Founders Club sits on US 17 at Pawleys Island, on the site of Sea Gull Golf Club, which opened in 1966 and, the club says, was the fourth-oldest course in the Myrtle Beach area. In 2006 it closed for a major renovation, and it opened in 2008 under its current name, with a new layout by Thomas Walker. The club calls the result Lowcountry-style: wide fairways, natural waste areas and native grasses under centuries-old oaks. GolfPass ranked it the top public course in South Carolina in 2024.
Founders Club at Pawleys Island green fees and tee times.
Founders Club is fully public, and both locals and visitors can book all year. Book online through the club’s tee-time system at foundersclub.teetimecentralonline.com, ask Myrtle Beach Golf Trips for a custom package quote, or call the pro shop on 843-237-2299; email goes to info@foundersgolf.com. The course is owned by Founders Group International, and the club says it is often included in packages built around Hammock Coast courses. Prices are shown when you search a date. Proper golf attire is required: collared shirts and golf shoes, and no denim, cut-offs or non-golf athletic wear.
The round, in perspective.
Walker built the new course on top of Gene Hamm’s original Sea Gull layout. Golfbreaks describes sandy waste areas in place of traditional rough, and the club points to creative bunkering and natural native areas as the features that define it. Fairways are Bermuda, the rough mixes Bermuda and Zoysia, and the greens are Emerald Bermuda, a strain the club says is made to withstand summer heat, needs less water than other grasses and is less grainy than older Bermuda types. The course plays up to 7,007 yards, par 72 as listed by Golfbreaks, with multiple tee options on every hole. Housing has grown up around it since the 1960s, and there are 14 road crossings.
Know before you go.
Pro shop
843-237-2299
Email
info@foundersgolf.com
Practice
Hitting bays into a net and a large putting and chipping green; no full range
Dress
Collared shirt and golf shoes; no denim or cut-offs
Carts
Driver’s licence required to drive one
Make the trip work.
There is no full driving range. You can warm up in hitting bays into a net and on a large putting and chipping green. If you book a lesson, head professional Duane Ratcliffe starts you hitting into the net at Founders or uses a sister course’s full range. The Grill Room serves breakfast and lunch daily with beer and cocktails, and the club makes a point of its beer-battered fries. Teenagers in your group should note that only licensed drivers may drive a cart, and the 14 road crossings mean care even then.
Myrtle Beach International (MYR) is about 40 minutes north by road on US 17 Bypass and US 17. The course is at 7829 Ocean Highway, on the main road through Pawleys Island. Charleston (CHS) is roughly an hour and a half south via US 17 and Georgetown.
Pawleys Island is mostly rental houses and small inns rather than large hotels. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, on the oceanfront just up US 17, has condos and villas, and many groups base themselves there for a south Strand week, close to Caledonia, True Blue and Heritage Club. Garden City Beach and Murrells Inlet, 15 to 20 minutes north, offer more hotels.
Make a trip of it.
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue, both on Pawleys Island, are within ten minutes and give you two Mike Strantz courses to go with this one. Heritage Club is barely a mile up the road, and TPC Myrtle Beach and Blackmoor are around 20 minutes north in Murrells Inlet. Off the course, Pawleys Island’s beach and its historic district of old summer cottages are a short drive away.
Find your season.
Founders Club is open year-round. The Emerald Bermuda greens were chosen to hold up in summer heat, which helps in July and August, when other Bermuda greens can slow down. Spring and autumn are the busiest seasons on the south Strand and carry the highest prices. Winter brings the lowest rates.
Yes. Sea Gull Golf Club opened in 1966, designed by Gene Hamm. It closed in 2006 for a major renovation by Thomas Walker and opened in 2008 as Founders Club. In 2014 it was bought by Yiqian Funding, which formed Founders Group International.
Does Founders Club have a driving range?
Not a full one. It has hitting bays into a net and a large putting and chipping green. Lessons with the head professional can use a sister course’s full range if you want to hit full shots.
What awards has Founders Club won?
GolfPass ranked it the number one public course in South Carolina in 2024. The Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association named it Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year in 2011, and the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel listed it among the 30 best courses you can play in the state in 2009 and 2011.
What should I wear at Founders Club?
Collared shirts and golf shoes are expected. The club discourages denim, cut-offs and non-golf athletic wear.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
