Myrtle Beach’s Most
Historic Neighborhood.
Golf. Ocean. Legacy.
Less Than Half a Mile Away.
Pine Lakes is Myrtle Beach’s original prestige address — a lush, tree-canopied community built around “The Granddaddy,” the first golf course in Myrtle Beach, birthplace of Sports Illustrated, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Less than half a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. No HOA. Homes from historic bungalows to new custom estates.
Myrtle Beach’s Original Prestige Address — Nearly 100 Years of Character
In a city full of master-planned communities, resort corridors, and new development, Pine Lakes stands apart as something genuinely irreplaceable: the oldest and most historically significant residential neighborhood in Myrtle Beach. Built around the Pine Lakes Country Club golf course — which opened in 1927 as the very first golf course in what would become the Golf Capital of the World — this tree-lined community carries nearly a century of legacy in every brick home, every stately oak, and every fairway view.
The neighborhood wraps around Pine Lakes Country Club, known affectionately as “The Granddaddy” — a name earned by being the first course ever built in Myrtle Beach and the one that started it all. Located right off Highway 17 Business in the heart of the city, Pine Lakes offers something that no newer community can manufacture: a deeply established sense of place, tree-canopied streets, large shady lots with mature landscaping, and a proximity to the Atlantic Ocean that makes it unique among inland golf communities — the beach is less than half a mile away.
Pine Lakes is often described as Myrtle Beach’s “old money” neighborhood — the kind of community where homes have been passed down through generations of the city’s founding families, where brick and stone construction, cypress floors, stone fireplaces, and quality craftsmanship are the standard rather than the exception. And yet the community is not frozen in time: new construction continues alongside the historic homes, and Pine Lakes Estates — a 29-lot custom home development directly beside the course — brings brand-new estate-caliber builds to the most prestigious address on the Grand Strand.
“These are often referred to as the ‘old money’ neighborhoods, because they tend to be occupied by generations of wealthy families. In Myrtle Beach, our ‘old money’ neighborhood is Pine Lakes Country Club.”
CCAR MLS Listing Agent Commentary · Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS®The Granddaddy — Where Myrtle Beach Golf Began, and Sports Illustrated Was Born
2. Birthplace of Sports Illustrated. In 1954, a group of Time-Life executives gathered at Pine Lakes and outlined the plans for what would become Sports Illustrated magazine. A memorial plaque at the club commemorates this moment in American sports publishing history.
3. National Register of Historic Places. The Pine Lakes clubhouse — originally built as a resort hotel — is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 18,368 sq ft clubhouse houses the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame in an outdoor courtyard. It is one of the most historically significant buildings in all of South Carolina’s coastal cities.
The course itself is a par-70, 6,675-yard layout that plays along naturally rolling land with freshwater lakes woven through the fairways. The back nine retains Robert White’s original design corridors, updated with a 2006 renovation by architect Craig Schreiner who used 1937 aerial photos to preserve the historic feel. In 2021, the course underwent a complete greens and bunker renovation. Golf Digest rates it highly, and reviewers consistently call it a must-play for Grand Strand visitors. Seasonal traditions include mimosas served on the 6th tee in spring and summer, and clam chowder in fall — restoring a beloved original tradition from the club’s earliest decades.
Pine Lakes & Pine Lakes Estates — Historic Character and New Custom Builds
The broader Pine Lakes area encompasses the original historic neighborhood and the adjacent Pine Lakes Estates — a newer custom-home development that brings brand-new construction to this legendary address.
From Historic Bungalows to New Custom Estates — One Legendary Address
Pine Lakes offers one of the widest and most interesting price ranges of any single neighborhood in Myrtle Beach — reflecting its unusual span of construction eras, from original 1926 homes to brand-new custom builds currently under construction. What every property shares: the same prestigious address, the same proximity to the ocean, and the same centuries-deep tree canopy that newer communities simply cannot provide.
Pine Lakes is chronically undervalued relative to its combination of historical significance, location, and lifestyle. No other community in Myrtle Beach puts you on the first golf course ever built in the city, under the best tree canopy in the area, less than half a mile from the ocean — for this price range. Buyers from the Northeast consistently discover that a Pine Lakes home with fairway views, a pool, and mature landscaping costs a fraction of what comparable character homes in comparable beach-area locations cost in New Jersey, Connecticut, or Massachusetts. Pine Lakes Estates adds new construction to this equation at a price point that makes the historic address accessible to a wider range of buyers. Contact Evangeline today — we track this market closely and will alert you immediately when the right listing appears.
Award-Winning Schools — The Myrtle Beach Pathway
Pine Lakes and Pine Lakes Estates are served by Horry County Schools — specifically the Myrtle Beach school feeder chain, which earns an overall A-minus rating from Niche. Multiple real estate sources confirm Myrtle Beach Elementary, Middle, and High Schools as the schools serving this neighborhood. The district offers school choice through open enrollment and magnet programs.
At the Geographic Center of Everything Myrtle Beach
Pine Lakes’ position directly off Highway 17 Business in the heart of Myrtle Beach gives residents access to the full Grand Strand in every direction. The beach is less than half a mile east. Broadway at the Beach is a short drive south. Restaurant Row is minutes away. And the neighborhood’s central location means less driving and more living than virtually any other community on the Grand Strand.
Residents describe the Pine Lakes location as the sweet spot on the Grand Strand — close to everything, removed from nothing, and shielded from the tourist-zone congestion by its residential character and established tree cover. Shopping, dining, grocery stores, banks, medical facilities, and schools are all within a short radius from the Hwy 17 Business corridor. Coastal Grande Mall and Broadway at the Beach are south. Tanger Outlets are north. The neighborhood functions as the city’s true center — not merely in geography, but in character.
Walk to the Beach. Play “The Granddaddy.” Explore the Grand Strand.
Pine Lakes Dining — Restaurant Row, The Clubhouse, and the Grand Strand’s Best Tables
Pine Lakes’ central location on Hwy 17 Business puts it within minutes of both Restaurant Row (Kings Highway) and the broader downtown Myrtle Beach dining scene. The Pine Lakes Country Club dining room and Robert White Pub add a uniquely historic on-site option that no other Myrtle Beach residential neighborhood can offer.
Moving Into Pine Lakes — What to Know First
Your First Weeks in the Neighborhood
- Book a tee time at “The Granddaddy” within your first week. Even if you’re not a regular golfer, playing Pine Lakes Country Club — and understanding the history of the course you live beside — will fundamentally change how you see your address. The course is open to the public. The Robert White Pub is open for lunch daily. Start here.
- Walk to the ocean. Less than half a mile. Do it on your first morning. The combination of a walk through the Pine Lakes tree canopy arriving at the Atlantic Ocean is something that only residents of this neighborhood can experience as a daily ritual — and it is the clearest expression of why Pine Lakes has been Myrtle Beach’s most beloved residential community for nearly 100 years.
- Get a golf cart. The neighborhood’s streets are perfectly suited for golf cart use. The beach, Restaurant Row, and most daily errands are accessible without a car. The Pine Lakes lifestyle is fundamentally a golf cart lifestyle — don’t wait to acquire one.
- Know your HOA status. Core Pine Lakes homes have low or no HOA fees — but confirm for your specific address. Pine Lakes Estates is confirmed no-HOA per multiple listing disclosures. Get the specifics in writing at closing.
- Explore the clubhouse. The Pine Lakes Country Club building — a 1927 National Register of Historic Places structure — houses the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame, the Sports Illustrated founding plaque, the Robert White Pub, and a ballroom that hosts community events year-round. As a neighborhood resident, this extraordinary building is part of your daily context. Take time to explore it fully.
- School enrollment. Myrtle Beach Elementary, Middle, and High Schools serve Pine Lakes and Pine Lakes Estates children. Contact Horry County Schools before the school year to complete enrollment and explore magnet and open enrollment options if relevant for your family.
- Traffic management. Hwy 17 Business can become congested during peak summer season. Learn the neighborhood’s side-street connections and use Hwy 17 Bypass for north-south travel during busy periods. The neighborhood’s central position generally means shorter travel distances to most destinations, offsetting peak-season slowdowns.
- Flood zone confirmation. Multiple MLS listings for Pine Lakes specifically note “not located in a high risk flood zone.” Confirm your specific parcel’s FEMA designation in writing before closing, as this affects insurance requirements and premiums.
Who Is Pine Lakes Right For?
Pine Lakes attracts buyers who have learned enough about Myrtle Beach to understand that what this neighborhood offers — history, character, central location, golf course living, and ocean proximity combined — simply cannot be found anywhere else on the Grand Strand.
Golfers who understand golf history. There is no neighborhood on the Grand Strand where you can live adjacent to a course as historically significant as Pine Lakes Country Club. The course designed by the first PGA president, where Sports Illustrated was born, listed on the National Register of Historic Places — a short walk from your front door. For golfers who care about the history of the game, this is the most meaningful address available in all of Myrtle Beach.
History and character buyers who want a home with actual personality — not a production-built house in a master-planned community. Pine Lakes has brick homes with cypress floors and stone fireplaces, original 1920s-era bungalows renovated to modern standards, and mature trees that took 80 years to grow. This is a neighborhood with stories. The buyer who values that over a brand-new subdivision finishes will find Pine Lakes immediately irreplaceable.
Families wanting the best school access and the most central location on the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach school pathway, minutes to every major attraction, a walkable beach, sidewalks and trails, and a community that genuinely knows its neighbors — Pine Lakes delivers a complete family lifestyle that new construction communities are still working to create.
Northeast buyers and retirees who are selling homes in Connecticut, New Jersey, or Massachusetts and searching for a home with genuine character near the ocean at a fraction of the price. A Pine Lakes estate home with golf course views, an inground pool, mature landscaping, and a walk to the beach — for $700,000 to $1.2 million — represents a value calculation that is simply not available in any comparable coastal market north of South Carolina. Add the elimination of state income tax on retirement income and the dramatically lower property tax rate, and the financial argument for Pine Lakes becomes quickly decisive.
Ready to Explore
Pine Lakes?
Pine Lakes and Pine Lakes Estates homes are rare and move fast — especially the best-positioned golf-front and new construction properties. Reach out directly for listings, private tours, and relocation guidance.
Porchlight
on The Strand
Your cozy corner of coastal Carolina.
This is where 15,000+ Grand Strand locals come to stay plugged in. Homeowners, neighbors, and the businesses that make this coast worth living on — all in one place, every week, straight to your inbox.
No spam. No fluff. Just The Strand — every week.
Leave a Reply