Myrtle Beach regulars more times than not will include Wild Wing Plantation in their list of favorite destinations, and for good reason. There are four good courses at the plantation, making Wild Wing a definite plus when it comes to outings. Also, for the amount of play these courses get, and it is tremendous, course conditions are pretty good to very good, a tribute to the owners, Hyakumata & Co., Ltd. Based in Osaka, Japan.   

Avocet, designed by Larry Nelson and Jeff Brauer, is generally considered to be Wild Wing’s signature layout. At 7115 yards from the back, it is also Wild Wing’s longest and hardest track. 
 
A good front nine that includes the straight-away 460-yard 2nd with a second-shot carry over a wetland and a terrific par 5 3rd requiring a tee shot to a landing area in a narrow chute defined by trees on both sides, is followed by a back 9 with some spectacular holes. The rolling wooded terrain, high mounds and the design of some of the holes on the back reminded me of Osprey Ridge, Tom Fazio’s magnificent Disney course in Orlando.

The 13th starts a terrific stretch of holes that doesn’t finish until #18. At a little over 400 yards from the tips, 13 is a slight dogleg right with bunkers right and a lake guarding the narrow landing area. The elevated green is well bunkered and is backed by Mt. Nelson, an absolutely immense mound that is so far back it doesn’t come into play. Perhaps, the designers had in mind a stadium course. The 14th is one of those teaser short par 4’s. At 300+ yards, it is drivable but you must negotiate a lake and a huge bunker that splits the fairway in two. The northern route requires a direct carry over the lake but the landing area between the bunker left and wetlands right is extremely tight. However, a safe drive there leaves you with a much shorter approach into this elevated green which is visible from the left. The route left of the bunker is safer, but you are left with a blind approach because of the high mound of the bunker. It’s a fabulous hole and really difficult.
 

The double dogleg 15th is as tricky as it is beautiful. The landing area is wide but is guarded left by a another huge fairway bunker. The best position off the tee is to the right side but the risk is to wind up in the environmental area. The landing area for the second shot is very narrow but if you safely navigate that, you have a short iron into a scenic, elevated and sloped green surrounded at some distance by woods. 

After the very long par 4 16th, you have a terrific par 3 at the 17th. It starts from a quite elevated tee box and a long iron or wood must carry a wide wetland to the right half of a double green (shared with the 11th). The tee shot at the magnificent 18th must carry over a lake to a landing area that looks a lot tighter from the tee box than it is. Trees line this beauty all the way to the slightly elevated green that has a pronounced slope from back to front. 

For its scenic surroundings (there are virtually no houses, at least at the moment), its variety of interesting holes and for the quality of golfing experience you get at service-conscious Wild Wing, Avocet gets a thumbs up.

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