TGD – This Week In Golf – The Piper Brings Night Golf to Legends

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Grand Strand has more than 80 golf courses, but until this month it had nothing quite like The Piper. Legends Golf Resort opened its new nine-hole, par-3 course to the public on October 2, and it’s built for the hours after a regular round ends: lighted holes, music, food and drink, and a full nine that takes about an hour.

Designed by Ken Baker of Baker Golf Design, The Piper joins Heathland, Moorland and Parkland, the three courses that have defined Legends since the early 1990s. The resort calls it a first-of-its-kind standalone golf and entertainment amenity for the region.

Nine holes, one hour, a few clubs

The Piper sits on 12 acres inside the resort’s 30-acre practice facility, right behind the clubhouse. Holes run from 54 to 120 yards, so nothing plays longer than a short iron, and most players will get by with two or three clubs.

The course is laid out in three loops of three holes, each returning near the clubhouse, so groups can play three, six or all nine. Baker designed it as a ground-game course with open green entries and tightly mown, mounded surrounds, meant to put the drama, in his words, “on the ground rather than in the air.” Bump-and-runs and putts from off the green are often the smart play.

The Scottish theme runs throughout. The name comes from the wandering pipers of Scottish folklore, a bagpipe logo appears on the flags and tee markers, and each hole is named for a line of a traditional Scottish verse, starting with “Step we gaily” on the first. A red British telephone box that has been on the property since the 1990s now marks the first tee.

Golf after dark

The Piper’s real point of difference is the evening. Twenty-three light poles keep the course playable after sunset, and each one carries a speaker for music across the property. Plans call for multiple food and drink stops along the loops, a patio bar and grill, a stage for live bands, Adirondack seating around the greens and a cigar bar.

Not all of that is in place yet. The lights were working for opening, but the resort has said the permanent food and beverage outlets are expected by spring 2027. Through the end of 2026, Legends is offering limited play to resort guests and the public, with the full evening program and additional amenities rolling out ahead of the 2027 season. In the meantime, the clubhouse’s Highlander’s Double Eagle Tavern and Ailsa Pub are steps away, and the back patio overlooks the course.

Legends sales and marketing manager Bradley Vaughan summed up the pitch to WPDE: a “fun, fast, convenient way to play golf,” closer to 50 minutes than the usual four and a half hours.

Why it matters

Short courses have become one of the hottest trends in resort golf, from Tiger Woods’ TGR Design short courses to new par-3 layouts at destinations in the U.S. and Europe. Myrtle Beach, for all its championship golf, had very little of it, and nothing attached to a resort the size of Legends.

The Piper is aimed squarely at the people a five-hour round leaves out: new golfers, kids, partners who don’t usually play, and buddies-trip groups looking for something to do after their 18. Legends’ director of operations, Larry Woodberry, has framed it as a response to what today’s golfers want: a social, playable round built around friendly competition, music, food and drinks.

For Legends, it’s also just the start. The resort has called The Piper the first phase of a multi-phase plan to expand its golf and entertainment offerings.

How to play it

  • Where: Legends Golf Resort, 1500 Legends Drive, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
  • When: Open now, with limited play for resort guests and the public through the end of 2026.
  • Rates and hours: Not yet published. Contact Legends directly or ask your golf package provider.
  • Best fit: The afternoon you arrive, the evening after your round, or a night out for the non-golfers in your group.

For details, visit legendsgolf.com.

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