Myrtle Beach vs Orlando: Budget Golf Trip Face-Off
For the group that wants three to five quality rounds without spending $300 per round, two destinations dominate the conversation. Myrtle Beach has been America's volume golf capital for decades, with 90 courses along the Grand Strand and a pricing structure built for visiting golfers. Orlando combines resort golf with theme-park infrastructure, offering a wider appeal for mixed groups but a narrower golf-specific identity. Both deliver strong golf at accessible prices. The question is which one delivers more for your particular trip.
Course Depth
Myrtle Beach's advantage is sheer volume. Twenty-two courses in the GolfTrailsHQ selection span every budget level, and the actual number of playable courses approaches 90. At the top, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club ($200 to $249) and True Blue Golf Club ($150 to $196) are Golfweek-ranked courses from Mike Strantz. At the budget level, Beachwood ($40 to $79) and Crow Creek ($45 to $79) offer genuine golf for the price of a dinner.
The mid-range is where Myrtle Beach separates itself. Barefoot Resort offers four courses from Fazio, Love, Norman, and Dye for $90 to $168 each. Legends Resort has a Tom Doak links-style course for $65 to $93. King's North at Myrtle Beach National, an Arnold Palmer design recently renovated, plays for $80 to $140. Tidewater, with oceanfront holes on the Cherry Grove peninsula, charges $97 to $192. A group playing four rounds at this tier spends $400 to $600 per person on golf alone.
Orlando's course list is shorter but hits a high ceiling. Bay Hill ($105 to $475, lodge guests only) is a legitimate PGA Tour venue. Reunion Resort's three courses from Watson, Palmer, and Nicklaus charge $101 to $223 with dynamic pricing. Orange County National's Panther Lake ($149) and Crooked Cat ($209) offer 900 acres of dedicated golf. At the value end, Providence Golf Club charges roughly $119 in peak season, and Royal St. Cloud plays for around $60.
Orlando has fewer courses overall, but the quality per dollar at the mid-range is competitive.
The Budget Math
For a four-round, three-night trip with the golf as the primary purpose:
Myrtle Beach budget trip: Four rounds at mid-range courses ($80 to $150 each) plus a beachfront condo ($90 to $170 per night for a shared unit). Total: roughly $700 to $1,100 per person. Adding a round at Caledonia or TPC Myrtle Beach pushes the upper end to $1,400.
Orlando budget trip: Four rounds at mid-range courses ($100 to $200 each) plus a mid-range hotel near the theme parks ($90 to $160 per night). Total: roughly $800 to $1,300 per person. Adding Bay Hill pushes the upper end to $1,600.
Myrtle Beach is $100 to $200 cheaper per person on average, primarily because the floor on green fees is lower and the accommodation market is more competitive. The gap narrows when both groups target the premium tier.
Beyond Golf
Orlando's non-golf advantage is overwhelming for family and mixed-group trips. Disney Springs provides free-entry dining and entertainment. The theme parks are not an afterthought; they are the reason most people visit Orlando. Golf is the afterthought that happens to be very good.
Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Kennedy Space Center are genuine attractions that justify a trip independent of golf.
Myrtle Beach's non-golf offerings are beach-centric. Brookgreen Gardens is excellent. The MarshWalk at Murrells Inlet offers waterfront seafood restaurants with live music. SkyWheel on the boardwalk, Broadway at the Beach for shopping and entertainment, and Carolina Opry for live variety shows round out the options. A day trip to Charleston (95 miles) is popular and can be done as a guided tour.
For the dedicated golf group, Myrtle Beach's identity as a golf town works in its favour. The infrastructure is designed for golfers: tee-time booking services, packaged pricing, shuttle services, and a culture that assumes golf is why you are visiting. Orlando treats golf as one option among many, which can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the group composition.
Weather and Season
Both destinations play year-round. Myrtle Beach's best golf weather arrives in April through May and September through October, with highs in the 70s and low humidity. Summer is hot (mid-80s) and humid but brings lower green fees. Winter is mild enough for comfortable golf most days, with green fees 30 to 50 percent below peak.
Orlando's temperature range is similar, with slightly higher humidity year-round. Summer thunderstorms are more frequent and intense than Myrtle Beach's.
The best golf weather in Orlando is November through April, which conveniently aligns with when northern golfers most want to travel south.
Getting There
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) receives direct flights from 50-plus cities and is five minutes from the hotel strip. A rental car is necessary to navigate the 60-mile Grand Strand.
Tip
The Verdict
Choose Myrtle Beach for a dedicated golf trip where course variety, value, and volume matter most. The 90-course inventory, the Strantz designs at Caledonia and True Blue, and the $65-to-$150 sweet spot make it the better pure golf destination at the budget level. If everyone in the group is playing every day, Myrtle Beach delivers more rounds per dollar.
The verdict