Thistle Golf Club - MacKay Course
About
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thistle | 36 | 3547 yards | ||
| Blue | 36 | 3308 yards | ||
| White | 36 | 3092 yards | ||
| Gold | 36 | 2776 yards | ||
| Red | 36 | 2355 yards |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thistle M: 74.4/141 | 429 | 396 | 211 | 397 | 422 | 184 | 555 | 395 | 558 | 3547 | 6997 |
| Blue M: 71.9/134 | 392 | 350 | 192 | 370 | 399 | 171 | 546 | 358 | 530 | 3308 | 6495 |
| White M: 69.5/126 W: 75.2/140 | 371 | 334 | 159 | 347 | 371 | 144 | 526 | 340 | 500 | 3092 | 6041 |
| White/Gold M: 68.3/123 | 371 | 334 | 159 | 347 | 353 | 144 | 503 | 340 | 426 | 2977 | 5819 |
| Gold M: 66.7/112 W: 71.7/131 | 315 | 301 | 158 | 297 | 353 | 129 | 503 | 294 | 426 | 2776 | 5356 |
| Red M: 63.5/106 W: 67.7/118 | 291 | 277 | 125 | 267 | 261 | 108 | 360 | 266 | 400 | 2355 | 4612 |
| Red/Teal W: 66.5/115 | 291 | 277 | 121 | 267 | 261 | 105 | 304 | 263 | 400 | 2289 | 4415 |
| Teal W: 64.7/112 | 260 | 226 | 121 | 230 | 220 | 105 | 304 | 263 | 318 | 2047 | 4013 |
| Handicap | 7 | 9 | 17 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
BarAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesAccolades
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Golf Advisor: Top 25 Courses for Layout in the U.S. (2016 #11)
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by pcd328 on 01/15/2026
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175 yard par 3 9th hole on the Stewart 9 It’s very visually intimidating !!! Photo submitted by pcd328 on 01/15/2026
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Photo submitted by u245061479 on 12/24/2025
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Photo submitted by u245061479 on 12/24/2025
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Photo submitted by jayrodz83 on 10/21/2025
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Photo submitted by tcorns45 on 08/07/2025
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Photo submitted by DavidSmith101 on 09/24/2024
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Photo submitted by DavidSmith101 on 09/24/2024
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Photo submitted by Mike9599899 on 08/31/2024
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Photo submitted by harrisonww on 05/07/2024
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Photo submitted by harrisonww on 05/07/2024
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Photo submitted by harrisonww on 05/07/2024
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Photo submitted by greengolf69 on 04/22/2024
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Photo submitted by TroyJames on 04/04/2024
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Photo submitted by Teetime23 on 02/29/2024
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Photo submitted by shawnfichter on 08/12/2023
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Photo submitted by shawnfichter on 08/12/2023
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Photo submitted by shawnfichter on 08/12/2023
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Photo submitted by bwalla16 on 04/22/2023
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Beautiful! Photo submitted by Vandenberks on 04/08/2023
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Photo submitted by pmonge on 10/28/2022
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Perfect Photo submitted by u000001253620 on 10/20/2022
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Photo submitted by u092335306 on 08/10/2022
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Photo submitted by u486908480 on 04/13/2022
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Photo submitted by DerekTeeee on 08/05/2021
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Photo submitted by AUgolferinPinehurst on 11/19/2020
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Photo submitted by MTRailFan58 on 08/12/2019
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Photo submitted by MTRailFan58 on 08/12/2019
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Photo submitted by sixeagles on 03/12/2019
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Photo submitted by sixeagles on 03/12/2019
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Photo submitted by sixeagles on 03/12/2019
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Photo submitted by rogerward8943 on 12/18/2012
Rainy
Nice course. I got rained out on the tenth hole. Everything was good except the bunkers. Bunkers need work.
Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
Great Course
Many challenging trap locations and above average water hazards. A pretty course with lots of interesting approaches...
Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
Hi, Brian5579454. We would love to hear more about your positive experience on our course. Please contact us to share with us your favorite part of your experience. Thanks for golfing at Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course!
Highly Recommend Thistle
This was my first time playing Thistle and I was greatly impressed. Everyone from the Bag Drop and Starter, to the Clubhouse/Restaurant was extremely friendly, courteous, and professional.
The course itself was fantastic. Everyone in our foursome was impressed with the layout and condition. It was challenging, but forgiving from the tee.
The pace of play was perfect. We never waited at a tee box and no one behind us was pressing us.
Overall, I enjoyed it very much and look forward to visiting again...Kudos Thistle!
Thank you for taking the time to review us! Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course thanks you!
First Timer from Ohio
Great course! Super friendly and knowledgeable staff! Would play again!
Thank you for your review, u000005125319. We will pass along your positive experience to our team at Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
Worth playing for!
I’ve played almost all the courses around, Sunset Beach, except Thistle. I was highly amazed of the condition of the course and the layout. The friendliness of the staff and above all how regal and majestic the clubhouse looks giving you the feel that your in Scotland. I thought it was fun and I play well there. I will definitely play there again on future vacation trips.
u1048480, thank you for the awesome rating! We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another great experience, and thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
Fantastic all around
Absolutely worth the price and will be playing here again!
Agehrt, thank you for the awesome rating! We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another great experience, and thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
Thank you for the excellent rating!
Thank you so much for the great review. We are glad you had an incredible time, and we hope to see you again soon! Thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.
First Class Golf Outing Venue
Thistle is known to be a top course in the region, and GM Kevan Moore and Pro Brian Eckley proved it today to 180 golfers in an annual fundraiser outing hosted by the Committee to Honor Americas Veterans, a local charity supporting veterans in the region. The entire operation was smooth as silk - conditions were perfect, food and service was excellent, the bag drop and starter operation was professional, and participants had a great time. The entire operation deserves its high ratings and we will be pleased to come back again next year!
Thank you for your kind words! We hope to see you again at the course very soon for another 5-star experience. Thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club!
Thank you for visiting us at Thistle Golf Club! We appreciate your 4-star rating and review. We hope you join us for another round soon.
SPENCER
Pace of play too slow. One nine was shut down. Made. Turn in 1:45. Had to wait 45 minutes to play back nine.
We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Thistle Golf Club!
Beautiful Golf Course
Beautiful golf course, in very nice condition. The greens were perfect but very challenging
We are so happy you enjoyed your round! We look forward to seeing you again soon at Thistle Golf Club!
Hello and thank you for your 5-star rating! We're delighted you enjoyed your round. Please book another round with us soon, and thanks for choosing Thistle Golf Club!
We are so pleased that you enjoyed your time at Thistle Golf Club. We look forward to seeing you on the course soon for another 5-star experience!
Best Course close to Sunset Beach
Found a great deal on GolfNow for a mid-afternoon tee time and happy I did!
(Note: Google Maps is screwed up and not showing the correct physical location for the course. After going to random apartment building, I used the typed directions on Thistle's website to find course.)
From the moment I arrived, the experience at Thistle was great. Cart guys were very helpful in taking bag, directing me to pro shop, practice area, etc.
Since course is a combination of 3 9's, I played the Stewart and Mackay 9's as my 18 holes. Course is in great shape, with bermuda greens that rolled smooth and true. Fairways are best I saw out of three courses I played in Sunset Beach. By FAR, this is the best course I saw in Sunset Beach. You can see many maintenance staff working to support the course, which is why it is so great. Keep up the great work!
Stewart 9 was good and somewhat challenging mostly because of the water. (There are GATORS,,,) Mackay was more difficult and required more planning and accuracy than Stewart.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you want to play a well maintained, challenging course with very professional staff. (Just be wary if you are using GPS to get there!!!)
We are so happy you enjoyed your visit with us! We hope to see you again soon at Thistle Golf Club!
Great Courses
I was a single and jumped out with the front starting team at 7:55 AM start. We cruised through Stewart in less than an hour and a half. Plays very true. Greens were in top condition and shot locations were clear. Difficult and fun. I will be playing another 18 or 27 late this week.
Thank you for your review! We will pass along your positive experience to our team at Thistle Golf Club. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Pace if play
This course is great! Good challenges but some of the players could not keep pace if play. This course is not a course you stop at the ponds and other waterways to find golf balls. I’m sorry but if you are doing that here you should play other places that allow that. The group was so slow that the other player would walk the hole while the other guy was holding everything up. I will note that no one was in front of them.
Thank you for taking the time to review us! Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to delivering you excellent service again soon. Thistle Golf Club thanks you!
We appreciate you taking the time to review the course and rate us. Thank you for the 4 stars! We aim for a 5-star experience, so we always welcome feedback for improvement. Thank you for playing Thistle Golf Club - Cameron Course.