Everyone’s idea of recreation on a beach vacation may differ, but whatever your preference, be assured you can do it on Pawleys Island. Consider some of these options: rent a surfboard or paddleboard; go crabbing or fishing; rent a bike; play golf or take that long-awaited golf lesson to improve an aspect of your game. Or just walk the beach and hunt for shells.
Golf Courses
The courses in the Pawleys and Litchfield area are some of the best on the Grand Strand, but you can always find a good value any time of year. A helpful resource is the Waccamaw Golf Trail collection of courses, all located on Pawleys Island, Litchfield or the surrounding area with courses by architects such as Player, Nicklaus, Maples and Strantz.
A few of the top courses to try are:
- Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, offering two highly rated courses—Caledonia, built on the grounds of a former rice plantation—and True Blue.
- Pawleys Plantation, a testy Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.
- Willbrook Plantation, a beautiful layout recommended for shorter hitters.
- TPC Myrtle Beach, the only golf course along the Grand Strand to be awarded five stars by Golf Digest magazine.
Surf Shops
There are tons of surf shops in the Pawleys area, so you won't have any trouble finding a local shop that can supply you with what you need to hit the waves, from surfboards to boogie boards to paddleboards. Most offer surfing lessons and week-long day camps in the summer months to keep those teens in your family occupied. Check out these shops:
Surf the Earth is a locals' favorite, offering great equipment to rent or buy along with instruction.
Village Surf Shop is up the road just a bit in Garden City.
Eternal Wave Surf Shop is in Surfside Beach.
Woody’s Beach Rentals in Murrells Inlet is worth a visit as well. They rent golf carts and bikes, too.
Tours & Trips
If your idea of fun is getting out for real adventure, consider an excursion company. There are several in the area that will take you for a paddle on a blackwater river, eco-tour or birding or fishing trip.
Black Mingo offers eco-tours and birding outings, as well as fishing excursions.
Surf the Earth offers eco-tours, morning kayak tours and a relaxing sunset-moonrise boat tour.
Pawleys Island Guide Service offers eco-tours, hunting and fishing excursions.
And finally, make sure to visit Huntington Beach State Park. It offers first-rate bird watching with access to a beautiful Grand Strand beach and marsh boardwalk. The park also has a bathhouse with showers for day use, as well as a campground. One of the most unique features at Huntington Beach State Park is Atalaya, the former winter home of philanthropist Archer Huntington and sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, who left the park and the adjacent Brookgreen Gardens as their legacy. Make sure to walk the grounds of the picturesque, Moorish-style “castle" that was their home.
