The Grand Strand in general, and Myrtle Beach in particular, is world golf central. There are over 120 courses in this comparatively small area, and if golfers can’t find something they like here then they need to sell their clubs. While the number of truly great courses is slim—the best courses are near Pawleys Island further down the Strand—the quality overall is still quite high.

A great bonus is affordability. Partially because of dramatically increased competition due to the glut of courses, and partially because of savvy regional marketing, green fees here are significantly lower than you might expect, in most cases under $100. For even more savings, finding a golf/lodging package deal in Myrtle Beach is like finding sand on the beach—almost too easy. Check with your hotel to see if they offer any golf packages.

While the golf high season here is early fall, don’t discount the idea of winter golf. The courses are less crowded and the deals are rife. At any time of year, some good one-stop shops on the Internet are at www.mbn.com and www.myrtlebeachgolf.com.

Some highlights of area golf include The Davis Love III-designed course at Barefoot Resort (4980 Barefoot Resort Ridge Rd., 843/390-3200, www.barefootgolf.com, $125 green fees) in North Myrtle, maybe the best in the Strand outside of Pawleys Island. Or would that be the Greg Norman course, or the Tom Fazio course, or the Pete Dye course (soon to go private), all also at Barefoot? You get the picture.

Also up near North Myrtle is a favorite with visitors and locals alike, Glen Dornoch Golf Club (4840 Glen Dornoch Way, 800/717-8784, www.glensgolfgroup.com, $100 green fees), on 260 beautiful (and challenging) acres.

Affiliated with Glen Dornoch are the 27 holes at Little River’s Heather Glen (4650 Heather Glen Way, 800/868-4536, www.glensgolfgroup.com, $85 green fees), which are divided into Red, White, and Blue courses. They combine for what’s consistently rated one of the best public courses in the U.S.

While it sounds gimmicky to some, you might want to try World Tour Golf Links (2000 World Tour Blvd., 843/236-2000, www.worldtourmb.com, $135 green fees), whose 27 holes are specifically designed to mimic legendary holes from St. Andrews to Augusta National.

And no list of area golf is complete without a nod to Myrtle Beach National (4900 National Dr., 843/347-4298, www.mbn.com, $60 green fees). With three distinct courses—King’s North, West, and South Creek with its South Carolina-shaped sand trap at hole 3—the National is one of the state’s legendary courses, not to mention a heck of a deal.