Tom Jackson’s Creative Stamp Is All Over River Hills Golf Club

For Tom Jackson, River Hills wasn’t just another golf course in his growing Myrtle Beach portfolio in the late 1980s. Tasked with master planning the surrounding community while designing a memorable layout, Jackson was charged with maximizing golf and water frontage without sacrificing the player experience.

The native South Carolinian delivered.

Since opening in 1988, River Hills has met — and even exceeded — expectations. Despite housing along portions of the course, the uncommon elevation change and natural movement of the land prevent it from ever feeling claustrophobic.

“Oh, Lord, yeah,” Jackson laughed when asked if the land had more movement than the average Myrtle Beach golf course. “It had more topography. It had more (natural) water features on the site to begin with.”

That movement defines River Hills, from elevated tees and strategic landing areas to risk-reward approaches. The par-5 17th (top photo) remains one of Jackson’s favorites.

“Seventeen stands out as a really good, solid golf hole,” he said of the memorable par 5. “You’ve got to hit a good drive. You’ve got to hit a good second shot. You can get on that green in two, but you’ve got to take it left off the tee and stay out of the water. It’s a fine line.”

The closing stretch is equally demanding. The par-4 13th requires precision over water, while the 18th features a blind second shot to an elevated green.

“If you’re short, you’re definitely going to have a chipping problem,” Jackson says.

Jackson has worked on more than 120 golf projects, but River Hills reflects his commitment to originality.

“You’ll never find a hole from River Hills on any other golf course I did,” he says. “That’s the creativity part of it, taking the property, the slopes, the water, whatever it is, and creating something I’ve never done before.”

A 2023-24 renovation further elevated the course, with rebuilt greens and bunkers modernizing playability and restoring visual definition. Jackson returned for targeted refinements, including improved sightlines and bunker reshaping on 18 and tee adjustments on holes like 15.

“They’re very attentive to keeping that as a good quality facility,” Jackson said of Founders Group International. “And I appreciate that … All in all, River Hills is something to be proud of.”

A MyrtleBeachGolfTrips.com Original Feature