Dye, Love, Fazio and Norman courses make up a large part of your itinerary, North Myrtle Beach and Windy Hill can make an excellent home base.
VRMB Owner Direct connects visitors with Grand Strand vacation rentals and directly with the local owners and managers behind those properties.
VRMB Owner Direct vacation rental search
Find a property with room for your golfers, your clubs and everything you want to do after the final putt.
