Relaxing Convenience at King’s North
By Becky Billingsley
Three stellar golf courses intersect at an oasis of comfort, taste and style where relaxed golfers enjoy a variety of dishes.
The three courses (King’s North, West Course and South Creek) twine around the King’s North Restaurant and Snack Bar at Myrtle Beach National. King’s North is named for “The King,” Arnold Palmer, who designed the original course in 1976. Twenty years later Palmer returned to update and redesign King’s North in a cherished visit when Palmer played and evaluated every hole and conducted a golf clinic.
Food and Beverage Director Linda Gregory remembers that day in 1996. She recalls the hoopla and the crowds, and even has a picture of Palmer eating one of the quarter-pound all-beef hot dogs she has been serving for 22 years.
Those hot dogs are a staple of the King’s North menu. One of their most popular orders is a dog and a beer, which golfers grab before heading back out on the back nine.
But before golfers head out, or after the game is played, this unique restaurant provides a haven of comfort.
The restaurant’s dozens of tables curve around three sides of the building where floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of rolling fairways, towering pines and blue ponds. Arcs on windows meld with arches on the terrace, creating a graceful sense of bringing the outdoors inside.
On one side is a full-service bar, complete with cigars in a humidor, with a big screen television and clubhouse computer where scores can be recorded. On the other side is an inviting and private lounge area with cozy furniture and wood tables the color of burnt sugar. In the long middle of this U-shape restaurant are many more comfortable tables and upholstered chairs, and food is served behind a mirrored wall.
Many items are displayed for grab-and-go dining such as bagels, pastries, drinks, sandwiches, chips and candies. Wrapped and refrigerated sandwiches are made in-house daily, and choices include Ham, Chicken Salad, Roast Beef, Turkey and Egg Salad.
This counter is also where hot foods are ordered. Gregory oversees a staff that prepares its own pulled Pork Barbecue, Shrimp Baskets, Burgers, those famed Hot Dogs, and extremely popular Steak and Cheese sandwiches that can be topped with grilled peppers and onions.
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A condiment bar provides several sandwich topping choices, and some diners build salads from the array of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cole slaw, pickles, peppers and more. Often the staff cooks a batch of fresh soup that goes well with a perfectly toasted Grilled Cheese sandwich. On warm days a cooler filled with frozen ice cream and fruit treats is a favorite stop.
The food can be enjoyed inside or outside at one of several terrace tables. If inside, diners will notice much Arnold Palmer memorabilia including photos, golf clubs and an LP vinyl record titled “Easy Golf with your Pro.”
Another set of memorabilia honors George Judson Holliday III, a promising young golfer who died while in college in 1967. An annual memorial junior golf tournament is held in his name every November at King’s North.
The public is welcome to come enjoy these amenities whether or not they play golf. Some people come to enjoy a drink and a sandwich and soak in the view, while others are hoping to spy one of the many celebrities that frequent the course. Over the years there have been many professional football and basketball players in this restaurant, along with well-known people such as Willie Nelson, Oliver North and Garth Brooks. Singer Kenny Rogers has also visited, and the sixth hole of King’s North is named “The Gambler” in his honor.
“On that hole you hit the ball across the water (to an island fairway), or you play it safe, fold your cards and go around (the main fairway),” Gregory said.
The King’s North Restaurant and Snack Bar is at 4900 National Way in Myrtle Beach. It’s open from dawn to dusk, and the number is (843) 448-2308.
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