True Blue Golf Club
- 900 Bluestem Drive Pawleys Island, SC 29585
- 1-888-483-6801
- Designer: Mike Strantz
- Rating: 74.3
- Slope: 145
- Yardage: 7,062 from Black Tees
One of two Pawleys Island masterpieces by visionary architect Mike Strantz, True Blue is one of the gems of the southern Grand Strand, known as the Waccamaw Golf Trail.
The course calls to mind such historic venues as Pinehurst No. 2 and Pine Valley Golf Club with its preference for sandy waste areas as guards for its fairways and greens, rather than thick, one-dimensional rough. Just as at the aforementioned two courses, golfers who find themselves off-course often have the opportunity to play a bold recovery shot, though potentially at a price. Take for instance the par five ninth hole, a dogleg-right where players can choose a bold line off the tee in order to bring the green within reach in two shots. But a wayward tee shot brings a cross hazard into play, and players must decide whether to lay up short or try and execute a daring carry in order to leave a wedge for their approach shots.
The par-72 course features five par fives and five par threes, adding to the variety of shots the golfer faces over the course of his or her round. A perennial host of hundreds of rounds during the annual World Amateur Handicap Championship, the course has also hosted a Division-I college golf event in recent years.
Other amenities at True Blue include an expansive grass driving range, fully-stocked pro shop and an excellent bar and grille overlooking the majestic finishing hole, serving fresh salads, sandwiches and burgers.