yacht club of south carolina

Boating Activities and Benefits

Social Events

Mailing Address

Welcome To The Myrtle Beach Yacht Club At Coquina Harbor

When it comes to marina communities, there are few as exhilarating as The Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. Located on the scenic Intracoastal Waterway at mile marker 346, you’re just four miles from the Atlantic Ocean. There is easy ocean access through the Little River Inlet, and no bridges to hamper your travel.

Boating, swimming, fishing, golfing, dining – all the adventures of land and sea are here. Miles of pristine white beach and the excitement of the Grand Strand are just minutes away.

Nestled behind a protective line of beach and established forest, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club is shielded from the worst of the elements, but is located right in the midst of one of the most popular and exciting resort destinations on the east coast.

Enjoy championship golf only minutes from the marina. You’ll find contact information for several of the area golf courses in the Grand Strand Resources area of the web site. Known as the Golf Capital of the United States, there are courses available here for players of every skill level. Don’t hesitate to contact us in advance of your arrival for assistance setting up a tee time for you and your guests.

World class fishing is close at hand. The Myrtle Beach Yacht Club is only four miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf Stream (with plenty of big fish) is just a short trip away. Little River Inlet can be accessed easily and quickly – and there are no bridges in the way to slow you down.

Come on in, the water’s fine! Relax by the pool, or have a drink out on the Officer’s Club deck as the sun sets over our beautiful harbor. Whether your travels bring you to our fine marina for a day, a month, or a lifetime, we are certain you will be impressed by the level of service and attention to detail you will see while you are with us.

Phone: (843) 249-5376

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9 Boat Clubs in South Carolina You Should Know (Must-See)

Everyone loves a day on the water. A boat club is a great way to get away and have some fun!

Boat clubs are communities or societies where you can pay monthly or annual fees to use amenities such as access to a fleet of ships or watercraft, use clubhouses and attend events!

There are many in the country – and the world – to choose from! So, how do you find the right one?

The following information is provided to help you narrow down your choice of clubs to choose from in South Carolina.

Table of Contents

Carefree Boat Club

Founded in 2002, the Carefree Boat Club offers many locations across the United States and in Canada.

The annual membership for Carefree Boat Club is $3,000 (or $300/month). While it may seem like a high price to pay, all members are guaranteed clean, quality boats. This promise is due to their strict membership limit that maintains no more than ten club members per boat in their fleet.

Carefree Boat Club boats are reserved for club members only and none of them are rented out to the general public. Boat reservation is made simple through their online reservation system! Experienced boaters can get in the water quickly after reserving a boat.

If you are new to boating or boat clubs, members can receive specialized training from a Carefree dock master. All members receive an informative training manual when signing up for membership in the club.

Related Article: Boat Club Rules: 10 Thing to Know Before Joining

The Carefree Boat Fleet Consists of:

• Fishing Boats
• Pontoon Boats
• Water Sports Boats

Carolina Boat Club

Creating lifelong memories is the goal of the Carolina Boat Club, located on Lake Wylie, SC. This club offers several membership plans to accommodate your individual needs and requirements!

Carolina Boat club claims that they offer the lowest member-to-boat ratio in the boating club industry, so reserving a boat at short notice may be more possible with a membership here.

Their fees range from $3,300 – $4,900 per year, but come with many amenities and huge fleets of ships.

With their specially designed online boat reservation system, finding a boat to suit your needs is often quick and easy. They offer training for boat club members of all experience levels.

Related Article: Boat Clubs in Fort Lauderdale: 6 Clubs to Know (Before Deciding)

The Carolina Boat Club Fleet Consists of:

• Cruiser Boats

Destination Boat Club

Destination Boat Club considers itself to be much more than just a boating club. Their lake lifestyle involves family, friends, freedom and the joyful pursuit of relaxation. The owners and operators know that you have high expectations and do their best to maintain safe, clean and readily available boats from their varied, national fleet.

Once a member pays their one-time initiation fee, there are different tiers of monthly due memberships ( starting at $199 per month ) available. This is all you need for access to fun on the water. As their slogan states, “Just get a boat and go.”

Fun on the water isn’t the only perk enjoyed by members of this club. This destination also offers delicious meals at their indoor and outdoor restaurants. They also provide fully stocked bars for a sunset cocktail or to wind down the day with friends.

As an added bonus, Destination Boat Clubs offer accessible options for an all-inclusive experience for every member of your family.

Related Article: Boat Clubs In Los Angeles: 7 Clubs You Should Know

Freedom Boat Club

If you are looking for a nostalgic membership in the oldest boat club in the United States, Freedom Boat Club was the first. Founded in 1889, the club continues to execute on its simple model of delivering recreational boating as hassle-free as possible to its members.

The club was purchased by an investment group, but two of the investors realized its true value as a private organization and they bought the club back in 2011.

The club has grown to more than 190 locations in the United States and in Canada. This means that membership in this club can be used in far more locations that the one nearest your own home.

Related Article: Boat Clubs in Bermuda: 5 Boat Clubs You Should Know

James Island Yacht Club

Perhaps the second oldest boat club in America, this club was founded in 1898. This club claims that it is “The Best Club on the Charleston Harbor” and if the membership waitlist is any indication of just how popular this club is, then you may want to get on the list now. At the time of this writing, there are nearly 100 names on their membership waitlist, with prices starting from $199/month!

Membership in this club gives you access to many various activities throughout the year. There are sailing events, fishing tournaments, BBQ Cook-offs, and tennis clinics when it is time to get off the water.

For more insight into the club activities, visit their website and check out the monthly newsletter archives.

Related Article: Boat Clubs in Boston: 5 Clubs You Should Know

Lake Murray Boat Club

“Making memories with your family and friends” is the ultimate goal of the Lake Murray Boat Club.

Membership fees range from $2495 to $3450 annually and are billed monthly at $289-$408 per month based on membership level.

You don’t have to worry about maintenance, insurance, ownership, storage, or licensing because Lake Murray Boat Club takes care of all of that for you. All you are responsible for are the monthly dues for one of the three membership plans you desire, and to have fun on the water.

Membership with Lake Murray Boat Club includes:

• Full Coverage Insurance for Members and their guests
• Social events
• Reciprocal guest privileges at other Nautical Boat Clubs
• All privileges of Lake Murray Marina & Yacht Club slip holders

The Lake Murray Boat Club Fleet is made up of the variety of vessels you would expect from a top-notch club.

The Lake Murray Boat Club Fleet Consists of:

• Sport Boats (20’ and 27’)

Membership plans include a one-time initiation fee and monthly dues. With your membership, you will not only gain access to clean, safe, quality boats, but you will also be able to access free fishing gear, boating instruction, and full-coverage insurance. If this group sounds interesting to you, call them soon as they do have limited membership availability.

Related Article: How Much Do Yacht Club Memberships Cost? 5 Examples

Nautical Boat Club

Nautical Boat Club claims to be “America’s favorite Boating Country Club.”

Membership for Nautical Boat Club requires a one-time fee (ranging from $995 – $5,995 depending on your needs). Once set up, your regular monthly dues (and some money for your gas) are all you need to have some great fun on the water with family and friends!

The Nautical Boat Club touts a 97% availability-rate for boat reservations. This is an impressive number and almost guarantees that there will be a boat ready for you when you want one.

Whether you are looking for a thrill or calm, relaxing cruise, all you need to be sure of a fun day of boating is a simple online reservation. At the end of the day, all you have to do is pay for the gas you used and the friendly staff will take care of the rest.

Membership with Nautical Boat Club includes:

• Unlimited boat use (300+ days of the year)
• Free guest privileges;
• Complimentary use of water toys (skis, tubes, wakeboards, vests and more)
• Premium dockside valet service

As an added bonus to keep members excited about their annual memberships, the club purchases new model boats each and every year. Each model boat also comes with an experienced trainer to help you to understand the different features and capabilities of the model you choose.

Plum Branch Yacht Club

Compared to some of the other clubs on this list, the Palm Branch Yacht Club may seem like a relative newcomer. It began in 1996 but has since earned a reputation as a top-notch club that knows how to treat their members, not as guests, but as family.

Plum Branch pricing information requires email sign-up and therefore is not available on this list.

Their facilities include far more than a parking lot and a boat dock. This is a resort-style club with RV camping sites and permanent summer homes. Another amenity on the resort is their restaurant called the Lakeside Grill which is a popular spot for delicious seafood.

This resort also includes fun activities for the children so that the entire family gets to enjoy their vacation-like stay at Plum Branch. In addition, Plum Branch, in collaboration with 4H and Clemson University. In this program, children experience the unique lake environment and healthy management of fish and the water that boaters love.

Fun and Annual Events Include:

• Boat Parade
• Easter Egg Hunts
• Halloween Costume Parties
• Jet Ski Fishing Tournament
• Wounded Warrior Concerts

South Carolina Yacht Club

Hilton Head Island is a premier vacationing and resorts location and it simply wouldn’t be the same without the South Carolina Yacht Club. It all started in 1989 with a special black-tie event attended by 700 guests.

The design of the club itself brings back memories of the “in” place to be for popular residents and visitors to Hilton Head Island. Beautiful art, ceramics, and décor bring the club to life and nearly take visitors back in time.

Of course, boating is the central theme of this yacht club, but attention to detail and an ambiance of elegant life on the island create a special sense of charm, unlike most boat clubs.

Because the island is a paradise resort, the amenities of the South Carolina Yacht Club match or exceed other resort offerings.

• Harbor Racing
• Junior Sailing Program
• Special Midwinter Championship Event
• Sports Center and Pros
• Tailored Children’s Programs

Final Thoughts

One of these boat clubs is likely to offer you the best value for your individual needs as well as your various activity and experience levels. The cost of membership is also an incredibly important factor in deciding which boat club is for you.

Because these fees vary greatly and can change without notice, it is best that you contact each club for their individual membership pricing plans.

Whichever one you choose; you are just a few steps away from having fun on the water!

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An Endless Summer in South Carolina’s Lowcountry—With a Guest Appearance by Stan Smith (the Man, Not the Shoe)

I’m usually doing a lot of coping around this time of year: As a massive tennis fan—both the watching and the playing—the season generally winds down after the (just-concluded) US Open . And as for my game? While it’s really just hitting its stride, I’ve already started planning out the indoor season. My wife and two kids, meanwhile, just want an escape—tennis or no tennis, just somewhere fun, active, un-boring… and warm.

Enter the South Carolina Lowcountry. I’d been hearing about it forever from friends, and one particular part of it—Hilton Head Island—has been imprinted on my psyche since my tender years. Growing up land-locked in the midwest, I was an avid reader of Tennis magazine, and each month I’d marvel at the ads in the back for various tennis camps, tennis vacations, tennis instruction—seemingly all of which (or so I remember it) were located in this mysterious place called Hilton Head. When I then had the chance to meet the former US Open and Wimbledon champion Stan Smith—yes, the guy with the shoe—out at the Open, and he invited me to come down to Hilton Head to hit with him, it seemed like destiny.

First things first, though: The flight from New York to Savannah, Georgia is quick—two hours and small change—and a brief car ride delivered us to the Montage Palmetto Bluff . Any remaining traces of the much-overrated “real world” disappeared almost instantly the moment the car turned onto long, lazy streets cascaded with trees hanging Spanish moss. Soon deposited into our sprawling three-story brick home (like most things here, a newish build that hearkens back to various Southern architecture tropes) in the middle of Wilson Village, we dropped our stuff and headed out to grab rental bikes and a golf cart (the main mode of transportation around the 20,000 acres—much of it a protected nature conservancy—which comprise the property, which also contains 32 miles of waterfront property).

The vibe of the entire place is, of course, an extension of all that: Laid-back (but not lazy) and superbly appointed Southern luxury, the tempo slow and low, all white picket fences, riverfront cottages, porches made for napping or sipping lemonade. And while I normally bristle a bit at attempts to create complete high-end utopian environments to escape into (as opposed to finding your own creative way amid a sea of high-low options), let’s be honest: Most dream-vacation faux-communities don’t work as seamlessly, or as effortlessly, as everything does here. There’s an impressively large Inn, replete with library, with smores-ready fire pits tucked in behind it; there’s a host of dining options, from grab-and-go casual to sit-down casual Buffalo’s—our go-to lunch spot, with freshly caught seafood and produce from the resort’s gardens—to the slightly higher-end Octagon, inside the Inn (the perfect place for, say, grownups to dine on a grilled-peach salad and shrimp and grits which keeping an eye on the kids making the aforementioned smores) to the River House (and the speakeasy hidden away below it, but more on that later).

Unlike some Southern-style rambles I’ve taken elsewhere, though, despite all of the great indulgences at our disposal, I didn’t simply revert to rich, food-coma indulgences or nap-filled afternoons. Whether this is a result of having kids to entertain or simply because of the vast amount of opportunities to have some chill but active fun, we spent our days at Montage Palmetto Bluff doing stuff —our first morning saw us meet the resort’s resident naturalist, Cassie Beato, on a small, quiet Hinckley yacht for an on-board breakfast charcuterie while we learned all about the area’s abundant bird (including an assortment of owls and a bald eagle) and animal life (wild turkeys and deer, for starters) amid the maritime forest of oak and pine. If you were to ask my children today what they most remember from our entire vacation in the Low Country, they would tell you instantly: the moment when, while looking down the May River at a dock about 100 feet ahead of us on the port side of the yacht, we saw a large alligator that seemingly clocked us approaching, stalked its way to the end of the dock, slithered in the river, and headed—seemingly!—directly toward us. I know, I know: What happened? Absolutely nothing—we never saw the gator again.

If the afternoons didn’t see us climbing into and exploring a world-class rustic-chic treehouse, you’d find us in one or another of its pools. But there’s also an amazing kind of scavenger-hunt game that kept ours busy. Basically, they check in at the Montage Merits desk in the Inn, where they’re given a lanyard and a list of things to find, or do: think “catch a fish”; “make a s’more”; or “spot an owl” (two out of three ain’t bad for starters). With each victory comes a special pin to add to the lanyard; complete the lanyard and you become a kind of Eagle Scout of the place or some such (and perhaps they throw a parade in your honor—we’ll never know, as our kids came up just short after three days). My wife, meanwhile, earned her merits button at the sprawling Spa Montage by bravely enduring a 90-minute HydraFacial, emerging in radiant bliss.

I’m leaving out, of course, my own selfish, not-so-secret reason for being there: To ready and steady my tennis game before hitting with Stan Smith. Every morning—and mornings here, particularly very early mornings, are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, the dappled warm light beyond beautiful—I hopped into our golf cart and spun over to on-site Wilson Lawn & Racquet Club, equally out of a dream, with eight Har-Tru courts, all overseen by the club’s director, Martin Aviles. Who, truly, should be knighted, or given a kind of American-style Légion d’honneur, or something. Over the course of mere hours, Aviles—aside from overseeing a kind of bucolic and supremely at-ease tennis club out of a dream (the perfect scale, the perfect pro shop, an idyllic setting; I’ll stop here but could go on)—broke down my problematic forehand into constituent parts, improved every one of those parts, and then helped me reassemble it, fixing a nasty case of the yips with common sense and penetrating intuition.

How else to celebrate on our final night—other than, of course, dropping the kids off at an inventive playspace-meets-childcare operation, Paintbox, located on the second floor of the Inn. I assumed they were going to make some art, maybe watch a movie; I didn’t know they’d be exploring the property in the dark with their chaperone, making yet more s’mores, identifying more birds (and a few bugs), and otherwise having the time of their lives.

My wife and I, meanwhile, were dining on caviar and potato chips, crab cakes, strawberries and burrata salad, and rainbow trout (did I say something earlier about a food coma?), finishing with a rhubarb cheesecake, at the resort’s flagship restaurant, River House, before sneaking down below to Hush, that speakeasy, for a nightcap.

The grace note, before departing the next day, began with all of us standup paddleboarding, back on the May River. I mean the paddleboarding was great, for sure: epic views of glassy waters and distant forest, perfect weather, perfect conditions. But that was when a handful of dolphins decided to surface just a few feet out in front of us, playing and rolling around forever as we stood back, utterly in awe.

And so, on to Stan Smith—or, as his operation in nearby Hilton Head is known, the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy which, since 2002, has been working with talented junior players from around the world every day while they pursue studies and are housed elsewhere on the island. But we weren’t being housed elsewhere on the island. We stayed just around the corner from Stan’s academy, within the massive (and historic) Sea Pines Resort , in a large three-story house (even grading on the curve that comes from New York-sized apartments, the sheer scale of this was hilarious—there were entire wings of the house that we barely ventured into) on the back nine of a golf course, mere feet away from the coast.

Sea Pines has its origins in the late 1950s, when a man named Charles Fraser—inspired by the harbor of Portofino, Italy—set about attracting a new kind of tourism that prioritized environmental concerns and focused on active recreation, both novel concepts at the time. (Fraser also encouraged his employees to picnic with their families and play tennis in the middle of the day, among many other forward-thinking qualities.) When Fraser caught the 1970s golf and tennis boom earlier than almost anyone else, Sea Pines quickly became known as a pioneer in development, influencing the design and management of resorts around the world.

Today, Sea Pines retains this laid-back, out-of-time ambiance—more Spanish moss, more glistening light between towering live oaks—while providing the resolutely of-the-moment comforts of luxury homes scattered across 5,000 acres (or a smorgasbord of room options at the Inn & Club at Harbourtown, more centrally located amidst dining and entertainment options). We showed up to find an array of bicycles—each sized perfectly for each member of the family—in a rack outside the house, and within minutes I was helping my son learn to ride his bike (and avoid those pesky alligators that he feared but that we, thankfully, never saw) on the paths winding around that golf course. In the late afternoon, we all jumped into the nearby pool, which—save one solitary figure—we had to ourselves.

Once dried off, we headed down to the local marina and climbed aboard an 80-foot motor yacht, Top Shelf , for a sunset dinner cruise around the local waters. Heading out of the estuary, we spotted scores and scores of dolphins behind us, jumping into the sun and disappearing again. Before dinner, with a vague kind of adult supervision and perhaps a blessing, I performed a ceremonial leap from atop the yacht’s roof into the sea far down below; emerging unscathed, I then declared it dinner time. (Steaks for me, sea bass for my wife, and the world’s greatest chicken nuggets for the kids.) Unsuprisingly, everybody slept very well that night.

The next morning, Hilton Head Social Bakery —a French bakery on a Southern resort island—delivered a basket full of croissants and tarts and brioche, the rest of the family headed off to the pool, and I walked over to see Stan Smith.

Smith, en route to winning Wimbledon in 1972.

There may never be a man better suited to his environs than Smith—upon early inspection one of the world’s most mellow, most affable, and most accomplished men—seemed to be suited to Sea Pines. “I just came down once and fell in love with the place, like everybody does,” Smith told me when I asked how he ended up here. “I signed as a touring pro at Sea Pines Resort, and I've been that ever since—and then we started this academy 20 years ago. Our goal is to get our kids to a college that’s appropriate for their tennis and their academics—we’ve had Ivy Leaguers; we’ve had players going to the very, very highest tennis-level schools.∏ (One of those players, Jessie Pegula, has been doing okay—she played in the US Open final this year and is one of the best women in the world.)

Aside from his Adidas-related fame (his acclaimed recent book, Some People Think I’m A Shoe , with a foreword by Pharrell Williams, is gorgeous and revelatory), Smith’s life as a tennis pro spans an incredible, historic period in the game: He’s played Don Budge, René Lacoste, and Fred Perry and Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, and John McEnroe.

Now, though, he’s about to play me—far removed from my boyhood life playing tennis 24/7, I’m now one of those once-a-week scramblers still madly in love with the game even if their strokes aren’t quite scaring anyone anymore. As we walk out to the courts at the academy, I ask him if there’s one big thing that he’s diagnosed after teaching kids for decades how to play better—some magic secret or inside information that he could pass on.

“The biggest problem,” he told me, with a straight face, “is that people aren’t playing every day. And if you're not playing a lot and not in great shape, after a while things are going to break down.”

I’ll spare you a retelling of what happened out on the court with Smith. Suffice to say that his easygoing nature—and his extreme expertise—were on regular display, saving both my ego and my vanity, and that I learned to tweak some fundamental aspects of my game from a former number-one-in-the-world champion, who seemed to never cease smiling. My son—he normally shies away from playing—even showed up from the nearby pool to hit with another teaching member of the Smith Stearns staff on an adjacent court. Soon my wife and daughter—neither of them tennis fans—showed up as well, and we all found ourselves on the court with Smith, chatting and swinging.

I mean, sure—my kids still think of him now as the shoe guy. But one day they’ll understand?

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south carolina yacht club

Kids Programs at SCYC

The South Carolina Yacht Club offers Tennis & Swim Camp and Junior Sailing Camp each summer.

Click on the links below to download more information. 

Junior Sailing Summer Programs

The Junior Sailing Program at SCYC is established as the premier sailing program for Hilton Head Island juniors. Five levels of instruction are offered - Guppies, Learn to Sail, Intermediate, Optimist Development Team and Optimist Race Team. The entire SCYC Junior Sailing Staff is US Sailing certified. 

The ONLINE application to sign up for 2023 Summer Junior Sailing Camps is available now. As soon as it is available, it will be posted here. Please click here for the flyer, or contact the Club's Yachting Director, Mark Newman, at 843-342-BOAT for more details. 

Tennis Summer Camp

Camp is offered for juniors ages 7 to 14. We look forward to introducing new players to the basics of tennis, including good fundamentals, scoring, and tennis etiquette. For the more advanced juniors, we will continue the development of their footwork and balance, stroke production, and point playing. All juniors will be divided according to age and ability.

To register, or for more information,  contact the Pro Shop at 843-681-3100, or email [email protected]

Summer Swimming Lessons

Detail for Summer swimming lessons to be announced soon!