Club Wyndham Dye Villas

Club Wyndham Dye Villas in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is truly one of my favorite vacation spots in the World.

Day One Arrival

Unlike most trips to Myrtle Beach I was moving from one resort to another on this vacation trip so I know I was spoiled and just loving this vacation. I love TZort for these amazing travel opportunities. Staying at these resorts was the kind of work I would love to continue to do, even in my retirement. I love sharing good times with others and telling people some secrets about some of the best travel destinations in the World.

Myrtle Beach is my favorite and this was one of the last resorts on my list to visit for TZort so I was excited to check out Club Wyndham Dye Villas.

One thing I have never caught the bug for and really missed out on has been golf. I love mini-golf like a little kid, but the larger game is one I never became a fan of. I think it is because I am such a solo travel and experience fan. Golf is something best done with friends or business associates and you need to find someone to play with to have the best experience.

If you do love golf then Myrtle Beach and this resort Club Wyndham Dye Villas may well be the ideal location for you. It is less costly than other options on the East Coast, with a great deal to do in the larger surrounding community too. So, if you are golf crazy but your spouse or kids are not, then the entire family can enjoy themselves at this amazing resort destination.

Today I was transferring from around 77th Street in the southern part of Myrtle Beach back North to Club Wyndham Dye Villas which is in the northern part of amazing Myrtle Beach.

The resort itself is at 2650 Pete Dye Drive North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 which is close to the beach area but deep in the heart of the Barefoot Golf Resort area. Here you find not only the Dye course but 4 courses right together in this picturesque location.

The Dye course has won a number of awards for Golf.

2017 “Best: State-by-State Courses You Can Play” – Golfweek

2017 “North America Golf Resort of the Year”– IAGTO

2016-2017 “Best Courses You Can Play in South Carolina” (#14)– Golf Magazine

2016 “Best: State-by-State Courses You Can Play” – Golfweek

2013-2015 “Best You Can Play on Grand Strand”– SC Golf Course Ratings Panel

2015 “Best: Next 100 Resort Courses” – Golfweek

2014 “Best Public Courses You Can Play in SC” (#13)- Golf Magazine

2013 “Golf Course of the Year”– MBAGCOA/SCGCOA

2012 “Top 20 Best Public Golf Course in South Carolina” (#8)- Golf Magazine

2012 “SC Top 50 Golf Course-Grand Strand” (#8)- SC Golf Course Ratings Panel

2010 “Top 60 Course in Myrtle Beach” (#14)- Golf Digest

2009 “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Course” (#99)- Golf Digest

2006 “100 Must-Play Courses of the Carolinas”– Golf styles Carolinas

2005 “Top 50 Courses of Myrtle Beach” (#10)- Golf Digest

That is an impressive list of awards for any single course for sure.

When you arrive at the resort and see the greens, and the setting here you understand even not being a huge golfer draws you to this location. As far as a resort guest the resort itself invites you to a pampered level that is rare to find these days.

The sitting areas and the bar seem like they were created as a movie background for an amazing film of some sort. So complete in every detail, and the carpeting looks very much like the finest hand-woven rugs in stately southern mansions throughout the south.

After settling into my villa, which was insanely large. Here all the villas are 3 bedrooms and very large. I assume they chose that to make groups of golfing friends very comfortable in villas together. These villas would also be great for couples with their friends.

Staying in a 3-bedroom solo was mad, but I was staying during the week after leaving the other resorts nearby. My vacation had started on a Thursday and now 6 days later I was here on a Wednesday. I would stay Wednesday and Thursday then head back home after checking out on Friday. This would allow the resort to make the villa available for some real golfers to have their fun.

The 3-bedroom villa was very large even as 3-bedrooms go. It was 1,760 sq ft of pure luxury and comfort.

Here are some reviews from their site based on other guests’ experiences here.

Nice, quiet, and beautiful. The suite was very spacious and lovely. Walking distance to the pool and the main building.

we liked everything about it… will definitely do it again

 My stay was so wonderful at Club Wyndham. The customer service was very good and helpful to my family.

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

Video from GO GlobeHopper

It is hard to argue with those reviews based on my first impressions here at the resort. After checking in and getting settled, I headed for their impressive bar for a drink. Then I wanted to go somewhere to eat nearby. I headed for Preston’s Seafood. The location is a seafood buffet and I have no idea how on all my trips to Myrtle Beach I have missed this location. It was a great reminder of why you want to keep trying new things even when you have so many local favorites. This buffet was very good. It was a great mix of Carolina goodness with fresh seafood. The fish on the bar was great, as well as the mounds of fresh fried shrimp. I also thought they did a great job with the sides. That is truly the test for a great buffet. Can they make tasty sides that really complement the main menu items? Preston surely did!

This restaurant has some friendly staff, great food, and really all you could ask for at their buffet. I will certainly add it to my list of must-visit places for my next trip to Myrtle Beach and you should too.

Tonight after dinner I was headed back to Broadway at the Beach for a Legends Concert or show. These are live music tribute acts from world-class impersonators. If that is your thing this show is a great one.

The show started at 7:30 PM and the show lasts a few hours of fun and music. The VIP seating may be worthwhile if you get a nice discount, and AAA, Military, and Senior discounts are offered on many seats to their shows. Which is a nice thing they do. Check for many different seating options to check the prices for your show. I ended up saving about 50% for tickets near the VIP that I was very happy with.

After the show, I headed back to the resort villa to settle in for the night.

Day Two at Club Wyndham Dye Villas

I am not a good enough player to step in and play with others with a handicap. However, when in Rome, I thought. The happy medium I settled for was to go to the driving range and at least get in the mood of the resort a little. The staff at the courses can do so magic and match golfers up for rounds, especially at vacation spots like this one. But again, I chose against it because I do not play enough to even really make it around the course well. So, unless there was the option to play with some special needs group, I felt hitting some balls on the range was close enough for me.
One of the things Myrtle Beach does better than most other beach towns is arranging live music and outdoor activities. On most summer nights starting in late May, you can find nightly life music and even family-friendly activities set up and rolling. Most become active in the early evening as the day cools off, and almost all are free to the public.

I wanted to take some time in this blog post to share with families some of the many things you can do for free. Some years you go on vacation and are just happy to be able to get away but you might not be flush with money to do all the extras. Well, here at Myrtle Beach beyond the amazing beaches, there are many things you can do for free as well.

Today I started my day with the Golf Range, but next, I would start doing only free things for the rest of the day. Things anyone can do without spending any more than a little gas money to get to.

Since the resort here and at many other resorts in the area have full kitchens you can really come into town eat well, enjoy the beach, and include in so many extras that are free or very affordable. I want to introduce those to you.

I start my day by enjoying all things free with local history at the Horry County Museum. This is an impressive place that remains free thanks to the state and many donors that participate in a membership program to support the museum exhibits and grounds. The site is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday through Saturday and rarely closes even on Holidays. Check the website for more details.

The site offers many exhibits of all kinds from Native American, American History, Natural History, and much more. You can easily spend half a day or more seeing it all and learning about the area and culture. I also enjoyed the military exhibits and found them to feel more hands-on than others in the area.

The museum offers many great online videos as well that you can find here.

After the step back in time at the museum, I headed to the Vereen Memorial Gardens.  Vereen Memorial Gardens has been a bit of a “Hidden Jewel” for 30 years. The park features numerous hiking trails and wooden boardwalks that extend across several beautiful salt marshes and small islands, with a nice gazebo that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway. The walking trails here are about 3 miles in length and this is a great way to get out, be active, and get closer to nature. You can even cover up some if you are nursing a sunburn, and spend some time under the trees, or gazebo. On this trip, I had used sunscreen enough but I needed other options than the beach after burning myself on past trips. While outdoors there is a good deal of shade options available.

The gardens and trails are just North of North Myrtle Beach so they are easy to find, and a great place to take the family for some walks without being tempted to go into stores and buy or spend a small fortune.

A neat thing Myrtle Beach does during the summer is called Hot Summer Nights it is family-friendly music and fun of all kinds.  It runs from June to the start of September. They offer things like face painting for kids, clowns, fireworks, and so much more. It happens every night except Sunday and really starts to get fun starting at about 6 PM most nights. This allows you to eat an early dinner and then head over with even young kids before it gets too late. With the clowns, and fun for the kids you can create lasting memories without spending anything extra on your trip.

There are many paid experiences nearby but you do not have to pay for anything if you do not want to here to have a great time.

Another location you can go to for free fun is Market Common. They offer free outdoor movies just bring your blanket and popcorn Movies Under the Stars – each Friday, from June 28th to August 2nd, starting at dusk in Valor Park. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and the whole family for this fun, free film. PLEASE NOTE: The start time is DUSK and may vary from the 9 p.m. start time.

Tuesdays you can enjoy a free carriage ride. Complimentary carriage rides – Tuesdays during the summer! Carriage ride picks up and drops off occur in front of Dolce Lusso Salon (3050 Howard Avenue). Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m

Concerts on The Green – Held each third Thursday this summer from 7 – 10 p.m., in Valor Park. This is a clear bag event – no large bags allowed. Beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks will be available for purchase. They do not allow you to bring in drinks here, so the only financial expense here is for a beverage if you need one.

Another great free option is the Myrtle Beach Art Museum. It can be a great outing, especially on hot days as it has great air conditioning. Again, this may be a top choice if you are on vacation and turned yourself into a lobster from time in the sun. Also, guys this can be a wonderful thing to take the ladies to. Do that then enjoy a free carriage ride on a Tuesday and you would have a nice romantic day of it.

You can also enjoy live music at the peer All summer long from 8:30-11:30 p.m. enjoy live music at the Pier at Garden City.

While not free, the following things are more affordable than many paid fun options.

The pier at the garden city is also an affordable place to fish from and is open late for nighttime fishing, which is so much cooler. I would say fish with the kids because given the all-night crowds you might want to keep them away from the late-night fishing crowds.

The state park offers a great chance to find shells, and shark teeth, and enjoy nature in a rawer unfiltered way. At only $8 a person it is a great value for a family vacation activity.

Here you can surf fish as well if you have the gear and that is a fun thing to learn to do once you master your cast.

This park has been open since 1936 and was the first State park open in South Carolina so it has a long rich history of making people happy.

You can even camp here on almost 300 campsites if you are game for that. I personally love staying at these great resorts but sometimes going camping is fun too.

If you are not from the area, do be aware that there is one type of poison snake in the area. Copperhead snakes do bite but at not aggressive. They typically only bite someone when stepped on, but watching where you walk and staying on trails at the park are the best habits to have. If you are in the park at night, carry a flashlight and look ahead of where you are walking.

Day Three at the beach and then a nighttime Luau

Today I had to check out early to make room for a normal-sized group for the giant 3-bedroom villa. But I planned another full day of fun in the sun, then I had a ticket for the Luau tonight that I was excited about.

It is hard to beat Myrtle Beach for its long and wide sandy beaches. They are truly incredible and there are many access points even if you are not staying at a local resort or have already checked out like me.

I had an amazing day at the beach and really only stopped for a light lunch and some drinks a few times. The drinks gave me access to the bar restroom as needed too, which was a plus.

The day seemed to fly by. Perhaps some of that had to do with the drinks and how well they went down in the heat. If I was not so focused on getting in as much beach fun as I could, I would have just stayed at the Tiki Bar I found for the day. The 8^th Ave Tiki bar is a cool joint.

The Tiki theme lead well into the Polynesian night I had planned. One of the best deals for a Luau anywhere has to be the Fire Luau at St. John’s. It is half the cost of other Luau dinners anywhere around. The food is great and the staff is talented.

Summertime shows are Monday through Saturday.

Your trip begins with a lei Greeting from our Performers.

Then enjoy a Buffet Dinner accompanied by Live Music by our Polynesian Band

After Dinner, the show, which highlights songs and dances from the different Polynesian cultures of Hawaii, Tahiti, Tonga, New Zealand, and Samoa, begins. * * The night ends with an amazing performance by our World Champion Samoan Fire Knife Team.

BUFFET DINNER MENU

Barbecue Chicken

Kalua Pork

Grilled Grouper

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Tossed Salad

Mixed Veggies

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Cole Slaw

Dessert

Cash bar all night,

Menu subject to substitutions

THE VENUE

St. John’s Inn is our inside venue. In the last 15 minutes or so we go outside for the Fire Knife portion of the show. It is air-conditioned and comfortable.

This I think should be added as a must for those who can afford it. Especially when you check the pricing of Luaus in places like Orlando, Hawaii, and other vacation destinations. The average price is $140 and the low price is $104. Here the cost was just $59.99, which is just a little more than a top-tier buffet and includes over 2 hours of great entertainment.

After the show with a full stomach, I had to start the drive home. Luckily, I slept well the night before and even napped for a bit before the show on the beach waking with my alarm on my phone.

The drive back home was going to be 7 hours, so if I was tired my plan was just to stop on the way for a few hours at a hotel. But I made it home fine after one stop for some strong odd brand of triple caffeine cola.