Curious about what the pros will have in their bags for the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic? While their exact setups are often a closely-guarded secret, a deep look at the host course, The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, gives us a very clear picture of the tools they’ll need to compete. This article will break down the strategic equipment choices players will likely make – from the driver to the putter – and provide insights you can use to build a smarter bag for your own game.
To know what the pros will play, you first have to understand the questions the golf course is going to ask them. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, The Dunes Club is a masterclass in strategic coastal golf. It’s not a course that players can simply overwhelm with power, it demands intellect and precision on every single shot. Players will face:
In short, this is a "second-shot" golf course. A player's success will be determined by their ability to properly place their tee shot and then execute a precise approach shot. Their bag setup will reflect this need for control, versatility, and creativity.
Let's walk through a typical PGA TOUR pro's bag and look at how they'll spec each club to handle the unique challenges of the Myrtle Beach Classic.
While distance is always an advantage, pure, uncontrolled power won't work at The Dunes Club. You’ll see players opt for driver heads that offer a blend of forgiveness and workability. Modern drivers are incredibly sophisticated, and pros will dial in a setup that allows them to hit a comfortable "stock" shot shape but still gives them the ability to flight a high fade or a low draw on command to navigate the doglegs.
They’re not just trying to bomb it down the middle, they’re trying to land their tee shot on a specific side of the fairway to open up the best angle into the elevated green. Watch for players who rely on slightly lower-spinning driver heads to help control the ball in the wind and generate a more penetrating trajectory. The goal is to maximize distance without sacrificing control and accuracy, a balance every golfer should strive for.
Instead of just buying the newest driver off the rack, think about your "miss." Do you slice? Do you hook? A good club fitter can help you find a head-and-shaft combination that mitigates your common miss, keeping you in play more often. Remember the goal of the swing is a rounded action creating power, accuracy, and consistency. Your driver needs to support all three, not just the power component.
The fairway wood might just be the most valuable player in the bag at The Dunes. On several of the tighter, more punishing par-4s, many pros will leave the driver in the bag and opt for the control of a 3-wood or even a 5-wood. They are giving up 20-30 yards for a much higher chance of being in the fairway, setting up a makeable approach.
These clubs are also essential on the par-5s. To reach a hole like Waterloo in two, a player will need to hit a long, high, soft-landing fairway wood or hybrid to conquer the carry over the water and hold the green. Gapping here is critical. You'll see players with a clear understanding of the exact yardage each of their top-end clubs carries, allowing them to make confident decisions under pressure.
Many amateurs have large, unpredictable gaps between their driver and longest iron. A versatile 5-wood or a high-launching hybrid can be far easier to hit consistently than a 3-wood or a 3-iron. Go to a range with a launch monitor and find out your actual distances. Then, choose the club that fills your biggest yardage gap and, most importantly, gives you confidence when you stand over the ball.
As we said, this is a second-shot golf course. You will not see pros just aim for the center of the green here. The greens have distinct sections, and being on the wrong one can lead to a certain three-putt. Iron play is a matter of precision – controlling distance, trajectory, and spin.
Many pros use "combo" sets. They might use a slightly more forgiving cavity-back style iron in their 4 and 5-iron for higher launch and more stability, blending into muscle-back "blades" in their shorter irons (8-iron to PW). This gives them the best of both worlds: help with the long shots and ultimate feel and workability with the scoring clubs.
Their success hinges on an efficient swing. The ability to rotate the body, stay centered, and deliver the club on the right plane allows them to produce the consistent impact needed for this level of precision. They’re not just swinging their arms, the power and control come from the body unwinding.
Your body is the engine of your iron swing. A stable setup where you are athletically tilted over the ball with your arms hanging naturally is the foundation. From there, focus on a rotational action of your shoulders and hips, like we talk about in our philosophy of the golf swing. By moving the club around your body this way, rather than lifting with your arms, you'll find the consistent strike you need to improve your iron play.
Around Robert Trent Jones's greens, the short game is an art form. You'll see a mix of chips from tight lies, pitches from fluffy rough, and bunker shots from sand with varying consistencies. To handle this, pros are masters of their wedge setup, paying close attention not just to loft, but to bounce and grind.
Players at the Myrtle Beach Classic will have a selection of grinds and bounces on their wedges (typically 3-4 wedges in the bag) to give them an answer for any situation they face.
This is arguably the easiest place for an amateur to improve through equipment. If your wedge is constantly digging into the turf, you likely need a wedge with more bounce. If you play on firm courses and find your wedge skidding off the ground on delicate chips, you need less bounce. A quick wedge fitting can pay enormous dividends for your confidence around the greens.
Putting is the great equalizer, and no two pros seem to do it the same way. At The Dunes Club, with its fast, bentgrass greens full of subtle breaks, speed control will separate the field. You'll see every style of putter imaginable, from traditional blade putters like those used by legends for decades, to high-tech, weighted mallets that look more like starships.
The choice is entirely personal. A player fighting an overly active putting stroke might opt for a heavy mallet and a thick grip to stabilize their hands. A player who relies on feel and has a natural arcing stroke may prefer the feedback of a blade-style putter. Regardless of the tool, its only job is to do two things: start the ball on the intended line and roll it at the correct speed.
Forget what looks cool and find what works. Go to a golf store and spend significant time on the putting green. Try different head shapes and grips. When you find a style that makes it easy to line up and repeat your stroke, you’ve found a winner. Remember, a confident stroke on a well-aimed putter is more valuable than any brand name.
As you watch the pros compete at the Myrtle Beach Classic, look beyond the simple brand names. Their bags are a collection of carefully chosen, fine-tuned tools, each with a specific job designed to solve the puzzle of The Dunes Club. The biggest insight for the amateur player is to adopt that same mindset: build a bag that works for your game, fills your gaps, and gives you the confidence to execute the shot in front of you.
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