PETERSEN’S PLAYBOOK — Travel Health, ER Insights & Smart Vacation Planning
Myrtle Beach Health Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Family beach and golf capital — sun, water, and long rounds are the things to manage.
Myrtle Beach at a glance
Myrtle Beach anchors the 60-mile Grand Strand — family beaches, boardwalks, and more golf courses than almost anywhere in America.
Top 5 healthy things to do in Myrtle Beach
- Walk the Myrtle Beach boardwalk and promenade
- Swim and bodyboard the gentle surf
- Bike the beach paths early
- Huntington Beach State Park trails and birding
- Paddle the salt marsh
Best golf in Myrtle Beach
This is the Golf Capital of the World — Caledonia, TPC Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Resort, and the Dunes Club are bucket-list rounds. Hydrate every few holes in summer.
Healthy eats
Fresh Lowcountry seafood and shrimp beat the all-you-can-eat fried buffets.
Common vacation health risks in Myrtle Beach
- Sunburn and heat illness
- Dehydration
- Jellyfish stings
- Swimmer’s ear
- Foodborne illness
- Golf-related heat exhaustion
- UTIs
- Alcohol-related illness
Dr. Petersen’s take
“Golfers surprise themselves here — five hours in Carolina humidity with a beer cart instead of water, and they’re dizzy by the back nine. Alternate water with everything and you’ll finish strong.”
— Dr. Erik Petersen, DO, board-certified emergency & internal medicine
Closest emergency rooms
For a true emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER. Grand Strand Medical Center (809 82nd Pkwy, Myrtle Beach) is the main hospital ER, with freestanding ERs up and down the Strand.
Closest urgent care & pharmacy
CVS and Walgreens are all along Kings Hwy and US-17; call ahead for overnight. (Hours and locations change — please call ahead to confirm.)
What to pack
- Prescription medications (original bottles + a list)
- EpiPen and rescue inhalers
- Reef-safe sunscreen (SPF 30+) and a hat
- Electrolyte packets
- Anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal medication
- Basic first-aid and blister care
If you get sick in Myrtle Beach
If illness strikes on your Myrtle Beach trip, Vacation Medicine provides virtual urgent care from licensed physicians — right from your hotel or rental. We treat UTIs, sinus and skin infections, pink eye, nausea and diarrhea, allergies, dehydration, and medication-refill emergencies.
Call Vacation Medicine: 850-660-3112 — Seen in minutes. Followed for a week.
Book a Virtual Visit – $100 Flat Fee →
Local hidden gems
- Best quiet sand: Huntington Beach State Park
- Best morning: a sunrise walk before the boardwalk wakes up
More Healthy Traveler guides: guide · guide
