Caledonia’s finishing hole is one of the best on the Strand but it’s not even the most popular on the course. The 19th hole, a patio bar where golfers gather after their rounds and watch those behind them struggle on the 18th green. Patrons offer good-natured cheers and boos while golfers try to avoid a deadly water hazard in front of the green. The good news is you can grab a drink quickly and join in the fun after tangling with No. 18.

Waterloo, as it is fittingly called, is one of the most famous and infamous holes on the Strand. The 590-yard par-5 doglegs more than 90 degrees to the right around Lake Singleton making it appear to double back on itself. The test is knowing when and where to cross the lake, which is guarded by gators and often features a tricky ocean breeze blowing against your shot. Designer Trent Jones correctly called it a hard par, but an easy bogey.

The 18th at Tidewater is one of those finishing holes that can humble just about anyone, no matter your skill level. From the white tees, it stretches 410 yards and bends left, while a marsh hugs the entire right side and even cuts into the fairway just to make things more interesting. You’ll need a long, well placed drive followed by a confident approach shot if you want a good look at the green.

I’ve donated more than my fair share of golf balls and taken a hit to my pride trying to post a respectable score here. I’ll be sure to update this story when I finally pull it off.

The Intracoastal Waterway is lined by golf courses up and down the Strand and there are lots of activity that comes with the waterway – boats, jet skis, bikinis. But unlike the scenic distractions, this 240-yard par-3 at Grande Dunes requires golfers to hit over the body of water to a narrow green that sits to the left of the water. The chances of getting wet are a lot greater than hitting a hole-in-one, and its impossible to play a ball from the bank back in bounds.

If there’s any doubt this course was built for championship tournament play, those questions are erased by the time one finishes No. 18 at TPC of Myrtle Beach. The 538-yard par-5 features a creek that runs down the right side of the fairway and connects to a lake on the left midway down the fairway. The water has to be carried to a green that slopes to the front with water on the left, and the right side of the fairway consists of a series of bunkers, mounds and valleys. You have to be a pro to birdie this one.