Who is Rees Jones?
Rees Jones is one of the best-known golf course architects in the game. He is the son of Robert Trent Jones Sr., who designed The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach in 1948. Rees later became known as “The Open Doctor” for his renovation work on U.S. Open venues. Before any of that, his career as a solo architect started at Arcadian Shores.
Why did Rees Jones start his career in Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach was already Jones family territory. His father’s work at The Dunes Club had helped put Myrtle Beach on the national golf map, and the Grand Strand was growing fast as a golf destination in the early 1970s. When Rees went out on his own, Arcadian Shores became his first project, and it remains the course where his independent career began.
What makes Arcadian Shores a Rees Jones course?
Arcadian Shores shows the features Jones became known for: contoured fairways, bunkered green complexes and water placed where it shapes the strategy of a hole. Live oaks, pines and lakes frame the layout. Five sets of tees stretch the course from 5,113 to 6,857 yards, so it holds up as a test from the back while staying playable from the forward tees.
| Tee | Yards | Rating / Slope |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 6,857 | 72.9 / 138 |
| Blue | 6,446 | 71.3 / 133 |
| White | 6,026 | 69.2 / 130 |
| Gold | 5,628 | 67.4 / 119 |
| Red | 5,113 | 69.4 / 117 (women) |
Was Arcadian Shores ranked by Golf Digest?
Yes. Golf Digest ranked Arcadian Shores among its Top 100 Greatest Public Courses in the late 1970s, only a few years after the course opened. For a first solo design, that was an early sign of the career Rees Jones would go on to have.
Which holes stand out?
Two Arcadian Shores holes were named to The Sun News’ “Dream 18,” a list of the best holes on the Grand Strand:
- Hole 2, par 3, 201 yards from the Black tees. Water runs down the right side and wraps around the green, and bunkers guard the left.
- Hole 13, par 4, 408 yards from the Black tees. The No. 1 handicap hole on the course. Water crosses in front of the green, so the approach is a forced carry.
See every hole, with diagrams and yardages, in the Hole by Hole guide.
How does Arcadian Shores play today?
The course has been updated over the years, including new Sunday ultradwarf Bermuda greens, while keeping the original Rees Jones routing. It plays as a par 72 with Bermuda fairways, and it is a member course of the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail.
Where is Arcadian Shores, and how do you play it?
Arcadian Shores Golf Club is at 710 Hilton Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572, in central Myrtle Beach next to Kingston Plantation. It is open to the public. Book a tee time online or call the pro shop at 843-449-5217.
More about the course: About Arcadian Shores · Scorecard · FAQ
About the author: Jeff Gilder is the executive producer of Traveling Golfer, a golf travel network that began as a newspaper golf column and grew into Traveling Golfer TV, which aired on NBC Sports. He has worked in the Myrtle Beach golf business for more than 20 years. TravelingGolfer.tv
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