Myrtle Beach Golf News

Golf Course Review: Water, Design Make Man O'War Memorable

2011-09-21T17:56:10Z

When Man O’War Golf Club was under construction, nothing was left to chance. The subsoil under the greens sites was customized to each location and wind studies were conducted to maximize air flow around the course.

Part of the exhaustive research owner Claude Pardue oversaw revealed that even though the property didn’t have any native water, it did have an unusually high water table, a discovery that led to the construction of one of the most unique Myrtle Beach golf courses.
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“We found this property in 1993 and it didn’t have a square inch of water on it,” Pardue said. “But if we dug a four feet deep hole, it was a foot under water, and that gave us the opportunity to build a course around a lake.”

As a result, Pardue built a 107-acre lake that is Man O’War’s centerpiece. Architect Dan Maples then sculpted a one-of-a-kind design from the land.

Man O’War is renowned for its back-to-back island greens on holes 14 and 15. It’s believed to be the only course in the world with consecutive island greens, but they are far from the only memorable holes

The middle part of the course is its strength. Man O’War regulars refer to the par 5 eighth and the par 4 ninth and 10th holes as Amen Corner. It’s a tough but fair stretch.

The ninth - an island hole - is another unique Maples creation. After teeing off on the mainland, golfers take a bridge to the fairway and don’t exit until they cross the bridge coming off the green.

It’s classic Man O’War - unique, scenic but not overly penal as the fairway is the course’s widest.

Water is visible nearly everywhere but it isn’t overwhelming, assuming you don’t allow yourself to be psyched out. The fairways at Man O’War are among the widest on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, and long, forced carries are at a minimum.

The abundance of water also nearly removes two longstanding problems for golfers - woods and pine straw. There are a limited number of trees at Man O’War and the course is mowed from wall-to-wall.

The set of tees players opt to play from is an important consideration. Man O’War has four sets of tees though the vast majority of golfers don’t play from the tips (7,000 yards).

That leaves men with the option of playing the 6,400-yard regular tees or the 5,729-yard senior tees. Most men are loathe to move up, but if you are a 20-handicap, do yourself a favor and play from the senior tees.

The test remains significant and you won’t have to over-swing in an attempt to reach greens.

Speaking of greens, Man O’War’s are among the area’s best and largest.

Pardue spared no expense in preparing his course for great bentgrass greens. When Man O’War was built, he brought in a specialist from the University of Massachusetts to create a unique subsoil for each green, insuring prime growing conditions.

“My idea was to make it as perfect an environment as you could make in Myrtle Beach for bentgrass,” Pardue said.

Mission accomplished.

Part of the plan also included greens that average 10,000-square feet and are as large as 13,000-square feet. The size of the greens gives the course multiple pinning areas which helps reduce wear.

The Verdict: Man O’War is creative, it’s fun and it’s always well maintained. The water might seem intimidating, but it’s abundantly fair. The course is visually appealing and a lot of fun to play. There is always plenty to talk about in the clubhouse after a round at Man O’War. If you don’t believe us, try it!

Three Best Holes at Man O'War Golf Club

2011-09-21T15:52:11Z

Man O’War Golf Club is built around a 107-acre lake, has consecutive island greens, and a stretch locals refer to as Amen Corner. Identifying the three best holes at the Dan Maples layout is a matter of taste as opposed to consensus.

With that in mind, course owner Claude Pardue shared his three favorite holes, and they are, not surprisingly, long on water and challenges.

No. 9, 433-yard, par 4 - In the middle of a three-hole stretch Man O’War refers to as its Amen Corner, the ninth is as unique as it is challenging.

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It’s an island hole, meaning it’s completely surrounded by water. The fairway is 100 yards wide, though it doesn’t appear that way from the tee which can make for a daunting tee shot.

The ninth plays into the prevailing wind and often plays like a par 5.

“It’s a beautiful hole, but in my opinion it’s the toughest hole on the course,” Pardue said.

No. 12, 423-yard, par 4 - Another substantial par 4, water runs up the right side of the 12th hole and surrounds three sides of the green. A large, fairway bunker provides a buffer between the fairway and water on the right and the distance from the regular (395 yards) and senior (367 yards) tees mitigates some of the length.

A straight tee shot is critical because the fairway narrows in the optimum landing spot 130 yards from a large green.

No. 16, 367-yard, par 4 - A shortish par 4, Man O’War presents risk-reward opportunities on the 16th. The conservative play is to take a 3-wood (or whatever you hit 220-235 yards) off the tee and find the wider part of the fairway.

It’s more challenging to make birdie from that spot, but the risk of a big number is reduced. Players with a little gambler in them can pound the ball off the tee to get closer to the green, but water on the right side becomes a factor the further your drive travels.

“You can layup, but there are huge rewards the closer you get to the green,” Pardue said. “Those are the type of holes I love.”

What is your favorite hole at Man O’War?

Photo Gallery: Man O'War Golf Club

2011-09-21T15:45:15Z

Man O'War Golf Club, built around a 107-acre lake, offers a surplus of visual appeal and a pair of island greens. The Dan Maples design has been sending golfers home happy since its 1996 opening. Enjoy a look at Myrtle Beach's only lake course.

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Restaurant Review: Gulfstream Cafe Has Room with a View, Food to Match

2011-09-19T17:49:52Z

There are more than 1,000 restaurants along the Grand Strand, and Gulfstream Cafe is almost universally regarded as one of the best.

Gulfstream is located beside Marlin Quay Marina, just south of the Garden City Connector, and much like Myrtle Beach, it’s an ideal blend of quality and casual. Specializing in seafood and steak, Gulfstream provides an outstanding dining experience and unforgettable views of Murrells Inlet.

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Cost: $10-$30 per entree

Atmosphere: Casual. Seating is available indoors or outdoors.

What We Recommend: With all due respect to the various cuts of steak on the menu - both the filet and New York strip looked outstanding - you have to eat seafood at a restaurant that overlooks a marina.

Gulfstream’s specialties offer a stream of winners. The lowcountry crab cakes, which feature huge chunks of crab meat covered in a creole remoulade sauce, are outstanding (even residents of Maryland agree!).

The king crab legs, served with drawn butter, are very good and who doesn’t like to think they are keeping the boys of the Deadliest Catch gainfully employed.

But the best item on the menu, by one man’s estimation, is the grouper francais. Grouper fillets are dipped in Parmesan batter, topped with a lemon butter sauce, and sauteed to perfection. It’s a hardy dish that pleases the most discriminating of pallets.

One of Gulfstream’s most popular side dishes is its garlic mash potatoes. They are delicious, but consider yourself warned: there is an abundance of garlic and butter. For one night, consider it worth the price your arteries pay.

On the appetizer menu, here is a vote for the N’awlins shrimp, which are served over a cheesy grits cake and topped with a spicy gravy. For those from outside the area, do yourself a favor and try the grits cake.

The Verdict: Gulfstream lives up to its lofty reputation. The food is excellent and its exceeded only by the views - there isn’t a better place on the Grand Strand to watch the sunset. If your group is looking for a more moderately priced dinner, stop by for a drink and an appetizer on the deck. Gulfstream won’t disappoint.

Nature Valley's Tips From Pro: Hit It Fat, and Get Out of That Bunker!

2011-09-19T15:16:51Z

In this installment of Nature Valley's Tips From the Pro, Brad Redding, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers and the director of instruction at Grande Dunes Golf Academy, shows you how to get out of a bunker. Hint, hit it fat!

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Eagle Nest Soars On Strength Of Finishing Holes

2011-09-16T11:43:48Z

By Nick Nicholas

Golfers will find the finish at Eagle Nest Golf Club can lead to new beginnings. Three unforgettable challenges allure players of all talents.

This 4-star Golf Digest ``Best Places to Play’’ selection and old hand among the Golf Capital of the World’s many outstanding courses is recognized for having three of the toughest finishing holes on the Grand Strand.

Eagle Nest opened two years after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Forty years later course architect Gene Hamm’s venerable design – complete with a renovation upgrade a few years ago – continues to triumph over golf’s space-age technology.

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You’ve heard of the 1927 New York Yankees’ Murder’s Row. Among Myrtle Beach golf courses, Eagle Nest has its own Murder’s Row.

Nos. 16-18 each has lengthy forced carries over water and all three have fairways winding through giant Carolina pines. The 16th is a par-4 that seems to play longer than its 449-yard listed distance. Next is a three- or more likely for mere mortals a four-shot 616-yard par-5.

Take an extra club on the 185-yard, par 3 home hole over water as well.

Grand Strand courses and Champions Tour tested The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Tournament Players Club Myrtle Beach are each known for tough finishes. But visitors to Myrtle Beach may discover that trying to tame the Eagle Nest trio is just as difficult.

The remainder of the 6,901 layout isn’t simply a day at the beach. Water comes into play on eight additional holes.

Also making the course popular are its player-friendly rates and prime playing conditions. Birdie watchers can spot Eagle Nest off Highway 17 within an easy drive to the Barefoot Resort, Restaurant Row, a trip Calabash, N.C. and its unique way with culinary delights and of course, the 60 miles of beach voted among the country’s top 10 by U.S. News & Travel.

Campbell Wins First Golfweek Program Challenge in Sudden Death Playoff

2011-09-14T00:58:47Z

The first Golfweek Program Challenge, a one-of-a-kind college tournament that invited 12 schools to bring their men’s and women’s team to the Myrtle Beach area, produced a memorable finish and a surprise champion.

The tournament crowned team and individual winners but what set the event apart was the Program Challenge championship, which was awarded to the school whose men’s and women’s teams had the lowest combined scores.

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After 54 holes of competition, East Carolina and Campbell were tied atop the Program Challenge leaderboard. Instead leaving with co-champions, both schools selected two person teams – one man, one woman – for a sudden death, alternate shot playoff at Caledonia Golf Fish & Club, which hosted the women’s competition.

The Campbell team of Mitch Gray and Michelle Koh made par on the first playoff hole, No. 18, to best the East Carolina duo of Julia Strandberg and David Watkins by a stroke.

The Program Challenge win capped a great week for Campbell, whose men’s team was a surprise winner. (Complete Men's Results)

The Camels, led by freshman Andrew Gai, who finished second in the individual competition, recorded a team score of -31 under par over 54 holes at True Blue Golf Plantation, good for a seven-stroke victory over second place finishers Jacksonville State and South Florida. Gai, playing in his first collegiate tournament, shot a first round 64, and finished -13 under par.

Impressive as Gai was, he wasn’t the best newcomer in the field. Jacksonville State freshman Tomasz Anderson shot a 67 in round 3 to finish -15 under par and win individual medalist honors.

On the women’s side, Strandberg, who finished third individually, led East Carolina to an eight-stroke victory over James Madison. (Complete Women's Results)

South Florida’s Christina Miller won medalist honors with a -5 under par effort.

The victory and Strandberg’s effort were particularly gratifying for Pirates, who have now won at least one tournament for 12 consecutive seasons. Strandberg, who opened with a 68, has battled back injuries and the third place finish was the best of her career.

“It’s unbelievable,” East Carolina coach Kevin Williams told Golfweek. “I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it feels to pull for someone so hard for three years and see it finally pay off.”

Player Friendly Layout Makes Crow Creek Fly

2011-09-12T14:05:07Z

By Nick Nicholas

Crow Creek Golf Club is relatively new among the Golf Capital of the World’s fairway of choices, but the Crow Creek name carries an outstanding reputation.

Word of mouth continues to grow, pushing Crow Creek’s status to a larger audience taking aim on its North Strand location.

Open for play in 2000, Crow Creek developed into an instant hit. Golf Digest nominated it as a candidate for America’s top new public course and it eventually became a four-star success. A one-time partner of the Jack Nicklaus architect team, Rick Robbins designed Crow Creek.

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Robbins is one of golf’s top architects, fastening his signature to courses worldwide including seven new pending facilities in China.

Robbins carved Crow Creek amid a stunning, unscathed piece of property two miles from the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Crow Creek’s standing as a ``must play’’ course on the Grand Strand developed in part because of near flawless greens. The L-93 bentgrass surfaces continue to be recognized as some of the area’s best.

Moreover, excellent conditions from tee to green complement Crow Creek’s easy on the eyes and blade putting surfaces.

The course can be stretched to more than 7,100 yards. While its length could challenge Myrtle Beach’s favorite son and PGA Tour standout Dustin Johnson, Crow Creek has the ability to transform itself into a player-friendly course. Six different teeing areas create a unique opportunity for players of all levels. There are two different starting points for senior men and women.

Crow Creek has approximately 90 bunkers and water on nearly every hole, but the hazards, despite their abundance, don’t overwhelm players. The yawning waste bunkers and water define holes, clearly showing golfers where the ball should and shouldn’t be hit.

Crow Creek’s greens are typically open in front, allowing players to run the ball up, but that avenue is only available to those in the fairway.

Great Greens! Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Reopen

2011-09-09T18:35:45Z

Fall golf season is nearly upon us and the eight Myrtle Beach area layouts that installed new greens this summer will be ready to welcome golfers.

Each of the eight courses installed an ultradwarf Bermuda grass that replicates the best qualities of bentgrass while thriving during the warm summer months in Myrtle Beach.

The most popular of the new ultradwarf grasses are Champion and MiniVerde and they were the grasses of choice for Myrtle Beach courses again this summer.

]]> The Norman and Fazio courses at Barefoot Resort installed Champion Bermuda, as did River Club. The virtues of Champion were on display for a national audience this summer because Atlanta Athletic Club, host of the PGA Championship, uses the grass.

The Avocet Course at Wild Wing, the West Course at Myrtle Beach National, Quail Creek, and Pearl's East Course and Lion’s Paw at Ocean Ridge Plantation all installed MiniVerde. A course with MiniVerde has never hosted the major championship but it has received raves from the world’s best golfers as the surface of choice at TPC Sawgrass and East Lake, home of the Tour Championship.

Because the ultradwarf grasses thrive in the summer heat, they take root quickly and provided an outstanding putting surface upon reopening.

“It’s growing in its growing season,” Max Morgan, the director of golf course maintenance for Myrtle Beach National, said. “People like firm fast greens, and they are going to love Myrtle Beach this fall.”
Six of the seven courses that installed new greens have reopened, with the one exception being Quail Creek, which will reopen on October 3. Quail Creek, a Coastal Carolina University owned layout, is doing more extensive course work than the other layouts.

In addition to new greens, Quail Creek is lengthening the 16th hole, redoing its bunkers and moving the second and 18th greens closer to water. Quail Creek is also substantially improving its practice facilities, increasing its putting green to 12,000 square feet, and creating a short-game practice area.

The Pearl's East Course is installing new MiniVerde greens as well and will be reopening on October 1.

Golf 9/12 to Promote Rememberance, Unity, Engagement

2011-09-08T19:27:15Z

The Golf 9/12 project is as ambitious as it is noble, and numerous high-powered names have lined up to help make the initiative a success.

The goal of Golf 9/12 is to use golf as a catalyst to help recapture the unity most felt the day after the 9/11 terror attacks. The event will take place on, you guessed it, Monday, September 12 and it will feature a “live” tournament with players from across the United States participating.

Players can enter the event by making a $12 charitable donation and downloading a live scoring application that allows them to “compete” against players from across the nation. The app will let players enter scores from any course in America, challenge their friends, and compare scores with fellow golfers on the live leaderboard.

]]> Though players will compete in the world’s largest multi-course tournament, Golf 9/12 isn’t about competition.

Golf 9/12 hopes to establish a legacy that will help future generations uphold values that were so evident following the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history.

“What Golf 9/12 is about is getting people to unite, getting people to play golf with their friends, with their colleagues,” CEO Johan Immelman said while in Myrtle Beach for the Golf.com World Am. “It will all be done in the spirit of unity and driving this incredible spirit of freedom we all hold so dearly.”

Founded by Immelman, the father of 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman, the Golf 9/12 project counts Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino, 2009 U.S. Open winner Lucas Glover, 1997 PGA Championship winner Davis Love III and Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen among the big names who have thrown their support behind the project.

Golfers who are unable to play on September 12 can support the project through the purchase of a Swing Thought Golf 9/12 Unite band. All profits from the bands go directly to Golf 9/12.

Funds raised through the Golf 9/12 event and the 9/12 Unity Dinners will be used to support charities from four different categories. The charitable recipients will include 9/11 Memorial Funds, Local First Responders, Armed Forced Charities, and Friends of Freedom Charities.

Man O'War: 5 Things You Need To Know

2011-09-07T19:52:02Z

Claude Pardue, owner of the three Mystical Golf courses - Man O’War, The Witch and The Wizard – likes to say all golfers know beauty, and his layouts deliver it in spades, particularly Man O’War.

The Dan Maples design features and abundance of scenery and, not coincidentally, fans. The course, with a 107-acre lake as its centerpiece, is one of the Myrtle Beach area’s most recognizable. Before you tee it up at Man O’War, here are five things you need to know:

1. H2O is King: All 18 holes feature water, but before you pack a mask and snorkel, understand that it isn’t overly penal. On most holes, the water enhances the ascetics and only collects shots that are significantly offline. The course’s fairways are generous, by any definition, and you shouldn’t lose an inordinate number of balls so enjoy the view.

]]> 2. Back-to-Back: Man O’War is the only course in Myrtle Beach and is believed to be the only one in North America with back-to-back island greens. The island green 14th and 15th holes provide take-home memories for everyone that tees it up. Enjoy the challenge and let us know if you hit both greens in regulation.

3. Built For Bent: Man O’War has long had some of the area’s best greens for a simple reason: the course was designed to create an ideal environment for bentgrass. The layout is open, which helps generate maximum air flow, and the subsoil under each green was customized for that particular location on the course, insuring each green has the conditions to thrive, even during the warm summer months.

4. Even The Trees: At Man O’War, trees are sparse and grass grows between them, meaning pine straw is nonexistent. The course is mowed from wall-to-wall, which helps promote pace of play because players shouldn’t have to look hard for their ball. If it’s not in the grass, it’s wet.

5. Green Movement: The greens at Man O’War are among the area’s largest, averaging 10,000-square feet per putting surface. The greens don’t have the severe undulation of some of Maples’ other designs, but instead feature subtle break that is just as challenging. The greens are a great test and a significant part of the course’s charm.

Bobby Perkinson Repeats as Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Champion

2011-09-02T22:25:43Z

Bobby Perkinson of Alcoa, Tn., shot a gross 74 and a net 70 at TPC Myrtle Beach to defend his title at the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

Perkinson is the first player in the 28-year history of the World Am to win the title twice, and he earned it with a strong par on his closing hole the ninth, TPC’s toughest. Perkinson unsheathed a 7-wood in the middle of the ninth fairway and delivered the shot of the tournament when the ball came to a rest 10 feet from the cup.

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Perkinson ran the putt 5 feet by, but made the nervy comebacker for par, good for a net birdie, securing the title by a single stroke.

Perkinson bested a playoff field of 76 golfers on a sun splashed day in Myrtle Beach, besting three players tied for second at a net 1-under par. (FULL RESULTS)

Perkinson’s triumph capped an idyllic week at the 28th annual Golf.com World Am. After Hurricane Irene brushed the Grand Strand last weekend, the weather was nearly perfect as 3,000 golfers from 47 states and 25 countries came to Myrtle Beach to compete in the event.

A 3.5-handicap, Perkinson won flight 55 to advance to the World Championship Playoff.

The weather for this year’s event was perfect, with morning temperatures in the 60s and 70s and nary a drop of rain to be found.TPC Myrtle Beach, one of only three 5-star courses in the Carolinas and the host of the 2000 Senior Tour Championship, hosted the championship round for the second consecutive year.

Robert Whaley and Ron Arledge, both from Jacksonville, Fla., won the International Pairs event and along with it a trip to Scotland next year.

Scott Weaver of Portsmouth, Va. and Don Weaver of Mulberry, Fla. won the Cory Lemke Parent-Child Championship, a tournament for any combination of parent and child participating in the World Amateur. Before tragically losing his life in a 2006 motorcycle accident, Lemke competed in the World Am with his father, Mark Lemke and won his flight in 2002 at the age of 15.

The World Championship Playoff is the culmination of the Golf.com World Am, a 72-hole, net stroke play tournament. Players are arranged into flights according to their handicap and at the conclusion of the four rounds, all flight winners advanced to the 18-hole world championship playoff.

The World Am features five competitive divisions, ranging from men and women 49 years-of-age and under to the super seniors 70 years-of-age and older. Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

The World Am web site offers a daily glimpse at the World Am with updated standings, news releases and photographs from the 27th annual tournament. For more information on the 2010 GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, visit WorldAmGolf.com.

Always scheduled the week before Labor Day, the 28th annual GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship will be held August 27 – August 31, 2012.

Golf.com World Am: Follow the World Championship Playoff Live!

2011-09-02T13:44:59Z

The World Championship Playoff at the 2011 Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is underway. A field that started with 3,000 golfers has been narrowed to 80 as players compete for the right to be crowned world champion.

Grow The Game (GTG) Golf, a smart phone application and event management system that enables live scoring in a variety of formats, is providing live championship round scoring. GTG’s live scoring can be accessed via a web-connected computer and through a cross-platform smart phone application using mobile devices (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry) and via non-mobile devices including iPad, iTouch and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

To follow the final round of the World Am, go to www.gtggolf.com via computer or mobile device and register. Then, enter the event code: WORLDAM11 and join the event. The “Scorecard” tab will display real time individual hole-by-hole scorecards for the top 20 players of the World Am. The “Leaderboard” tab will display the real time leaderboard in gross and net formats for the entire field of the championship round.

LIVE SCORING

Photo Gallery: Golf.com World Am, Day 4

2011-09-02T13:17:12Z

The final day of flight play in the 2011 Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is in the books. Eighty players advanced to the World Championship Playoff, but not before David Feherty filled the World's Largest 19th Hole with laughs.

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David Feherty Headlines Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship in Myrtle Beach

2011-09-01T19:43:59Z

The final night of the 28th annual Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship has arrived and the tournament’s 3,000 participants can expect to leave with a smile on their face. Golf Magazine columnist and CBS television personality David Feherty is the event’s headlining entertainer for the second consecutive year.

One of golf’s wittiest voices, Feherty will bring his irreverent (and insightful) views on the game and life to the World’s Largest 19th Hole tonight.

]]> Last year Feherty regaled World Am players with tales from his life on the course and in the broadcast booth, lending star power and a surplus of laughs to the tournament.

Feherty played on both the European and PGA Tours, winning five times on the European circuit and twice finishing in the top 10 in the Order of Merit. He played two years on the PGA Tour, recording a second place finish at the New England Open. Feherty had three top 10 finishes in the Majors, including a fourth place effort at the 1994 British Open, and he played in the famed 1991 Ryder Cup, scoring 1.5 points.

In addition to his golf work, Feherty has become a tireless advocate for American troops wounded in combat (the link takes you to a must-read story), using his celebrity and humor to make a difference in the lives of people who have sacrificed dearly for our freedom.

A native of Northern Ireland, Feherty, who writes a popular monthly column for Golf Magazine, has also authored three best-selling books: A Nasty Bit of Rough, Somewhere in Ireland a Village Is Missing an Idiot, and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup.

Feherty, Annika Sorenstam and Jeff Gordon, among others, have headlined the entertainment at the 19th Hole.

The flight portion of the Golf.com World Am has been completed and all flight winners and ties will compete at TPC Myrtle Beach for the right to be crowned World Champion on Friday morning.

Enduring Friendships Formed at Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship

2011-09-01T18:13:11Z

They’ve called themselves the Myrtle Misfits, the Duffers and names that aren’t fit to print on a family website. Nothing has stuck. The only tag that has stuck to Victor Ferreira, Greg Davis, Dennis Navin and their group is a much more meaningful one: friends.

Following a round in the 1991 Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, the trio met at the hotel pool where they were staying and became friends faster than Michael Phelps swims an Olympic race. They come from different areas of the country and walks of life – Ferreira is from Scottsdale, Davis from Narrows, Va. and Navin from Tewksbury, Ma. – but the World Am and a love of golf helped start a 20-year friendship.

]]> “We all share a lot of the same values and interests,” Ferreira said. “We’ve been to see each other’s homes, met girlfriends, spouses, kids and there is a bond there now that can’t be broken.”

Ferreira, Davis and Navin, who joke that they are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, form the core of a group of buddies that stay in touch throughout the year with communication reaching a fever pitch in the months leading up to the tournament.

Trash is talked, bets are placed, and pride is on the line. One friend who was unable to attend this year has even been placing bets via phone to stay in touch with the action.

To make sure everyone knows what’s going on in the two condos the group share, Ferreira brings a printed leaderboard with everyone’s name and handicap. The leaderboard hangs on a condo wall, totaling up scores and serving as an unrelenting reminder of who is winning and losing their personal matches.

Great as is it is to claim bragging rights amongst the group, Ferreira accomplished an even more memorable first in 2010 – he won his flight and advanced to the World Championship Playoff at TPC Myrtle Beach. He was the first among the group to advance to the championship round and it’s a memory he won’t soon forget.

“You definitely come down for the fun and fellowship, but I was fortunate to win my flight,” said Ferreira. “For anybody who hasn’t come down here to play in this event, the thrill to win your flight and go to Friday, you can’t even describe the feeling of adrenaline, excitement. That’s a feeling I’ll never forget. That is one of my prized moments in all my time playing golf.”

When Ferreira advanced to the World Championship Playoff, several friends were there to watch, with one notable exception.

“I went to play golf,” a laughing Davis said. “I actually played well that day.”

Photo Gallery: Golf.com World Am, Day 3

2011-09-01T09:53:28Z

Wednesday was moving day at the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. Whether players rose up or fell down the leaderboard, everyone, again, enjoyed ideal conditions on the course and Charlie Rymer and Peter Kessler led the charge at the World's Largest 19th Hole.

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World Am Players Defy Mother Nature

2011-08-31T18:43:57Z

By Terry Massey

When Gary Skinner first heard about Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, he never considered scratching from the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

In fact, quite the contrary. The resident of Fredericksburg, Va., instead opted to head to the Grand Strand a week early, avoiding any conflict with the hurricane and doing some advanced scouting on the courses he is scheduled to play

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"I went through a lot of typhoons when I was in the Marines stationed in Southeast Asia, so I wasn't worried about the hurricane," he said. "I just didn't want to miss out on playing golf so I came down a week early and played all the courses I'm playing this week.

Skinner was one of the lucky tournament participants from the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic, many of whom had to scramble at the last minute to make it to Myrtle Beach on time for Monday's first round.

But not die-hards like David Goodison of Laurel, Md., who decided to drive down Interstate 95 Saturday night while Hurricane Irene was tearing her way up the coastline. He hopes it is his worst drive of the week

"I was coming down 95 and trees are falling down all over the place, the wind and rain were blowing sideways," he said. "I looked up and here came a billboard that had blown down and was crossing the interstate. I barely missed it, but I didn't want to miss this tournament.”

Players arrived Monday to find the courses in good shape, despite the 50 mph winds and 3-5 inches of rain the Grand Strand sustained over the weekend. But, of course, the early bird Skinner could have told his fellow participants that days ago.

Not only did he escape the wrath or Irene, but also the earthquake that struck near his hometown of Mineral, Va.

"My wife called all upset but everything was OK," he said. "I told her, 'Honey, there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'm right in the middle of my round.'”

For longtime World Am players like Skinner, it takes a lot more than an earthquake and a hurricane to keep him from hitting the Grand Strand's greens.

Photo Gallery: Golf.com World Am, Day 2

2011-08-31T18:28:29Z

The sun was shining on the golf course, and SI Golf Group brought some of the game's greatest writers to the World's Largest 19th Hole for a round table edition of PGA Tour Confidential. Here is Day 2 in pictures:

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World Record Holders, 28-Year Participants Help Headline Golf.com World Am Field

2011-08-30T20:31:27Z

Each year, the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship welcomes thousands of golfers from all over the globe for the world’s largest single-site golf tournament. This year, slightly more than 3,000 people from 47 states and 24 countries are competing for the right to become the World Am champion.

Among the thousands of participants are players who are record holders for being the oldest, youngest and most longevity.

]]> Peter Risser of Wooster, Ohio is the oldest player in this year’s tournament at 88 years old. This is the third time Risser has played in the World Am.

Richard Lewis of Dallas, Texas set a Guinness Book of World Record in 2010 by playing 611 rounds of golf in 2010. He will only have to play four rounds this week at the World Am, or perhaps five, if he wins his flight and qualifies for Friday’s championship round at TPC Myrtle Beach.

There are 13 gentlemen who have played in every World Am since it started in 1984. They are: Ken Brown of Lake Worth, Fla.; Paul Ciancanelli of De Motte, Ind.; Roger Fuller of Richmond, Texas (Fuller’s wife Linda is the 2009 World Am champion); Daniel Getter of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Russell Hobbs of Wesley Chapel, Fla.; Harry Pawlik of Winterville, N.C., Fred Pugh of Columbia, S.C.; David Riggs of Tampa, Fla.; Gerald States of Baden Penn.; Dean Tedder of Davie Fla.; and Bob and Don Yelton of Shelby, N.C.

Defending champion Bobby Perkinson of Alcoa, Tenn. returned to Myrtle Beach in an attempt to become the first person to win the World Am in consecutive years. There has never been a two-time champion in the history of the event.

“What’s great about the World Am is we have 3,000 competitors and there are 3,000 great stories to tell,” said Dave Macpherson, tournament director of the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. “For just about everyone, the trip to Myrtle Beach for the World Am is an annual pilgrimage. They all come back to play golf, but they also enjoy the camaraderie and rekindling of friendships from past events.”

Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is a 72-hole, net stroke play tournament. Players are arranged into flights according to their handicap and at the conclusion of the four rounds, flight winners advance to the 18-hole world championship playoff on Friday, September 2.

The World Am features five competitive divisions comprising 66 flights, ranging from men and women 49 years-of-age and under to the super seniors 70 years-of-age and older. Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the GOLF.com World Am.

World Am Weatherman Lends a Helping Hand

2011-08-29T21:15:30Z

As Hurricane Irene menaced the East Coast last week, all anyone associated with the tournament could do was guess where the storm was going and hope for the best - with one exception. The Golf.com World Am attracts players from all walks of life and professions and among the long-time participants is Chris Hattings, a meteorologist who works for the National Weather Service.

While the rest of us were left with blind hope, Hattings was able to make informed estimates of the storm’s path and even better yet, he shared them with us. In keeping with the camaraderie that helps define the World Am, Hattings shared his insight on the tournament’s Facebook page and even wrote a special guest blog post, letting everyone know the trend lines were encouraging.

]]> Hattings enjoys tracking hurricanes, but he lives in Pocatello, Idaho, alerting Potato State residents to threat of severe of weather (his guidance on Irene was his personal forecast, not an official one from the NWS).

He started playing the World Am with his father in 2001 and played for eight consecutive years before his dedication to meteorology took him to America’s most remote location and away from the tournament. In 2009, Hattings, who previously worked for Accu Weather, caught on with the National Weather Service and was stationed in Barrow, Alaska.

Barrow is the northernmost town in the United States, and it’s located 300 miles above the Arctic Circle. Hattings worked outside in temperatures that were 60 below zero; he went two months without sun in the winter and two months without darkness in the summer.

During the summer months, he had to put tin foil in his windows to sleep so he could dream of golf and the World Am.

“It was interesting for a year,” Hattings said. “I don’t regret doing it, but one arctic winter was enough for me.”

In 2009, he moved to Idaho and upon rejoining the lower 48, resumed playing in the tournament.

He has been playing golf since he was a child and the tournament offers the chance to spend time with family and catch up with friends he’s made at the event.

“Everybody wants to do well, but I think it takes a back seat to meeting the people, seeing old friends, and having a good time,” Hattings said. “Anybody that loves golf, loves Myrtle Beach, and wants to get out of work for a week needs to come down and play.”

With Irene in the rearview mirror, Hattings envisions blue skies as he attempts to crack the top 20 in his flight for the first time.

“It looks to be pretty good weather (this week), highs in the upper 80s to low 90s,” he said. “Maybe a very small chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon, which is typical down here, but I don’t see any big storms through the whole tournament.”

That’s a forecast, we all like.

28th Annual Golf.com World Am is Underway

2011-08-29T20:29:54Z

The 28th annual GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, the world’s largest single-site golf tournament, teed off on more than 60 Myrtle Beach area golf courses under sunny skies and warm temperatures on Monday. Nearly 3,000 amateur golfers from 47 states and 24 countries are participating in the tournament that will determine the World Champion.
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Defending champion Bobby Perkinson of Alcoa, Tenn. returned to Myrtle Beach in an attempt to become the first person to win the World Am in consecutive years. There has never been a two-time champion in the history of the event.

“We could not have asked for a better first day of competition,” said Dave Macpherson, tournament director of the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. “The weather was perfect and golf course conditions throughout the entire Myrtle Beach area are outstanding. This is shaping up to be an exciting week of golf and we look forward to crowning our next World Am champion on Friday.”

The Myrtle Beach area recovered well from the fringe affects of hurricane Irene on Friday and early Saturday morning as every golf course hosting rounds during the World Am was ready to go for the first round of competition this morning.

Following the first day of competition, players and guests attended the “World’s Largest 19th Hole” at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The 19th Hole features an extensive golf exposition, equipment demos, entertainment, open bars, concerts, prize drawings and food from some of Myrtle Beach’s finest restaurants. Later this week, featured appearances include GOLF magazine contributor and network golf analyst David Feherty, the “Voice of Golf” Peter Kessler and short game guru Dave Pelz.

This is the second year the Sports Illustrated Golf Group has participated as the title sponsor for the event. The SI Golf Group is a unit within the Sports Illustrated Group. It is the No. 1 media company in golf with a combined audience of 12.6 million avid golfers and fans. GOLF.COM is the digital engine of the group and is the most visited website in the sport.

Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is a 72-hole, net stroke play tournament. Players are arranged into flights according to their handicap and at the conclusion of the four rounds, flight winners advance to the 18-hole world championship playoff on Friday, September 3.

The World Am features five competitive divisions, ranging from men and women 49 years-of-age and under to the super seniors 70 years-of-age and older. Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship and a woman has won three of the last four titles.

Golf.com World Am Photo Gallery, Day 1

2011-08-29T16:45:11Z

The 28th annual Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is underway. Golfers from 47 states and 24 foreign countries have come to Myrtle Beach to compete in the world's most inclusive event. Checkout the sights and sounds of early round action.

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Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Spokesman Dustin Johnson Wins The Barclays

2011-08-27T23:16:29Z

Myrtle Beach golf spokesman Dustin Johnson carded a 6-under 65 to earn a two-stroke victory at the Barclays, the PGA Tour’s first FedEx Cup playoff event.

Johnson, who entered the final round one shot off the lead, fired a 29 on the front nine and finished 19-under par, besting second place Matt Kuchar and vaulting to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.

The Barclays, played at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J., was shortened to 54 holes by the pending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Johnson birdied the first two holes and eagled the fourth to set the stage for his first victory of the season.

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With the win, Johnson became the first player since Tiger Woods to win in each of his first four years on Tour. The title was the fifth of his career and it marks the second consecutive year Johnson has won a playoff event.

The victory vaulted the Coastal Carolina alum and Myrtle Beach homeowner to a career-best fourth in the world golf rankings.

Johnson birdied the fifth, seventh and ninth holes, making a 25-foot birdie putt on the seventh and dicey 12-footer on the ninth. He took the lead for good when Kuchar bogeyed No. 12.

Johnson, who lived along the Grand Strand for nearly a decade, became the official spokesman for Myrtle Beach golf this spring. Even before becoming Golf Holiday’s spokesperson, Johnson was an unofficial ambassador for the community. A TPC Myrtle Beach logo has adorned his bag since he turned pro and he has never hidden his affinity for the area.

"It's where I grew as a golfer and as a person, so it's very special to me," he said.

As part of his promotional work with Myrtle Beach, golfers have the opportunity to win a round with Johnson at the TPC Myrtle Beach.

Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship Poised to Tee Off

2011-08-26T23:52:24Z

After avoiding the worst of Hurricane Irene’s wrath, nearly 3,000 players are poised to tee off in the 28th annual Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship on Monday morning.

The western-most edge of the monster storm brushed the Grand Strand, bringing rain and wind on Friday that was expected to continue into the overnight hours. But the forecast calls for blue skies and sunshine from Saturday afternoon on, setting the stage for the world’s largest single-site golf tournament.

]]> Players from 45 states and 20 countries are gathering in Myrtle Beach to compete in the 72-hole, net-stroke play event in hopes of being crowned World Champion.

Players are flighted based on their age, gender and handicap, and at the conclusion of the four rounds, all flight winners and ties advance to the 18-hole world championship playoff on Friday, September 2 at TPC Myrtle Beach. The winner of the playoff is crowned world champion.

Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the GOLF.com World Am. Defending champion Bobby Perkinson, a 4.4 handicap from Alcoa, Tenn. is back to defend his crown.

The World Am features five competitive divisions, ranging from men and women 49 years-of-age and under to the super seniors, who are 70+ years old.

After each round of competition, players and their guests will gather at the “World’s Largest 19th Hole” in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The 19th Hole will feature an extensive golf exposition, equipment demos, entertainment, open bars, concerts, prize drawings and food from some of Myrtle Beach’s finest restaurants.

The 19th Hole festivities will also include appearances by GOLF magazine contributor and network golf analyst David Feherty, Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer, the “Voice of Golf” Peter Kessler and short game guru Dave Pelz.

More than 60 Myrtle Beach area golf courses are hosting the World Am, including some of the area’s finest.

Golf Course Review: Parkland at Legends Resort Pleases With Classic Design

2011-08-24T18:32:16Z

With its tree-lined fairways, natural waste areas and deep bunkers, the Parkland Course is a classic, American-style layout, which makes it the exception to the rule at Legends Resort.

Parkland completed the triumvirate at Legends, providing an ideal complement to the Moorland and Heathland layouts, which are wide open, more links-style courses that place an emphasis on the short game.

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One of Tom Doak’s first efforts, Parkland is a modern design, challenging golfers with length and well bunkered greens. A 4-star layout, according to Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play guide, Parkland has been popular with players since its 1992 opening.

With vast waste areas the course enjoys the benefit natural and architectural beauty. Holes are framed by native pines, hardwood trees and Doak-designed mounding, creating a layout that allows players to see the challenge in front of them.

The biggest test at Parkland is driving the ball straight. The course’s fairways are sufficiently generous but many feature out-of-bounds on both sides, which means stray drives can lead to penalty strokes.

Just as importantly, Parkland features more than 100 bunkers, including many of the cavernous variety, so a well positioned drive helps avoid the traps, particularly those around the greens.

Speaking of the greens, Parkland’s are large and feature substantial undulation. Despite the presence of the sand, the greens aren’t exceedingly difficult to hit because of their size.

Hitting them in the proper spot is another story. Due to the size and undulation of the greens, the opportunities to bait players into challenging difficult pins are numerous. When hitting an approach shot at Parkland, don’t come up short and don’t miss to the short side of the green.

“The center of the green is your friend,” Matt Biddington, the head pro at Legends, said.

While Parkland is a stiff test, the course offers opportunities to score. The eighth and ninth holes are vulnerable, giving players the chance to close the front nine with a flourish.

The eighth, a par 5, is Parkland’s easiest hole, according to the scorecard. A creek that dissects the fairway makes it difficult for all but the longest of players to reach the green in two, but three solid shots can lead to a par or better.

The ninth is the shortest par 4, a dogleg right that plays 340 yards from the tips and dares players to try and drive the green, which brings trouble on both sides into the equation. Playing it safe off the tee should lead to a relatively easy hole, assuming you avoid the bunker in front of the green.

Parkland is arguably the most difficult course at Legends, but it’s tough in a good way. The course isn’t tricked up, it’s fun to play, and the challenges are manageable for players playing at the proper distance.

The layout also offers the benefit of the Legends Resort experience. The facility was a springboard for the entire Myrtle Beach area when it opened in 1990, and it’s Scottish themed clubhouse remains one of the area’s most recognizable.

The Verdict: Parkland is the longest of the three courses at Legends and it equals the experience offered by its sister layouts. Parkland has thrived for nearly 20 years on a good layout, good conditions and great value. It’s a recipe for success for traveling golfers and one that won’t be changing.

Lynn Swann Leads List of Celebrities Prepared to Descend on Myrtle Beach for Know Your Score Tournament

2011-08-23T14:25:59Z

A host of Hall of Famers and all-stars from the NFL, NBA and MLB are descending on Myrtle Beach this weekend with the goal of making sure you Know Your Score. One of Myrtle Beach’s premier celebrity events, the Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer Celebrity Golf Tournament will be held Saturday morning, August 27 at Pawleys Plantation.

All proceeds from the Know Your Score® Golf Tournament and Gala go directly to the fight against prostate cancer by funding health screenings, promoting education and awareness, and enabling research that will lead to the cure.

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Celebrities such as Know Your Score's host and former NBA All-Star Gus Williams, NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, and MLB veteran Tony Womack will be among the stars competing in the golf tournament and a live "locker room chat" — an open Q&A with some of sports' greatest performers – at the post-tournament gala.

Former MLB star Darryl Strawberry, NFL Hall of Famer Richard Dent, Brevin Knight, famed golf announcer Jim Huber, and Mitch Laurance, an ESPN announcer and one of the driving forces behind the event’s growth, will be among the other celebrities participating in the fourth annual event.

"Prostate cancer affects one in six men, including many sports and entertainment celebrities," said Heath Carter, ZERO's Director of Marketing and Communications. "We are thankful that so many of these individuals have pledged their support to the Know Your Score campaign and are dedicated to finding a cure."

With a large number of male visitors to area golf courses, the Myrtle Beach community recognized an opportunity to reach out to this audience about a disease that greatly impacts them. With the help of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer and the many celebrities committed to the cause, Know Your Score raises money for research and educates men on the importance of early detection of prostate cancer.

The most common non-skin cancer in America, prostate cancer afflicts 1 in 6 men, the majority of that total over the age of 40.

The tournament is sold out.

5 Things You Need to Know About Parkland at Legends Resort

2011-08-22T20:29:48Z

Legends Resort is one Myrtle Beach’s most prominent multi-course facilities. With its memorable, Scottish themed clubhouse and three highly regarded courses, the opening of Legends was a seminal one for the Myrtle Beach area.

Heathland and Parkland were the first two layouts to open in 1990, followed by Parkland in 1992. The popularity of all three layouts has proven durable, due in part to the different experience that each offers.

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Here are five things you need to know before teeing it up at Parkland:

1. Doak’s Delight: Tom Doak, who has emerged as one of golf’s best course architects, cut his teeth at Legends. In addition to designing the Heathland Course, Doak masterminded Parkland, providing the game with a look at one of its young masters at work. Doak wasn’t the only big name to work at Parkland. The late Mike Strantz, who went on design Caledonia and True Blue, was responsible for the bunkering at Parkland.

2. Step Up Your Game: By reputation, Moorland, which was ranked among the 50 hardest courses in the country by Golf Digest, is the toughest course at Legends, but if you ask the pro shop staff and members, Parkland will get the nod. Be ready for a quality, but challenging round of golf.

3. Day at the Beach: There isn’t an abundance of water on Parkland, but those Strantz designed bunkers are plentiful. Parkland has more than 100 bunkers, including a couple cavernous ones around greens. Beware of the sand.

4. If You are Going to Succeed: The old saying goes you drive for show and putt for dough, but at Parkland, the driver is the most important club in the bag. The course isn’t overly long – 6,516 from the white tees, 6,099 from the greens, and 5,370 from the reds – but there is ample OB, so stray drives can mean penalty strokes. Hitting it straight off the tee also positions players to avoid the wrath of Parkland’s bunkers.

5. The Middle Ground Wins: Generally speaking the greens at Parkland are large with a lot of undulation. The opportunities for difficult pin placements are many, so don’t take the bait and go flag hunting. The middle of the green is your friend.

Nature Valley's Tips From the Pro: How to Hit Off Pine Straw

2011-08-22T19:19:36Z

In this installment of Nature Valley’s Tips From the Pro, Classic Swing Golf School’s Ted Frick shows you how to hit the ball off pine straw, one of golf’s most challenging shots.

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Parkland at Legends Resort: 3 Best Holes

2011-08-19T17:57:36Z

Parkland is the youngest of the three courses at Legends Resort and it’s also the most traditional, American-style design, hence the name.

With its tree-lined fairways and deep bunkers, Parkland offers a substantial challenge, and we asked head pro Matt Biddington to name the course’s three best holes. Biddington’s answers – a stern par 3, a short par 4 and a long par 5 - are a testament to the diversity of the layout’s offerings.

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No. 9, 340-yard, par 4: The course’s shortest par 4, No. 9, a dogleg right, plays just 317 yards from the blue tees and 308 from the whites, so it’s definitely reachable for long hitters. The question is whether players should try to drive the green.

There is a monster bunker that is 20-30 feet deep in front of the green, a creek to the right, and out of bounds on the left. The creek and OB are hole-killers and a trip to the bunker isn’t much more inviting. Play conservatively – iron off the tee and wedge in – and it’s fairly simple. But most golfers have a little gambler in them.

“It’s either A or B, you go for it or you don’t,” Biddington said with a smile when asked what advice he would give players.

No. 13, 225-yard, par 3: Lucky number 13 is one of Parkland’s best and there is nothing complicated about what it takes to succeed. For men the hole plays between 175 and 220 yards, depending on the tees, and much of the distance is forced carry. For women it plays 150 yards.

Wetlands loom in front of the teeing area and a large, elevated green is surrounded by deep bunkers, particularly on the left. The green – 35 yards deep, 40 yards wide – offers plenty of real estate but a miss could be costly.

Pick a club you are confident with and don’t come up short.

No. 15, 580-yard, par 5: A true three-shot par 5, natural wetlands cut the 15th fairway in half, challenging high and low handicappers alike. Drives that travel more than 300 yards will end up in the wetlands, which require approximately 70 yards to clear. What high handicappers want to avoid is having to layup before going over the wetlands.

“The second shot is the key,” Biddington said. “You have to get over the wetlands and then you are left with a short iron (to the green), but if not you are left with over 200 yards on your third shot to a par 5, which isn’t good.”

The green is accessible but flanked by bunkers on both sides.

Photo Gallery: Parkland at Legends Resort

2011-08-19T17:42:14Z

Legends Resort is one of Myrtle Beach's most popular facilities and the Parkland course is one of the reasons why. A traditional design, Parkland is a stern test of golf, challenging players off the tee and on the greens. Enjoy a look at the Myrtle Beach golf favorite.

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Alan Shipnuck, Michael Bamberger to Host Book Signing at World Am

2011-08-18T14:37:53Z

Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger, two of golf’s most popular and accomplished writers, will be holding a book signing at the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. Shipnuck and Bamberger will be signing “The Swinger,” a novel they co-authored about a golf star that loses his way, on Tuesday, August 31.

“The Swinger” chronicles the rise and fall and rise again of the world’s greatest golfer, a multi-racial icon whose spectacular career is compromised by sexual appetites as prodigious as his tee shots,” according to Shipnuck. “Obviously there are parallels to Tiger Woods’s life, but Michael and I used that scandal merely as a jumping-off point.

“Thanks to the magic of fiction we could go behind closed doors and truly get to know and understand our protagonist Tree Tremont in ways that are impossible with a remote figure like Tiger. For hard-core golf fans there is a lot of insight into the Tour and the rarified worlds of the top golfers; Michael and I have covered pro golf for a combined four decades and many of the great stories and whispers we’ve heard (but could never fact-check!) inform this book.”

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The book signing will be held at the World’s Largest 19th Hole inside the Myrtle Beach Convention Center following an on-stage discussion of the book between Shipnuck and Bamberger.

“The Swinger” has received raved reviews. The New York Times calls it an “…an entertaining, revealing, thought-provoking and cautionary tale” while the influential golf website geoffshackelford.com said, “The Swinger is a raucous, lively and at times laugh-out-loud funny look inside the world of professional golf and modern celebrity.”

Shipnuck wrote his first cover story for Sports Illustrated in 1994 as a 21-year-old intern. Now a senior writer at the magazine, he regularly covers golf.

His first book, Bud, Sweat & Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour was published by Simon & Schuster in January 2001, chronicling the misadventures of unknown Tour rookie Rich Beem and his hard-living caddie Steve Duplantis. It became a national best-seller following Beem's stunning victory at the 2002 PGA Championship.

Bamberger joined Sports Illustrated as a senior writer in 1995 after 13 years as a newspaper reporter. Bamberger's versatility as a writer and his lucid, open style are hallmarks of his work. He has written a play ("Bart & Fay") and five books, among them This Golfing Life. He is also the inventor of The E-Club (eclubgolf.com), a utility golf club. His work has appeared in three editions of the annual anthology The Best American Sports Writing.

Avocet Course At Wild Wing Plantation is Flying High With New Greens

2011-08-17T19:01:21Z

The Avocet Course at Wild Wing Plantation is once again in full flight. The Myrtle Beach golf course reopened all 18 holes on August 1 after the installation of new Mini-Verde greens and the early returns are outstanding.

Wild Wing completed the project in two phases, allowing the facility to offer golfers 18 holes (using the Hummingbird nine) throughout the summer.

The front nine was replaced first, a three-week process that went flawlessly and concluded with its reopening the second week of July. Work on the back nine began immediately afterwards and the process was similarly smooth.

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Like the other six Myrtle Beach area courses installing new greens this summer, Wild Wing has installed an ultra dwarf Bermuda, in this case Mini-Verde. The ultra dwarf grasses emulate the best properties of bentgrass and have very little of the grain that is often associated with Bermuda.

The result is greens that thrive during the South Carolina summers. Mini-Verde is the latest ultra dwarf and it’s what TPC Sawgrass and East Lake (home of the PGA Tour Championship) have on their greens.

“Mini-Verde putts more like bent and you can have speeds as fast you want,” Chris Seymour, superintendent of the Avocet Course, said. “Golfers will think (the greens) have been here forever.”

Eighteen years after its 1993 opening, Avocet continues to be defined by the architectural creativity and outstanding conditions that made it a Myrtle Beach golf favorite from the outset. Avocet features ample bunkering and water, but the course is made distinctive by a double green, a double fairway, and the use of swales around its greens.

In the ultimate compliment to architects Larry Nelson and Jeff Brauer, Avocet is creative without being tricked-up, and that’s why golfers have returned year after year. In addition to its architectural flair, Avocet is a very playable layout.

TPC Myrtle Beach to Host Flight Winners Playoff at World Am

2011-08-16T15:36:07Z

The Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship will crown its next champion at the home course of the one of the world’s best golfers. The 2011 Flight Winners Playoff will return to TPC Myrtle Beach, home of PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson.

“We look forward to returning to TPC Myrtle Beach,” World Am Tournament director Dave Macpherson said. “The course is one of the best in the nation, and it’s a tournament ready layout. As we saw last year, it’s a great test of golf and an ideal venue to crown our World Champion.”

]]> The World Am will be played on more than 60 Myrtle Beach area golf courses August 29 - September 2.

One of only three 5-star courses in the Carolinas, TPC hosted the 2010 World Championship Playoff and Bobby Perkinson, a 4 handicap from Alcoa, Tenn., emerged as the winner.

Designed by acclaimed architect Tom Fazio, TPC hosted the Senior Tour Championship in 2000 shortly after it opened, and golf legend Tom Watson prevailed. Golf Digest awarded the course 5 stars in its prestigious "Places to Play" course rankings.

With one of the area’s best clubhouses, a veranda overlooking the 18th green, and an unsurpassed commitment to customer service, TPC is one of the Myrtle Beach area’s best and most popular facilities.

The World Am annually attracts more than 3,000 golfers from across the United States and more than 20 foreign countries. After 72 holes of net stroke play competition, all flight winners and ties advance to the 18-hole World Championship Playoff where a single winner is crowned.

In the opening four rounds, World Am players are flighted into one of five divisions based on their age, handicap and gender. The tournament is open to all golfers – men and women, young and old – that have a verifiable handicap.

Each night tournament participants gather at the World Largest 19th Hole to enjoy free food and drinks, live entertainment and a golf expo. Among the headliners at the 19th Hole this year will be Golf Magazine columnist and CBS analyst David Feherty, Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer, and the Voice of Golf, Peter Kessler.

Top 5 Sports Bars: Central Strand

2011-08-12T20:00:59Z

Myrtle Beach is at the heart of the Grand Strand’s entertainment scene. From "March Madness" in the spring, to football in the fall, here are the top five seeds (the best places to watch a game) in Central Strand Region. See the top 5 sports bars on the South and North ends too!)

1. Broadway Louie’s - Located at Broadway at the Beach, the epicenter of Myrtle Beach nightlife, Broadway Louie’s is home to a 27-foot projection screen, the area’s largest. That monster is flanked by five other large projection screens. Broadway Louie’s also offers the added benefit of being situated by 10 other nightclubs, providing plenty of postgame options.

]]> 2. Hooter’s – A long-time Myrtle Beach favorite, Hooter’s is one of the area’s most popular March Madness destinations. Good food, good atmosphere and a healthy complement of televisions make Hooter’s, home of three area locations, an ideal place to watch a game. Another plus, if your alma mater is losing or your hopes of winning the office pool are crumbling, is the scenery.

3. Handley’s – The only reason Handley’s ranks this low is location – on 501 just off Carolina Forest Boulevard. With televisions at every table, excellent food, an outdoor patio (that includes a large projection screen) and an area to play corn hole, it’s an outstanding place to watch a game.

4. Shamrock's Sports Bar - Located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, Shamrock's will provide local flavor to your sports bar experience. it has two sides, one is a bar area with several roundtop tables and a mass of televisions. The other is setup more like a dining room but has its own bar and is ideal for large groups that want to watch a game.

5. Murphy's Law - Located at 405 South Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, this is an terrific option...especially if you're a Steelers fan! They welcome all comers, but if you're backing the Black and Gold, you'd better be prepared for some ribbing!

Golf Holiday is the ultimate source for information on Myrtle Beach golf.

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Top 5 Sports Bars: South Strand

2011-08-12T19:52:16Z

Sports bars on the South Strand are plentiful - and though the choices offered are good, but they don’t receive quite the acclaim as they do in Myrtle Beach. The South Strand is known for its casual pace and upscale golf and dining options, but there are still a host of establishments that offer an inviting atmosphere to watch a game.

Here are the top 5 Sports Bars on the South end to watch a game. (Check out the top 5 sports bars list for the Central Myrtle Beach, and the North End too!)

1. Murphy’s Law (South, in Garden City) – If you are looking for a little local flavor, Murphy’s Law is your answer. Sports memorabilia (much of it Pittsburgh-based) adorns the walls and televisions abound. Great wings and happy hour specials make Murphy’s Law, which now has three locations, a prime spot to watch the NCAA Tournament.

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2. Jimmagan’s Sports Pub – There is no more scenic sports bar in Myrtle Beach than Jimmagan’s, which overlooks Murrells Inlet on the Marshwalk. When you aren’t gazing out across the water, more than 60 televisions, including a large projection screen, provide ample viewing opportunities. As an added bonus, 40-cent happy hour wings hit the spot.

Thanks to Rhoda for pointing out that six months ago, Jimmagan's closed, and became another bar called Capt. Poo's. We haven't been there to see the changes, so instead of blindly recommending it, we're adding TWO new bonus locations:

2A. The Carolina Tavern - Located on Inlet Square drive by the Inlet Square Mall, this former Hooter's is a great spot. Their claim to fame? The Grand Strand's only "Tap Tables," where you can pour your own beers fresh from the tap! Throw in ""Buy one entree, get another 1/2 off on Sundays," and you're set.

2B. Cooter's Backyard Bar and Grill - Also near the Inlet Square Mall, this place is a local football fan favorite. If you're team isn't winning, you can take our your aggression by playing Wii on a big screen! The food is great, and the service is too - It's like being in your best friends back yard.

3. The Island Bar & Grill – Located on the corner of 17 Bypass and Glenn’s Bay Road in Surfside, the Island Bar is a surprise member of the list. The Island Bar is a friendly establishment with an owner who was a former Division I wrestler at Michigan State. If you are rooting for Sparty this March, the Island Bar is for you.

4. Dagwood’s – The sister bar of the ever popular Bumstead’s in Myrtle Beach, Dagwood’s in Surfside offers a cozy environment, televisions at every booth and outstanding food. It’s not a sports–watching paradise like Overtime but it’s an enjoyable spot to take-in a game.

5. Carolina Wings & Rib House – There are a sufficient number of televisions and it’s a new establishment, so Carolina Wings & Rib House is nice, but the food is outstanding. How do 20 different wing sauces or baby back ribs slow cooked over 12 hours and finished with one of six barbeque sauces or rubs sound? Thought so. If you are deep on the South Strand, this is your spot.

Golf Holiday is the ultimate source for information on Myrtle Beach golf.

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Top 5 Sports Bars: North Strand

2011-08-12T19:45:58Z

The North Strand has grown into a golf and entertainment powerhouse in recent years, earning its spot as a good time destination. If you're looking to settle in and catch a game at a good sports bar, here's where to start: (see the list for Central Myrtle Beach and the South End too)

1. Overtime Sports Café – The area’s best sports bar is also the best place to watch the tournament. The North Myrtle Beach establishment has 150 televisions, including a 12-foot video wall, and three 10-foot projection screens. You can’t go wrong watching the game at Overtime.

]]> 2. Oscar’s - Ninety-eight televisions, including a 6-foot projection screen, a collection of sports memorabilia and good food is a hard combination to beat. Oscar’s, located just minutes North of Barefoot Resort, is an appealing option, especially if you are a Pitt Panthers fan.

3. Wild Wing Café – Wild Wing enjoys a prime location and some of the area’s best wings. You won’t go wrong at the Wild Wing and enjoys the added benefit of being at Barefoot Landing where several other bars and restaurants await.

4. Bully’s – Also located at Barefoot Landing, Bully’s provides a more intimate but no less appealing environment than Wild Wing. Bully’s has $2 draft beers all day, every day and outstanding wings – a winning combination during March Madness.

5. Pat & Mike’s – An Irish pub located in Little River, Pat & Mike’s will provide local flavor to your viewing experience.

Golf Holiday is the ultimate source for information on Myrtle Beach golf.

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World's Largest 19th Hole is Ready to Open

2011-08-12T15:47:24Z

The golf expo at the World’s Largest 19th Hole will be bigger, the food will be better, and the guest lineup is among the most impressive in the 28-year history of the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

More than 3,000 players will tee off at the 2011 World Am on August 29, and the 19th Hole, the event’s nightly party, is one of the tournament’s primary attractions.

Open each night of the tournament from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the 19th Hole is a celebration of the game, a place where old friendships are renewed and new ones are formed.

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Among the guests who will grace the main stage at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center are Golf Magazine columnist and CBS analyst David Feherty, Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer, Peter Kessler, the Voice of Golf, and Dave Pelz, Phil Mickelson’s short game guru and a pioneer in statistical-based golf research.

The World Am’s title sponsor, Sports Illustrated Golf Group, will also contribute heavily to the lineup. On Tuesday night, SIGG will bring its popular PGA Tour Confidential to the 19th Hole.

Golf’s best and most informed writers – Jim Herre, Alan Shipnuck, Gary Van Sickle, John Garrity, Michael Bamberger and Cameron Morfit – will be debating the game’s hottest topics, sharing insight they’ve gleaned from years covering the Tour, and answering questions from the crowd.

In an additional segment, Shipnuck and co-author Michael Bamberger will discuss their critically acclaimed new book, The Swinger, a novel about a golf superstar who is derailed by scandal (sound familiar?). Shipnuck and Bamberger will also be signing copies of the book.

For many players the fun of the 19th Hole lies beyond the main stage, where hitting cages, an expo that will be 35 percent larger, a variety of golf games, and live music will entertain the 3,000+ people that attend each night.

After a day of competitive golf, food and drink will be priorities for everyone and the World Am will have plenty of both. Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse, one of the area’s best and most popular restaurants, and Capriz Italian Feast will be serving players a full meal each night. Mellow Mushroom will also be serving pizza and appetizers.

For players in search of libations (which are free), Michelob Ultra, the official beer of the World Am, and a variety of top-shelf liquors, including Goslings Rum and its popular Dark n’ Stormy, will be served.

Nature Valley's Tips From the Pro: How to Get Out of a Fairway Bunker

2011-08-11T18:43:37Z

In this installment of Nature Valley's Tips From the Pro, Ted Frick, owner of Classic Swing Golf School, shows you how to get out of a fairway bunker.

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Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Designed by PGA Champions

2011-08-11T17:46:54Z

The PGA Championship is underway so what better time to take a look at the strong connections between the game’s final major and the Myrtle Beach golf scene?

Seven players who have hoisted the Wannamaker Trophy have designed Myrtle Beach golf courses, including some of the area’s best.

]]> Here is a look at the work past PGA champions have done along the Grand Strand.

John Daly – Much like Long John himself, Wicked Stick encourages a grip it and rip it brand of golf. The course enjoys a prime location and places an emphasis on playability, highlighted by generous fairways.

Raymond Floyd – A four-time major winner, including a pair of PGAs, Floyd co-designed Arrowhead Country Club, a 27-hole facility, with Tom Jackson. With several holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway and a year-round emphasis on superb conditions, Arrowhead is a players favorite.

Davis Love III – Barefoot Resort is one of golf’s premier multi-course facilities and Love, then a fledgling architect, faced the challenge of designing a layout that could stand next to those created by Greg Norman, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio. Love was more than up to the task, just as he was in winning his only major, the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot. The Love Course has been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.

Jack Nicklaus – The greatest of them all, Nicklaus opened Pawleys Plantation and Long Bay in 1988 (maybe Jack didn’t win another major after the 1986 Masters because he was spending his time designing courses in Myrtle Beach!). The back nine at Pawleys, which has six holes that offer views of a saltwater marsh, is among the Grand Strand’s most scenic. Long Bay, with it yawning waste bunkers, is an outstanding design and a stern test.

Gary Player – Known as the World’s Most Traveled Athlete, Gary Player made his contribution to the Myrtle Beach golf scene with the design of Blackmoor. Built on land that used to be home to historic Longwood Plantation, Blackmoor parallels the Waccamaw River and the 13th hole plays along a pre-Civil War cemetery that is part of the national historic registry.

Lanny Wadkins – The 1977 PGA champion, Wadkins co-designed TPC Myrtle Beach with Fazio. TPC is one of fewer than 30 5-star courses nationwide, according to Golf Digest, and the home club of PGA Tour star and Myrtle Beach golf spokesman Dustin Johnson.

Nick Price – The second South African on this list, Price’s design of the Member’s Club at Grande Dunes, a private course, has flown under the radar because it isn’t open to the public. Lack of exposure shouldn’t be confused with a lack of quality. The Members Club is an outstanding track.

How many courses designed by former PGA champions have you played?

Local Knowledge: 5 Ways to Improve Your Next Golf Trip

2011-08-10T17:21:10Z

It’s August, the mercury in the thermometer is reaching a boil and it’s … time to start thinking about fall golf? That’s right. The fall golf season is just weeks away and we have five tips to maximize the value and good times of your next trip to Myrtle Beach.

As you are talking to golf directors and emailing buddies, here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Plan Ahead: With temperatures soaring across the nation, it’s hard to imagine cool weather, but in eight weeks an 80 degree day in Myrtle Beach will sound awfully good to our friends in the Northeast and Midwest. On the heels of a busy spring season, if you have strong course and tee time preferences it’s advisable to book as early as possible.

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2. If One is Good, Two is Better: The value of a Myrtle Beach golf trip has never been better and one reason is the deal golfers are getting on replay rates. For many the fall golf trip is a farewell to the season, so take advantage of the time and play 27 or possibly 36 holes at least once during your trip.

3. Variety is the Spice of Life: Everyone has their favorite Myrtle Beach golf courses, but with more than 100 layouts options are aplenty. Take a look at the area’s course offerings and make sure you sprinkle in a few new courses along with your old favorites. Part of Myrtle Beach’s charm is in the diversity of its offerings so take full advantage.

4. Make a Game of It: Any group of eight or more can turn their trip into a team competition. A Ryder Cup-type format is great, and each round can be broken into two nine-hole matches to create more points if necessary. The guys at Golf Trip Genius provide an online hub for groups that can automatically compute scores (team and individual) and even a post-trip photo gallery. Make every shot on your trip count and don’t forget to set the stakes (losers buy dinner at Rioz?)!

5. Preparation is Key: For group leaders, putting together a trip is a labor of love, but there is one part of the planning process that shouldn’t be ignored. Know what you want to do off the course, particularly for dinner. The last thing you want is 12 guys debating four different dinner spots at 5:30. Take the pulse of your group prior to arrival and have an idea what you want to do before you get here!

Golf Course Review: True Blue is Bold & Beautiful

2011-08-09T18:39:38Z

In an area with more than 100 golf courses, it’s challenging for a layout to separate itself from the pack. But True Blue Golf Plantation isn’t an ordinary course.

Everything about the Pawleys Island layout is oversized – the fairways, greens, bunkers and most importantly, the experience.

The Mike Strantz design has distinguished itself from its peers locally and nationally since its 1998 opening. The uniqueness of True Blue’s design is a tribute to the late Strantz, the iconoclastic architect who also designed Caledonia.

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A golf course was as much a work of art as architecture for Strantz, who was more concerned with creating a memorable layout than he was conformity. The result at True Blue, which has five par 5s and five par 3s, is one of Myrtle Beach’s boldest designs.

Golf Digest has ranked the layout among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, it’s a 4.5-star facility, and Golf Magazine ranked it as the second best course in the South.

With its list of accolades, players expect a memorable round and True Blue delivers.

Due in large part to the judicious use of waste bunkers, True Blue is one of the area’s most visually stunning layouts. The fairways, most of them framed by white sand, are upwards of 100 yards wide.

Strantz’s bunkering can create visual deception but there is always ample room to land the ball.

“Golf is a game of targets and the possibilities to move the ball around on this course are endless,” True Blue’s director of golf, Bob Seganti, said. “If you don’t keep your focus there is intimidation with the waste bunkers.”

Seganti’s advice: pick a target, commit to it and take a big rip because True Blue encourages players to use the driver.

Players enjoy even more latitude off the tee when one takes into account the room provided by the waste bunkers (regardless of your score, you shouldn’t lose a lot of balls). But the size of the landing areas are complemented by the course’s gargantuan greens, and therein lies much of True Blue’s challenge.

Hitting greens isn’t difficult, but navigating the long, breaking putts that follow is a stern test. Players that minimize their three-putts should score well.

Speaking of challenges, Strantz opted to test players immediately. The course’s first four holes are its toughest stretch. The opening gauntlet includes a pair of par 5s and an island green par 3, so spending a few minutes on the facility’s 16-acre practice facility is recommended.

Some of the difficulty relents after the first four holes, and Strantz gives players the opportunity to close the opening nine in style.

True Blue’s easiest hole is the double dogleg, par 5 ninth hole. The doglegs aren’t extreme and players that can carry their drive to the bottom area in front of the waste bunker on the right (cutting part of the dogleg) can get home in two. No hole at True Blue has yielded more birdies and eagles.

There aren’t nearly as many red numbers surrendered but the 18th is an outstanding finishing hole. With the clubhouse and its distinctive blue roof overlooking the green, the final hole at True Blue leaves players with a memory befitting a course of its stature.

The Verdict: Expectations are high for players at True Blue and it always delivers. The course is big and so is the challenge, but True Blue is one of the best courses in Myrtle Beach and America for that matter. If True Blue is on your next trip itinerary, you can count on a superior round of golf.

Project Complete, Fazio Course Reopens

2011-08-04T20:16:21Z

The installation of new greens at Barefoot Resort’s Fazio Course was as smooth as it was successful. The Fazio Course closed in late-May for the installation of Champion Bermuda grass greens and reopened, ahead of schedule, on July 13.

“The new greens are 100 percent grown-in and rolling terrific,” Mike Ross, Barefoot’s director of golf, said. “They aren’t to firm or too soft. We feel it’s almost a new golf course.”

]]> Ross’ words are music to the ears of Grand Strand golfers, who have made the Fazio Course one of the area’s most popular since its opening in 2000. Golf Digest has ranked Fazio among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses and it’s, by nearly unanimous acclaim, one of Myrtle Beach’s best.

After careful consideration, Barefoot opted to install the Champion Bermuda – an ultradwarf grass – in place of the original bentgrass greens.

“We felt like the Champions Bermuda had many of the qualities of the bentgrass without the vulnerability to heat in the summer,” Ross said. “The new greens will allow us to maintain a fantastic putting surface through the heat of the summer while keeping the smoothness and playability of the bentgrass.”

Just as the Fazio Course reopened, the Norman Course at Barefoot closed for the installation of Champion Bermuda greens on July 11. It will reopen on September 1.

In addition to the work at Barefoot, several other Myrtle Beach layouts are installing new greens this summer as well. The Avocet Course at Wild Wing reopened August 3 after installing Mini-Verde Bermuda greens, while Quail Creek, River Club, the West Course at Myrtle Beach National and Lion’s Paw are preparing to reopen this month.

Quail Creek, slated to reopen on August 22, and the West Course, set for an August 24 reopening, are installing Mini-Verdi. When River Club opens on August 19 it will have new Champion Bermuda.

True Blue Golf Plantation: 5 Things You Need to Know

2011-08-03T20:03:06Z

True Blue Golf Plantation has been one of Myrtle Beach’s most talked about layouts since its 1998 opening. Everything about the course is big – fairways, bunkers, greens, you name it – and the experience rises to the challenge of expectations.

Located in Pawleys Island, True Blue is one of Myrtle Beach’s best and most popular courses, but before you tackle this Mike Strantz monster, here are five things you need to know:

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Stay Focused: There are multiple ways to play nearly every hole at True Blue, a good thing, but players have to stay focused on the task at hand. Just because you have room to try a shot doesn’t mean you should. Identify what you do well and play to your strengths.

How $#%% Did that Happen?: The fairways at True Blue are enormous – upwards of 100 yards wide in spots – but players miss them because they don’t have a target in mind off the tee.

“If you miss a fairway, you look back when you get to your ball and go, ‘How could I have possibly missed that?’” Bob Seganti, True Blue’s director of golf, said.

Don’t let the massive bunkers and undulation play tricks with your eyes. Pick a spot in the fairway and aim for it. There is plenty of room.

Be Ready For a Day at the Beach: Instead of tree-lined fairways, True Blue surrounds the short grass with waste bunkers. Water comes into play on only five holes so sand is the course’s primary hazard. High handicappers tend to struggle out of waste bunkers, but hit it like any other shot and success awaits.

Hit the Ground Running: Generally speaking, architects allow players to ease into a round, but Strantz is nothing if not unconventional. The hardest four-hole stretch at True Blue is at the outset, including two par 5s and an island green par 3. Players that survive the first four holes at close to their “personal par” are setup for a good scoring day. So be ready at the first tee.

What’s in a Name?: The course’s name was inspired by the coveted indigo that was harvested in the area in the mid-to-late 1700s. The layout is set on the grounds of the old True Blue indigo plantation, hence its name.

True Blue Golf Plantation: Three Best Holes

2011-08-02T14:53:29Z

True Blue Golf Plantation features everything one would expect from a Mike Strantz golf course: wide fairways, sprawling bunkers, a touch of visual deception, and the land is a canvas for Strantz’s work, which is, as always, a blend of art and architecture.

At True Blue, depending on the perspective of the player, there are 18 potential signature holes. It’s one of Myrtle Beach’s best golf courses, and we asked Bob Seganti, True Blue’s director of golf, to name the best of the best at the South Strand facility.

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After careful deliberation, Seganti delivered True Blue’s three best holes:

No. 3, 190-yard, par 3: An island green, No. 3 is one of the course’s most challenging and ascetically pleasing holes. The green is nearly twice as long as it is wide and it runs away from the tee box, though a beach bunker frames much of its backside.

Players need to hit a high, soft shot and make sure they’ve made the proper club selection. It’s the one hole on the course where the shot is all carry, so make a good, confident swing.

No. 15, 602-yard par 5 – This is a monster hole, regardless of the tee you play from. The 15th even plays 577 yards from the white tees so reaching in two is a non-starter for almost anyone who doesn’t play the game for a living.

The hole is relatively straight with a waste bunker running the entire left side, but the green is an atypical Strantz design. The vast majority of the greens at True Blue are large with ample undulation, but No. 15 more closely resembles a Donald Ross complex with a turtle back design.

“It’s difficult to hit shots close to the pin,” Seganti said. “Distance control is absolutely crucial. It’s a dynamite hole and the one most people are proud to make birdie or par on.”

No. 18, 437-yard, par 4 – With water on the left and the clubhouse serving as a backdrop, this is one of the Grand Strand’s best finishing holes. The fairway is like a runway – nearly 80 yards wide – but players are hesitant to challenge the water.

But Strantz built a big mound on the right to discourage players from completely bailing out off the tee.

“If you don’t want to risk playing to the center or the left, where there is plenty of room, you could have a partially obstructed view of the green,” Seganti said.

A large green that runs from right to left, towards the water, awaits. It’s a great end to a memorable round.

What is your favorite hole at True Blue?

Photo Gallery: True Blue Golf Plantation

2011-08-02T14:45:38Z

True Blue is one of the area's best and most popular layouts. The Mike Strantz design uses sprawling waste bunkers and runway-wide fairways to help create stunning visuals that players recall long after their golf trip ends. The layout has been ranked among America's 100 Greatest Public Courses for good reason. Enjoy a look at True Blue Golf Plantation.

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Lion's Paw Golf Links Installing New Greens

2011-07-27T20:05:34Z

The roar is being restored on the greens at Ocean Ridge Plantation’s original Big Cat. Lion’s Paw Golf Links is installing new Mini-Verde greens this summer.

The first of Ocean Ridge’s four layouts, Lion’s Paw began making the conversion the second week of July and is scheduled to reopen on August 30. The greens have already been conditioned and sprigged and the process is off to a fast start.

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The work at Lion’s Paw comes on the heels of Panther’s Run installing Mini-Verde last summer, a transition that went exceedingly well.

“It was time for the renovations,” Bill Long, Ocean Ridge’s director of marketing, said. “The question was what we wanted to do. Bentgrass has its pros and cons, but in this area, with the heat we’ve had the past couple of summers, we decided it was time to look at an ultradwarf grass.

“The success of Panther’s Run made us to decide to go with Mini-Verde. The greens at Panther’s Run are very smooth and are doing great.”

In addition to new greens, Long said Lion’s Paw is also receiving a light face-lift, tidying up the course to make sure it’s in superb condition once it reopens.

The Mini-Verde is replacing the bentgrass greens Lion’s Paw has had since its 1991 opening. New generations of Bermuda grass, led by Mini-Verde, have been able to mimic the best qualities of bentgrass, and the Bermuda thrives in South Carolina’s summer heat.

A Willard Byrd design, Lion’s Paw has earned 4 stars in Golf Digest’s prestigious Best Places to Play guide and it features elevation changes and abundant water.

Tiger’s Eye and Leopard’s Chase, Ocean Ridge’s youngest layouts, continue to feature bentgrass greens and there are no plans for them to make the conversion.

Golf Course Review: Litchfield Country Club Keeps Players Smiling

2011-07-26T18:57:45Z

Myrtle Beach’s South Strand is renowned for its quality of golf and charm, and it all began at Litchfield Country Club, the area’s most enduring layout.

Litchfield Country Club blazed the trail along the South Strand, opening its fairways in 1966 and convincing golfers the short trek from downtown Myrtle Beach was time well spent. The timeless qualities that made the layout attractive upon its opening continue to please golfers today.

]]> Litchfield is a good, traditional design. There are no tricks, no hidden hazards or unforeseen challenges. It’s is a course rewards creativity and shot-making.

Litchfield boasts a nice blend of doglegs and challenges golfers to hit fairways in the proper spots, without taking the driver out of the bag. Players that can move the ball and have good accuracy can thrive with the driver, otherwise don’t be afraid to downshift.

Litchfield’s fairways are tighter than many contemporary designs and the ability to find the short grass often helps determine success. What club players use to get there is a secondary concern.

“You have to think your way around the course,” head pro Christa Bodensteiner said. “You need to know where you want to put your drive.”

Water is visible throughout at Litchfield, aiding the course’s aesthetics, but it isn’t an overwhelming obstacle. There are few forced carries and an errant drive will more often require a shot from the trees as opposed to a drop from the water.

“If you can keep your drives in play on the doglegs, you are going score well,” Bodensteiner said. “You aren’t going to lose a lot of golf balls.”

The par 4s at Litchfield reward intelligent, tactical play. Players that attack each hole with a plan have a significant advantage. The challenge of making decisions and executing them are one of Litchfield’s charms.

Conversely, the par 3s require muscle. From the tips, two par 3s measure more than 200 yards, and the shortest is 184 yards. Even from the white tees the shortest par 3 is 165 yards, so players need to be prepared to bust a couple long irons.

The course offers a chance to score on its par 5s, the longest of which is 538 yards. All four par 5s offer long hitters the chance to get home in two.

In keeping with its traditional design, the greens at Litchfield are relatively small but more accessible than those on recently built courses. The greens, though typically flanked by bunkers, are open in front, allowing players the opportunity to run the ball onto the putting surface.

The ability to play the bump-and-run makes Litchfield a more forgiving layout, particularly for mid-to-high handicappers.

One solid piece of advice on the approach: don’t be afraid to take one more club than you think necessary because there isn’t a lot of trouble behind the greens.

“Litchfield will give people a feeling of what a real Southern style plantation course is like,” Bodensteiner said. “There are opportunities to score, because it’s not going to beat you up to bad.”

The Verdict: Built on the grounds of a former rice plantation, Litchfield oozes charm and stately maturity. The soaring live oak trees draped in Spanish moss set the stage for a memorable day of golf. Because of the timeless nature of its design, Litchfield has the ability to challenge low and high handicappers alike, making it an ideal destination for golf groups.

Peter Kessler to Broadcast Live at Golf.com World Amateur

2011-07-25T20:07:42Z

Some of golf’s most prominent names have attended the World Amateur Handicap Championship, and the “Voice of Golf” will be added to the list in 2011.

Peter Kessler, one of the game’s most respected and accomplished personalities, will broadcast his Sirius XM Radio show, “Making the Turn,” from this year’s Golf.com World Am. Kessler will also appear as a special guest at the World’s Largest 19th Hole.

“We are delighted to be hosting Peter Kessler at the World Am,” tournament director Dave Macpherson said. “Peter is a custodian of the game and one of its most trusted voices. His perspective and love of golf will make him a perfect fit for the tournament.”

Making the Turn, which airs on the PGA Tour Network (Sirius 208/XM 93), will originate from TPC Myrtle Beach, the home of this year’s World Championship Playoff, from Tuesday, August 30 through Friday, September 2. The show will air live from 11 a.m. to noon.

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Kessler, known as the “Voice of Golf” for the perspective he provides on the history and contemporary state of the game, was vital to the Golf Channel’s early growth. As the network’s primary talent for eight years, he brought credibility to the fledgling channel, hosting and producing over 1,300 hours of live television and interviewing the game’s most influential figures of the 20th century.

The Emmy award-winning Kessler’s influence extends beyond the television studio. He has written acclaimed long-form interviews for Golf Magazine and founded the first company to market hybrid golf clubs.

Making the Turn has aired on satellite radio for six years, and Kessler also hosts Golf Stories on The 101 Network on DirecTV.

Kessler joins a 2011 World Am lineup that also includes Golf Magazine columnist and CBS personality David Feherty and Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer.

Golf legend Annika Sorenstam and NASCAR star Jeff Gordon have been guests in previous years.

Founders Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year

2011-07-20T15:38:05Z

Myrtle Beach’s newest golf course wasted little time rising to the top of the leaderboard. Founders Club, a South Strand gem, has earned 2011 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year honors.

“To be selected the best among the abundance of golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area is a tremendous honor,” said Tommy Smothers, general manager of Classic Golf Group. “Founders Club has only been around for three years and it is always in impeccable condition, so this award is a testament to all of the hard work the staff there has done to earn this award.”

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A Thomas Walker design, the beauty of Founders Club resides in the land’s uncommon elevation change and abundant, native sand.

Located on what used to be Sea Gull Golf Club, Walker bulldozed the old course – completely – and crafted a design that allows it to take a seat comfortably alongside its Pawleys Island neighbors.

From a visual perspective, Founders Club, which opened on Feb. 1, 2008, is defined by the waste bunkers that run alongside side practically every fairway, providing visual contrast when set against the lush, green fairways. But the waste bunkers provide more than aesthetics.

The bunkers also double as cart paths, meaning the only pavement on the course is around the greens and tee boxes. More importantly to golfers, the sand, combined with elevated fairways and outstanding drainage, means carts ride on the fairways 365 days a year.

The Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association evaluates Golf Course of the Year nominees on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game. By virtue of winning the Myrtle Beach Course of the Year award, Founders club becomes a candidate for state honors.

A Classic Golf Group course, Founders Club is a sponsor of the Grand Strand Adopt-A-Highway program and the Ocean Highway Beautification Project. The course’s 18th hole is visible from Highway 17 South and stretches 7,007 yards from the championship tees. The course hosts numerous charity events throughout the year and regularly donates complimentary vouchers for rounds to other charity golf events throughout the Myrtle Beach area.

The National Golf Course Owners Association implemented the award in 1996 and the MBAGCOA has since nominated courses from the Myrtle Beach area. Past recipients of the award include Sandpiper Bay (2010) Shaftesbury Glen (2009), Grande Dunes (2008), Wachesaw Plantation East (2007), Burning Ridge (2006), TPC of Myrtle Beach (2005), Indian Wells Golf Club (2004), World Tour Golf Links (2003), Wild Wing Plantation (2002), Blackmoor (2001), Tradition Golf Club (2000), Bay Tree Golf Plantation (1999), Arrowhead Country Club (1998) and Myrtle Beach National’s King’s North (1996). Five of the Myrtle Beach regional winners - Burning Ridge, TPC, Wild Wing, Tradition, Arrowhead and King’s North - also captured the state award. World Tour was named as the national “Golf Course of the Year.”

Myrtle Beach Golf: World Am Gets Better With Age

2011-07-20T13:29:54Z

Myrtle Beach golf has a long rich tournament history, particularly the area’s most prominent event, the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

In August of 1984, 684 golfers participated in a novel. Myrtle Beach golf tournament – an event that flighted players based on age, gender and handicap with the goal of allowing amateurs to experience a tournament that was akin to a PGA Tour event.

The event was chaotic in its first year and post-golf food and entertainment was less than high-brow, but the tournament resonated with participants.

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Players latched onto the concept of a multi-day tournament. Word about the World Amateur Handicap Championship spread and an event that was launched on a cocktail napkin over lunch quickly grew into the signature Myrtle Beach golf tournament.

Now entering its 28th year, 70,000+ players from all 50 states and more than 40 foreign countries have participated in the World Am, which helped put Myrtle Beach golf on the national golf radar. There have been nearly 300,000 tournament rounds played in the Everyman’s Major and at least that many stories have been told.

What started as an event with scores written on poster board and dinner being served on paper plates, has grown into a tournament that features 60 golf courses, gourmet food, live entertainment and a nightly golf expo.

The World Am is a 72-hole event, challenging golfers to compete on a different Myrtle Beach golf course each day. Players are placed into tightly grouped flights and the game’s most aggressive handicap monitoring system levels the field for everyone (a four handicap won the 2010 tournament).

After four days of competition, flight winners advance to World Championship Playoff, an 18-hole shootout to crown the World Champion. Five women have won the Playoff and winning handicaps have ranged from as low as three to as high as 34.

Part of the event’s appeal is its home. The World Am has been a Myrtle Beach golf tournament since its inception and there isn’t another destination capable of matching the quality and quantity of courses along the Grand Strand.

The World Am is about more than winning and losing. Camaraderie among participants is at the heart the tournament’s enduring success.

Participants play with different competitors throughout the event and life-long friendships are forged on a memorable Myrtle Beach golf trip. Competition gives way to a good time especially at the World’s Largest 19th Hole.

In the early days, the 19th Hole consisted of a party tent and a couple picnic tables, but now it takes up the entire Myrtle Beach Convention Center and includes live music, a golf expo and nightly featured speakers. Over the years Annika Sorenstam, David Feherty and NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon are among the big names who have appeared at the 19th Hole and enjoyed atmosphere at the most popular Myrtle Beach golf tournament.

The 19th Hole also includes free food and drinks for participants and there is little players enjoy more than seeing their name appear on the Jumbo Tron that displays the leaders of each flight.

The World Am continues to evolve but the one thing that has never changed is the loyalty of the event’s players. Whether participants come from near or far, a World Am player is part of a larger family, one that loves the game and its traditions.

For more information on Myrtle Beach golf, click here.

Coastal Carolina's PGM Program Tops The Leaderboard

2011-07-18T14:05:51Z

What do Baltusrol Golf Club, Medinah, Congressional Country Club and many of America’s most renowned public and private facilities have in common?

They have all reaped the benefits Coastal Carolina University’s Professional Golf Management program.

Home to one of just 20 PGM programs nationally, Coastal’s thriving internship program annually disperses its students to the best courses along the Grand Strand and beyond.

Coastal students are parlaying their degrees into fulltime jobs – Legends Resort and TPC Sawgrass sound familiar? - and serving as unofficial ambassadors for one of the best programs of its kind in America.

The idea of pursuing a golf career along the Grand Strand is a powerful lure for students, and the strength of Coastal’s academic offerings solidifies the degree’s national reputation.

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Enrolled students major in business with an emphasis on PGM, something that distinguishes the program from many of its counterparts. Requiring students to earn a degree from the Wall College of Business makes the 4.5-year program more rigorous and valuable.

Available majors within the business school include accounting, marketing, finance and economics, giving graduates a bright future in a clubhouse or a boardroom. Coastal’s goal is to produce the game’s next generation of leaders and the PGM class load reflects that aim.

In addition to the academic work required to fulfill the credits for the business major, the PGA of America has a detailed curriculum that must be completed to receive certification, in addition to the on-course skill required.

Coastal Carolina also owns Quail Creek Golf Club, a long-time Myrtle Beach favorite that is located on-campus. The head pro and first assistant at Quail Creek are PGM alumni and the rest of the staff is comprised of enrollees in the program, providing them hands-on experience.

But it’s not all work and no play. PGM students have unlimited access to Quail Creek and Coastal has a player development instructor on staff to help them develop a practice routine in preparation to pass the player aptitude test, a requirement for PGA certification.

At Quail Creek, PGM students must shoot a two-day total of 157 to earn PGA certification.

Beyond the classroom and course time, the most valuable part of the program is the 16-credit hours of internships required. Students serve four internships, a process that culminates with a seven-credit term at the conclusion of the senior year. By the time a student reaches the fourth internship they should assume the responsibilities of a Class A PGA pro.

PGM graduates are prepared to contribute in nearly every facet of the golf industry.

Just ask the folks at European Ryder Cup headquarters where a Coastal student spent last summer helping out.

Litchfield Country Club: Five Things You Need to Know

2011-07-14T20:47:54Z

Litchfield Country Club is a testament to the virtues of good, traditional golf course architecture. An ideal blend of doglegs – left and right – have helped conspire to create a layout that doesn’t rely on length as its sole means of defense.

Litchfield Country Club rewards creativity, and it gives players a chance to score. Before teeing it up on one of the area’s friendliest courses, here are five things you need to know.

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More Ways To Get Home: Unlike courses built in recent years, the greens at Litchfield aren’t elevated. There is a run-up area in front of nearly every green, though they are flanked by bunkers. The run-up areas give players the option of playing the bump-and-run and allows greater use of the imagination.

Wield the Wedge Well: While Litchfield’s greens allow more options to entry, they are smaller than most, meaning players will find themselves chipping a little more often. Make sure you get comfortable chipping before heading to the first tee.

With Age Comes Beauty: Litchfield is the dean of South Strand courses, and its maturity aids its visual appeal. The live oak trees draped in Spanish moss and fully grown-in landscaping are the byproduct of years of care, something Litchfield has enjoyed since its opening.

Stay Straight: The key to success at Litchfield is finding the center of the fairway, regardless of the club used. The layout doesn’t take the driver out of play, but it doesn’t require its use for success. Hit whatever club you feel most comfortable with off the tee, and if you consistently find the fairway, a good day awaits.

Long and Short of It: The par 3s at Litchfield are the course’s most demanding collection of holes. From the tips the par 3s range from 184 to 219 yards. From the whites tees the “shortest” par 3 is a meaty 165 yards. Conversely, every par 5 is potentially reachable in two. The longest par 5 from the white tees is 502 yards so there is ample opportunity to score.

Players need to survive on the par 3s and thrive on the par 5s.

Litchfield Country Club: 3 Best Holes

2011-07-13T18:58:05Z

Litchfield Country Club combines a traditional design and a mature setting to deliver a memorable round of golf. The dean of South Strand layouts, Litchfield is a pure test of golf.

The course is straight-forward and manages to challenge without overwhelming players. With that in mind, we asked Litchfield’s head pro Christa Bodensteiner to tell us the venerable layout’s three best holes.

Below are her answers:

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No. 4, 202-yard, par 3 – A well struck long iron is a prerequisite for success at the challenging par 3, which requires a carry over water and has a green flanked by a pair of bunkers. One thing to keep in mind, the green runs from back to front and there isn’t much danger in going long.

“If you can hit a good long iron shot you are going to love it,” Bodensteiner said. “But don’t come up short. Hit one more club than you think you might need.”

No. 13, 520-yard, par 5 – Litchfield Country Club’s signature hole, No. 13 features a lake running all the way up the left side and out-of-bounds on the right. It’s one of the course’s toughest holes, but the green is reachable in two for long hitters.

“It’s a beautiful golf hole,” Bodensteiner said. “You have to hit a very good tee shot and a really good second shot. It’s a very interesting, very challenging hole.”

Everyone dreams of an eagle putt, but the priority here is finding the middle of the fairway.

No. 18, 406-yard, par 4 – An outstanding finishing hole, the 18th is a dogleg right that provides a dramatic conclusion to a match. A well placed drive is essential to reach the green in regulation. The hole plays 359-yards from the white tees, but water to the left of the fairway is reachable and drives that get to close to the dogleg will bring trees into play on the approach.

The approach will require a shot across water so being in good position off the tee is vital.

Photo Gallery: Litchfield Country Club

2011-07-13T18:44:15Z

Litchfield Country Club is one of Myrtle Beach's trailblazing courses, laying the groundwork for the South Strand's development. The Willard Byrd design continues to please players with its beauty, playability and value. Enjoy a look at Litchfield Country Club.

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Dunes Golf & Beach Club to Host Carolinas Amateur Championship

2011-07-11T20:09:18Z

The Carolinas Amateur Championship, signature event of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA), heads back to the famed Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, SC, July 14-17.

The 97th Carolinas Amateur will be the sixth held at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. The first Carolinas Amateur was played at Sans Souci Country Club (now Greenville CC in Greenville, SC) in 1910, less than a year after the CGA was organized in Charleston. The championship was played at the Dunes Club for the first time in 1953 and returned in 1968, 1970, 1979 and 2001.

]]> The Carolinas Amateur was a match play competition until last year when the format was changed to 72 holes of stroke play. The 2010 championship, held on Pinehurst (NC) Resort’s No. 8 course, was won by 18-year-old Logan Harrell of Huntersville, NC.

Both Harrell, who shot 72-66-68-67—273, 11 under par, and 2010 runner-up Scott Harvey of Greensboro, NC are entered in this year’s championship.

The CGA received 457 entries for the 2011 championship, which is open to male amateurs who are legal residents of either North Carolina or South Carolina, who are members in good standing of a CGA member club, who are at least 13 years old, and who have a current USGA handicap index of 5.4 or less at a CGA member club.

A starting field at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club will have approximately 144 players, attained through exemptions based on past performance and through a series of 18-hole sectional qualifying tournaments held in late June.

The par-72 Dunes Club course, a Robert Trent Jones creation perennially ranked among the top layouts in the Carolinas, will play at 6,978 yards for the top Carolinas amateurs.

In addition to the five previous Carolina Amateurs held there, the Dunes Golf & Beach Club has been a gracious host for other CGA major events. The Dunes was site of the South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship in 1975, 1982, 1984 and 1986; the South Carolina Junior in 1977 and 1978; the Pro-Amateur Club Championship in 1987; and the Carolinas-Virginias Team Matches in 1967, 1975, 1981 and 2005.

For more information about the 97th Amateur Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association and other CGA events, visit the championship home page online at www.carolinasgolf.org.

PREVIOUS CAROLINAS AMATEURS AT THE DUNES GOLF & BEACH CLUB

1953: Richard D. Chapman of Pinehurst, NC def. Erwin L. Laxton of Charlotte, NC, 3 and 2. Qualifying medalist was Gus Sylvan of Columbia, SC.

1968: Allen Powers of Orangeburg, SC def. Billy Womack of Florence, SC, 1 up. Qualifying medalist was Frank Lock of Aiken, SC.

1970: Leonard Thompson of Laurinburg, NC def. Mike Kallam of Winston-Salem, NC, 3 and 2. Qualifying medalist was Steve Forrest of Mt. Airy, NC.

1979: Tom Cornelia of Hilton Head, SC def. Larry Boswell of Columbia, SC, 3 and 2. Qualifying medalist was Scott Hoch of Raleigh, NC.

2001: John Pitt of Wilmington, NC def. Danny Gurley, Chapel Hill, NC, 2 and 1. Qualifying medalist was Jonathan Hill of Kernersville, NC.

Golf Course Review: Grip It and Rip It at Wicked Stick

2011-06-29T17:23:54Z

John Daly stood on the ninth tee at Wicked Stick and pointed to the green, like Babe Ruth calling his shot. Long John, playing barefooted, then unsheathed his driver and lashed a shot that ended up 12 feet from the hole.

On a spring afternoon in Myrtle Beach, Daly was doing what so many people do at Wicked Stick, enjoying a relaxing round of golf. Wicked Stick is the nation’s only Daly signature course, and when he checks in on the layout a full parking lot typically tells the story.

Built with Daly’s grip it and rip it ethos in mind, Wicked Stick is a player-friendly layout from the parking lot to the 19th hole. The atmosphere is relaxed and the course is inviting. The facility opened just after Daly’s 1995 British Open victory at St. Andrew’s, bringing much attention to the layout.

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Much like Daly himself, Wicked Stick has assumed the role of the everyman’s course, appealing to people with its unique challenges and the opportunity to score. The layout wasn’t designed to crush the spirit of golfers, quite the opposite in fact.

Once you get beyond the 7,000-yard Daly tees, the blue (6,507 yards) and white (6,080 yards) tees are ideal in length (don’t believe me, just check the USGA’s new play it forward campaign!) for the average golfer.

The front nine gives players a taste of links style golf. The holes are wide open, providing ample room off the tee. Players typically have a shot at the green even after an errant drive and anyone playing from the proper set of tees should have manageable approaches.

Daly and Clyde Johnston, who did the heavy architectural lifting, afford players the opportunity to get off to a good start. The first two holes at Wicked Stick are short – 336 and 340 yards from the tips – and present genuine birdie opportunities before the layout stiffens.

The par 4, sixth hole, with out-of-bounds on the left and water on the right is the course’s hardest. On a layout full of wide fairways, No. 6 is relatively narrow and there is no place to miss. That’s followed by the gargantuan (from the tips) 265-yard, par 3 seventh hole. The length of the hole was famously decided upon when Daly clubbed a three iron from the spot of the current tee box to the middle of the green while the course was under construction.

Wicked Stick’s back nine has a parkland feel to it, with more trees lining (but not crowding) the fairways. The home nine is highlighted by its two par 5s.

The 611-yard, 11th hole is the fifth longest along the Grand Strand, and one players don’t forget. The 18th is a 528-yard par 5 that presents risk-reward choices and is a great way to finish a round.

With its open layout, Wicked Stick is an ideal place to begin a Myrtle Beach golf trip, allowing players a chance to get their game tuned up and maintain their confidence.

Another of the course’s underrated perks is its location. Wicked Stick is built just off of Highway 17 Bypass, so it’s easily accessible and relatively close to the Atlantic Ocean, insuring a nice breeze.

Wicked Stick, now under the management of Jack Himmelsbach, receives its greatest endorsement from repeat players, who are the heart of the course’s business.

“We have about 15,000 players that come back ever year,” head pro John Thomas said.

The Verdict: Wicked Stick is a playable design that pleases the game’s most important constituency – players. If a good time, good service and good conditions appeal to you, so will Wicked Stick.

Wicked Stick: Five Things You Need to Know

2011-06-28T01:18:44Z

Wicked Stick Golf Links opened to great fanfare in 1995 just months after John Daly, who helped design the course, won the British Open. With a two-time major champion’s name on the sign, Wicked Stick enjoyed immediate attention.

Sixteen years later, Daly’s name and an enjoyable round of golf continue to attract people to Wick Stick, one of the area’s most player friendly layouts. Before teeing it up at Wicked Stick, here are five things you need to know.

Grip It and Rip It: As one would expect from a course with the free swinging Daly’s name on it, Wicked Stick offers plenty of opportunity to pound the ball, including two of the longest holes along the Grand Strand. The 611-yard, par 5 11th hole is Myrtle Beach’s fifth longest and according to legend, Daly can get home in two. Even more daunting is the 7th hole, a 265-yard par 3. Players need to grip it and rip it on those two holes.
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He Did More Than Lend His Name: Daly was actively involved in Wicked Stick’s design, visiting the course several times throughout its development. When the seventh hole was still in its formative stages – only a dirt bowl that would be the home of the green was complete – Daly pulled a mat out of a truck and walloped a ball with his three iron that ended up in middle of the green site. Daly declared that spot the home of the seventh tee. It was 265 yards from the green, making it the Grand Strand’s longest par 3. No word on whether anyone has replicated that shot since.

Teeing It Up: We’ve made much of the length of the seventh and 11th holes, but that distance is from the Daly tees, where few people play. On balance the length of the course is very manageable. As a matter of fact, the blue tees at 6,507 yards and the white tees at 6,080 yards are perfectly placed. If you are skilled enough, good luck from the Daly tees at 7,001 yards.

Was That Who I Thought It Was?: Don’t be surprised if you see Daly at Wicked Stick, particularly if you are in town around the annual Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am. Daly stops by and occasionally plays the course when he is in town for the event.

Location, Location, Location: Wicked Stick is located right off Highway 17 Bypass, meaning it’s just minutes from the airport, and players drive by it going north and south. It is one of the Grand Strand’s most accessible courses.

Wicked Stick: Three Best Holes

2011-06-28T01:07:44Z

Wicked Stick Golf Links, the only John Daly signature course, was designed with the idea of letting traveling golfers enjoy the grip it and rip it game that Long John helped popularize. The fairways are generous and bombing the driver is encouraged, but the layout offers a diverse and enjoyable round.

We asked head pro John Thomas to share the course’s three best holes. He obliged.
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No. 7, 265-yard, par 3: The Grand Strand’s longest par 3, No. 7 is an absolute monster from the Daly tees. It’s long but manageable from the blue (205 yards) and white tees (188 yards). There is a pond on the right and a green with a surplus of undulation.

“Par is a good score,” Thomas said. “There is a pretty deep pot bunker on the front right, a shallow bunker on the back left and you play into an egg shaped green with a big elephant buried in the middle of it.”

Good luck!

No. 9, 403-yard, par 4 – Wicked Stick’s ninth, one of the course’s more scenic holes, demands a quality approach. Water fronts the green so there is no coming up short, and the challenge is substantial.

“There is water to the left and mounds (off the tee), but it’s really wide open,” Thomas said. “You don’t have to hit a driver. Whatever you can get to 150 yards, that’s what you want to hit off the tee. You have to hit the green (on the approach).”

No. 18, 528-yard, par 5 – A risk-reward hole, there are several different ways to play No. 18. It’s a dogleg left that offers players the chance to go for the green in two, but it’s a risky gambit. Most players that dream of an eagle, attempt to pound the drive to the corner of the fairway and hit a long iron into what amounts to an island green.

Playing 485 yards from the white tees, even mid to high handicappers can be tempted after a long drive, but most play it safe.

“Most people play it down the right side about 260 out then layup,” Thomas said

Sounds like a smart way to finish a good round.

Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame Inducts Two

2011-06-28T00:15:11Z

The third class of inductees into the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame included two men who count the founding of the Dunes Club, the Surf Club and the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship to their credit, making their inclusion an easy one.

The impeccably credentialed 2011 inductees were Charles “Charlie” W. Byers, one of the Grand Strand's most visionary golf course developers, and Paul Himmelsbach, one of Myrtle Beach's most creative marketers and golf entrepreneurs.

]]> Charlie Byers pioneered the opening of golf courses on the outskirts of the town of Myrtle Beach, stretching the Grand Strand to new boundaries.

Byers moved to North Myrtle Beach in 1947 and soon became a founding member of The Dunes Golf & Beach Club. He was among a group of five men who opened The Surf Golf and Beach Club, the first golf club in North Myrtle Beach. Next, he opened Seagull Golf Club in Pawley’s Island and Quail Creek Golf Club in Conway. Despite criticism that “no one would drive that far from Myrtle Beach to play golf,” he found success, which encouraged him to then build Burning Ridge Golf Club west of the Intracoastal Waterway toward Conway, Indian Wells Golf Club in Murrells Inlet, and other courses.

Byers encouraged Grand Strand golf owners to cooperate for the betterment of Myrtle Beach as a whole. He became an important influence on the foundation of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Over the years, that organization has successfully promoted and branded Myrtle Beach worldwide, increasing local business opportunities, area wide employment, and the number of visiting golfers. Byers was also a force behind the creation of the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association and gained a measure of worldwide fame when he was featured on the Saturday Evening Post's July 8, 1961 cover, “Clubhouse Rainy Day.”

“My father was a visionary,” said Robbie Byers, who is the son of Charles Byers. “He saw that Myrtle Beach could become a great golf destination. He was willing to reach to the north, west and south to make that happen, and he began to stretch into areas that people said just would not draw the golfers. But they did. My father not only expanded the options available to Myrtle Beach golfers, but the size, scope and the very landscape of what we had to offer. And, because Dad believed that if we all pulled together and marketed the area as one destination, we would all benefit and as such organizations like Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association were born.”

Golf entrepreneur Paul Himmelsbach leveraged his personal relationships with national media to position Myrtle Beach among the world's premier golf vacation destinations. After moving to Myrtle Beach from New York in 1977, he founded On The Green magazine and its sister publication, On The Beach. In partnership with his brother, Jack, he formed Himmelsbach Communications which later partnered with Golf Digest to create a Myrtle Beach advertorial supplement that appeared in both Golf Digest and On The Green twice a year. The supplement informed millions of golfers about Myrtle Beach and the quality, quantity and affordability of its golf courses.

Himmelsbach was also a partner in Himmelsbach, Wilson & Hearl advertising agency until it merged with Lesnik Himmelsbach Wilson Hearl Advertising & Public Relations (LHWH) in the late 1980's. Over the years, LHWH has launched golf equipment products for national manufacturers, as well as promoted golf courses and resorts throughout the Carolinas.

Himmelsbach co-created the World Amateur Handicap Championship which annually attracts competitors and golf vendors from every state and many foreign countries for a week of golf on the Strand, generating millions of dollars for the economy and worldwide publicity for Myrtle Beach golf. A golf course developer, he partnered with his brother and others to create The Glens Golf Group, known for award-winning golf courses like Heather Glen, Glen Dornoch and Shaftesbury Glen. He is also a partner in Wicked Stick Golf Links and Rivers Edge.

“Paul has a deep love for the game of golf and for the Myrtle Beach golf industry,” said Mitch Laurance, ESPN commentator, golf journalist and long-time friend of Himmelsbach. “He knows the business at every level. He started in golf retail. He's a long-time member of the Golf Writers Association of America. He's a highly respected publisher, golf course owner and creative thinker who has generously helped other golf courses up and down the Strand when they requested his insights into the business. He's always ready to share ideas that can help others grow. Through his relationships with national media and golf writers, he put a spotlight on our town and inspired millions of golfers to make annual trips to Myrtle Beach to play golf.”

The Hall of Fame was created in 2009 to honor the men and women who have played significant roles in all aspects of the Myrtle Beach area golf industry, including teaching, playing, course design, construction, marketing and administration.

“The Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame is a place where everyone can come to learn about the rich golf history of Myrtle Beach,” said Bob Swezey, executive vice president of resort operations for Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. “Its physical location is here at the first golf course built in Myrtle Beach and it's the perfect place to reflect upon the contributions that our area has made to both the game of golf and the economy of South Carolina.”

Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame Photo Gallery

2011-06-28T00:05:36Z

The 2011 class of the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame was recently inducted at Pine Lakes Country Club. Charlie Byers and Paul Himmelsbach, two area titans, were this year's honorees. Enjoy a photo gallery from the day's events.

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Photo Gallery: Wicked Stick Golf Links

2011-06-27T13:22:18Z

The home of the only John Daly signature course, Wicked Stick emphasizes playability and a good time. The course allows players plenty of lattitude off the tee and has been pleasing golfers since its opening in 1995. Enjoy a look at Wicked Stick.

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Golf Course Review: Leopard's Chase Leaves Golfers Purring

2011-06-22T13:34:43Z

Any hunt for great golf along the Grand Strand will lead players to the home of Ocean Ridge Plantation’s most fearsome Big Cat – Leopard’s Chase. The newest of Ocean Ridge’s four felines, Leopard’s Chase has raced to the top of must-play lists faster than its namesake chasing prey across the savanna.

Leopard’s Chase opened to great acclaim in 2007, earning a spot on Golf Digest and Golf Magazine’s list of America’s best new courses, and vaulting into the consciousness of Myrtle Beach golfers. The Tim Cate design has proven worthy of the plaudits it received, providing an ideal combination of challenge and beauty.

]]> Cate, who has worked almost exclusively along the coastal Carolinas, is one of the game’s most underappreciated architects and Leopard’s Chase is his signature design. He co-designed Ocean Ridge’s first course, Lion’s Paw, before creating Panther’s Run and Tiger’s Eye on his own.

Cate took elements from all three courses in creating Leopard’s Chase and the results were spectacular. He used locally harvested coquina boulders, abundant sand traps and environmentally sensitive areas to mold a course that is visually stunning without being deceptive.

Selecting a favorite hole at Leopard’s Chase is only slightly less difficult than naming your favorite color M&M. The choices are many and the differences in quality are non-existent. The fourth and fifth holes deliver consecutive island greens, providing an early glimpse of what makes the course special.

The green on the par 3 fourth hole is surrounded by water, a more “typical” island green. On the par 4 fifth, the green is enveloped by sand, leaving a bunker shot players don’t want to contend with. The front nine, which features three, par 3s, has water on every hole.

The back nine, with its three par 5s, is full risk-reward opportunities and offers an outstanding finish. Water is visible on eight of nine holes, but it isn’t as impactful. Instead the environmentally sensitive areas and waste bunkers are the more dangerous hazards.

The par 5 11th is a prime risk-reward example. An environmentally sensitive area dissects the fairway twice, the first time 275 yards from the white tees, setting up a decision on the second shot. From the end of the fairway, the green is approximately 200 yards out but it requires a carry over 70 yards of wetlands. The alternative is to pull out a wedge and layup between 125-150 yards from the hole.

To further complicate matters, players that reach the tip of the fairway, have to contend with two bunkers fronting the left side of the green.

Number 14 is another reachable par 5, and one of the course’s best holes, but 17 is a monster (585 yards from the tips) that is unreachable in two.

A 439-yard par 4, No. 18 is Leopard’s Chase at its best. A waste bunker on the right, a beach bunker on the left and a water fall gliding over the trademark coquina boulders conspire to create one of the Grand Strand’s most memorable finishing holes.

Leopard’s Chase is the toughest of the four courses at Ocean Ridge, but it’s a challenge golfer’s embrace. The fairways aren’t narrow, but between water, waste bunkers and trees, drives that stray too far offline, are punished.

“It’s a challenge, but you want to come back and play again,” Bill Long, Ocean Ridge’s director of marketing, said. “You come here and you are going to see things you don’t see at other courses.”

The Verdict: Leopard’s Chase is a great course and certainly among the best in the area. It’s a layout you will want to play repeatedly. If that’s not enough, Leopard’s Chase offers tremendous value given its place in the market. It’s a Big Cat that always leaves golfers purring.

Myrtle Beach Golf Lineup To Include Callaway Performance Center

2011-06-22T13:00:31Z

The Myrtle Beach golf scene is home to 100 courses, including some the nation’s best, the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, and the Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am.

Another high profile attraction is poised to join the Myrtle Beach golf lineup. Golf Dimensions has announced the opening of a Callaway Performance Center (CPC) at Barefoot Resort & Golf in July. The new Callaway Performance Center, just the 16th of its kind in the nation, will be located on the range at Barefoot.

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Callaway Performance Centers utilize the patented "Callaway Performance Analysis System" (CPAS), which is used to custom fit the very best players in the game including major championship winners Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els. The CPAS System employs two high-speed cameras and ball-flight simulators, while a computer monitor displays an analysis of each golfer's launch conditions-ball speed, launch angle and spin rates. In addition, the system measures the path angle and the golfer's angle of attack to the ball, utilizing 3D imagery and precision software designed by Callaway's world renowned Research & Development department.

Callaway's proprietary OptiFit® System allows golfers to test the manufacturer's equipment in a myriad of shaft and clubhead combinations quickly and efficiently. Never before have everyday golfers been able to employ such high-tech equipment to improve their performance and enjoyment on the golf course. Regardless of skill level, every golfer will benefit from a fitting at the Callaway Performance Center (CPC), where swings can be evaluated with the exact same cutting edge technology used on Callaway Tour Staff Professionals

In addition to the custom fitting experience, the new Callaway Performance Center, Myrtle Beach will offer a number of Callaway's newest products at retail, as well as Odyssey putters and TopFlite golf balls. Visitors to the CPC will be able to shop for clubs, golf balls, apparel, footwear, headwear, bags, gloves, rangefinders, GPS devices and a variety of accessories for men, women and junior golfers.

Golf Dimensions, Inc enters its 23"'year on the Strand and is among the largest "Independent Specialty Golf Retailers" in the country. The family-owned company is run today by three generations of the Smith family, including three of the original founding members.

Golf Dimensions will continue to operate its two large "golf-only" Superstores in the Myrtle Beach market. The present third Golf Dimensions location at Barefoot Resort & Golf closed on Thursday June 9"to be converted into the new Callaway Performance
Center, Myrtle Beach. Renovations are underway and should be complete early July.

"Our family is very excited to bring this special and unique Callaway Performance Center format to the Myrtle Beach market, renowned by many as the Golfing Capital of the World," said Bobby Smith, one of the founding owners of Golf Dimensions. "Both companies are making a significant investment to bring this unique and pleasing experience to Myrtle Beach and we anticipate local and vacationing golfers alike will embrace the opportunities that the CPC store and the CPAS Fit System will offer to golfers of all playing abilities."

Barefoot Resort and Golf is a 2,300-acre masterpiece, located across the Intracoastal Waterway and connected to North Myrtle Beach by a historic swing bridge that was built in the 1930s and relocated from the Outer-Banks of North Carolina. Among its amenities are four championship golf courses designed by Greg Norman, Davis Love ill, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye. Three of the Barefoot courses are ranked in the "Top 100 Public Golf Courses in America" by Golf Digest. Barefoot also offers two clubhouses complete with a full service restaurant, 3D-acre lighted driving range, sports bar, spa, marina, and accommodations to fit any request or budget. Barefoot Landing, located just minutes away directly across the waterway, offers shopping, dining and entertainment for every age group to enjoy.

Six Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Installing New Greens

2011-06-20T19:35:27Z

After the busy spring season, Myrtle Beach golf courses use the summer months to freshen up, undertaking projects to insure prime conditions for players.

Six Myrtle Beach golf courses are in the midst of more significant work, namely the installation of new greens.

The courses installing new putting surfaces are: Avocet at Wild Wing Plantation, the Fazio and Norman courses at Barefoot Resort, Quail Creek, River Club and the West Course at Myrtle Beach National.

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All six Myrtle Beach golf courses have allowed ample time for the installation, guaranteeing a fast, smooth surface upon reopening.

Continuing a trend throughout the South, the courses are installing bermuda grass greens, which thrive during the hot summer months. The hybrid strains of bermuda possess the qualities of bentgrass without the vulnerabilities to heat.

“The greens should be outstanding from the day we reopen,” said Max Morgan, director of golf course maintenance operations at Myrtle Beach National, which oversees Avocet, River Club and the West Course. “People want firm, fast greens and bermuda gives them firm, fast greens.”

Avocet enjoys the benefit of having the Hummingbird nine on site, so it’s closing nine holes at time while new MiniVerde greens are installed, allowing golfers the chance to play 18 holes throughout the summer. The front nine at Avocet closed on June 19 and is scheduled to reopen on July 10. The back nine will close on July 10 and is slated to reopen August. 1. Avocet is sodding its greens, allowing each nine to reopen faster.

The Fazio Course at Barefoot closed in late May and will reopen July 18 with new Champion bermuda. The Norman Course is scheduled to close on July 11 and reopen on September 1, and it’s also getting Champion bermuda.

Quail Creek closed on June 6 and will reopen August 22 with new MiniVerde and course refurbishments. The primary on-course work will involve the removal of some bunkers and the renovation of others. Quail Creek is also substantially improving its practice facilities, increasing its putting green to 12,000 square feet, and creating a short-game practice area. Craig Schreiner, who handled the redesign at Pine Lakes and was a consultant for work done last year at River Oaks, is serving as a consultant on the job.

River Club will be closed from June 23 through August 19 as Champion bermuda is installed on the Dan Maples design.

The West Course at Myrtle Beach National will shutdown from June 29 through August 24 as MiniVerde is put down. While the West Course is closed, sand will be added to bunkers and irrigation work will be done around several greens, too.

Leopard's Chase: 3 Best Holes

2011-06-20T18:18:26Z

Leopard’s Chase is one of Myrtle Beach’s newest courses, and it has wasted little time staking its place among the area’s most acclaimed layouts.

Leopard’s Chase, a Tim Cate design, was ranked among America’s Top 10 new courses upon its 2007 opening by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, so outstanding holes are many. But we asked Bill Long, the director of marketing at Ocean Ridge Plantation, to name the course’s three best holes.

An astute observer of Cate’s work, Long tells us about the best holes on the fourth of Ocean Ridge’s Big Cat courses.

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No. 4, 190-yard, par 3: Coquina boulders ring what amounts to an island green, creating a stunning visual and one of the layout’s best challenges. The fourth hole isn’t exceedingly long (168 from the blues, 156 from the whites), but it’s all carry across the water.

“There is a little pressure on you when you are standing up there with the water all around,” Long said. “The wind tends to swirl, so you better check the direction before you tee off.”

While there is little margin for error in front, Cate leaves room on the sides, giving well struck, though slightly wayward shots, landing room.

No. 14, 543-yard, par 5: There is opportunity to score on this dogleg left par 5, but it’s not without peril. The fairway is wide and long hitters can get home in two by going over an environmentally sensitive area to cut the dogleg. But beware, there is trouble to the left and right of the green.

Players that layback will be tested by a relatively narrow landing area.

“It’s a thinking man’s hole,” Long said. “You must hit it straight but a good score can be made there.”

In terms of overall difficulty, No. 14 ranks in the middle of the Leopard’s Chase pack but an abundance of options make the hole special.

No. 18, 439-yard, par 4: The closing hole at Leopard’s Chase is probably it’s most memorable. The tee shot requires a carry over an environmentally sensitive area, a large waste bunker is on the right and a beach bunker on looms on the left. If that weren’t enough, a waterfall that runs 1,600 gallons per minute flows over coquina boulders around the 18th green.

It’s one of the course’s hardest and most memorable holes.

“You can hear the waterfall on your approach shot,” Long said. “It’s a great way to finish.”

What is your favorite hole at Leopard’s Chase?

Leopard's Chase Golf Club: 5 Things You Need to Know

2011-06-17T15:30:40Z

Leopard’s Chase Golf Club was the fourth Big Cat to join the pride at Ocean Ridge Plantation, but it’s first in the hearts and minds of many Grand Strand golfers.

The layout has been regarded among the area’s best since its 2007 opening, and the course’s popularity continues to rise. Before you challenge Ocean Ridge’s most fearsome cat, here are five things you need to know.

If You Like The First 3 …: Tim Cate co-designed Lion’s Paw, and he was the solo architect of Panther’s Run and Tiger’s Eye before crafting Leopard’s Chase, regarded by many as the facility’s best course. Leopard’s Chase is Cate at his best – yawning waste bunkers, dramatic visuals and a stern, but fair test of golf. Cate’s name isn’t well known outside of the Carolinas, but he is an outstanding architect and Leopard’s Chase is a jewel.

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Best of the Best: Despite its youth, Leopard’s Chase has piled up honors. The course was ranked among the top 10 new courses in America, upon its opening, by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. It’s also among the top 5 courses in North Carolina by Golfweek, and Golf World readers ranked Leopard’s Chase among the top 50 public courses in the nation.

This Cat Bites: Visually Leopard’s Chase is a memorable layout, but players can’t get too caught up in its beauty. It’s the most difficult course at Ocean Ridge and places great value on shot placement.

Those Aren’t Rocks!: One of Cate’s signature design traits is the use of locally harvested coquina boulders to enhance the course’s visual appeal and create contrast. The ancient boulders are filled with fossils, and sharks and mastodon teeth, providing a glance at the animals that used to roam the grounds.

Drive For Dough: The L93 bentgrass greens are large and quick, but the driver holds the key to success at Leopard’s Chase. The ability to put the ball in the fairway is the most vital component of a successful round. Leopard’s Chase is longer than its counterparts and while the fairways are sufficiently wide, miss them at your own peril. Hit it straight and enjoy one of the Grand Strand’s best courses.

Photo Gallery: Leopard's Chase Golf Club

2011-06-16T14:26:55Z

Leopard's Chase was the fourth Big Cat to arrive at Ocean Ridge Plantation, but quickly roared its way to the top of many must-play lists. The Tim Cate design is one of the Grand Strand's most popular designs.

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Myrtle Beach Golf Tournament Seeks Participants In Effort To Find Cure For Lupus

2011-06-15T17:30:42Z

Myrtle Beach golf tournaments aid a variety of great events, and an NBA veteran is returning to lend his name to a personal cause. On Saturday, June 25, Myrtle Beach National (MBN) will host the 3rd annual Chris Wilcox Charity Golf Outing.

The shotgun, scramble tournament will begin at 1:00 p.m. on MBN’s West Course. The charity event is an effort to raise money for the Lupus Foundation of America, a debilitating disease that hampers and attacks the immune system.

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Wilcox is a Whiteville, N.C. native and is currently a forward with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. A star on the University of Maryland’s 2001-02 NCAA national championship team, the search for a cure for lupus is a personal one. Tragically, Wilcox has lost two aunts to the disease, and his sister currently suffers from it.

“Right now there is no cure, or known cause for Lupus and 90 percent of those affected are women,” said Wilcox. “After losing my aunts and seeing how my sister is affected by it, finding a cure for Lupus has become a personal crusade for me. I hope the Myrtle Beach golf community will come out to support this event and have some fun for a good cause.”

New York Knicks guard and Latta, S.C. native Raymond Felton is scheduled to return to this year’s tournament. Other celebrities are expected to be announced prior to the event, a Myrtle Beach golf tournament favorite.

Registration for the 18-hole tournament is $75.00 per person, or $300 per foursome. Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams, closest to the pin and longest drive. Multi-level sponsorships are also available.

For more information and to register for the Chris Wilcox Charity Golf Outing, go to www.ChrisWilcox54.com.

Beachwood Golf Club: Fun, Affordable, Convenient

2011-06-07T13:14:20Z

Gene Hamm designed Beachwood Golf Club in 1968 with the traveling golfer in mind, delivering a layout that was long on playability and devoid of trickery. Forty-three years later, one of the Grand Strand’s pioneering courses continues to deliver on its original promise.

Fun, affordable, friendly and convenient are the words used most often to describe Beachwood and it’s a time honored recipe for success.

Beachwood’s popularity starts with a course that is designed to challenge but certainly not overwhelm. The layout is 6,844 yards from the tips and has subsequent tees at 6,347, 5,695 and 4,947 yards, long enough for all while offering everyone a chance to score.

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The layout is as open as any course along the Grand Strand, giving players room to spray the ball off the tee. The fairways are lined by trees but not the heavy pine forests some layouts are carved from. Drives that are off the fairway will likely find a clear path to recovery and possibly the green.

Beachwood is a good course to have in a golf package and it’s a great layout to have first in the rotation. Because of the course’s playability, it gives players time to adjust to the heavier air (typically balls don’t travel as far at sea level as they do at higher elevations) and start their trip on a positive note.

While Beachwood is among the area’s most playable layouts, it’s not a pushover. At 6,347 yards, the white tees are relatively long and players still have to deliver shots to score.

The 14th hole, a double dogleg par 5 is the course’s sternest test. At 581 yards from the tips and 560 from the white tees, it’s a true three-shot hole. There will be no cutting of corners or eagle putts on the 14th. Three good shots will result in a birdie putt, anything less could lead to trouble.

Conversely players will have a chance to score on the par 4 seventh and 12th holes, both short, relatively straight holes that leave the vast majority of players with a wedge into the green.

Beachwood only requires one carry across water – on the par 3, fourth hole – but water is visible on 11 holes.

The course enjoys the benefit of having the Grand Strand’s longest tenured superintendent, H.L. “Hubby” Bellamy, who uses 43 years of experience to keep the course and its greens in outstanding condition.

“We heard all spring that our greens were the best golfers played,” director of golf Kevin Lawson said.

Beachwood’s greens don’t have the proverbial elephants buried in them, making speed the most important component of a good putting round. With the latitude players have off the tee, the putter is the most important club in the bag.

One of Beachwood’s under-the-radar strengths is course drainage. The layout drains as well as any course on the beach and, as a result, carts are almost always allowed on the fairway.

The Verdict: Beachwood features good conditions, outstanding value and friendly customer service. Mix in the fact that there are no houses or condos, and Beachwood delivers a round of golf that folks are happy to see on their itinerary. A good layout and the opportunity to score well is a tough combination to pass up.

Beachwood Golf Club: 5 Things You Need to Know

2011-06-06T17:34:55Z

Beachwood Golf Club is one of the founding fathers of North Strand golf. Opened in 1968, it was North Myrtle Beach’s second layout and helped pave the way for an area that now boasts more than 36 courses.

The 43-yard-old layout is full character and good old fashioned Southern charm. With that in mind, here are five things you need to know about Beachwood Golf Club:

Nobody Knows It Better: Beachwood rightfully prides itself on its conditions and a primary reason is superintendent H.L. “Hubby” Bellamy, who has held the same position from the day the course opened! He is the Grand Strand’s (possibly the nation’s?) longest tenured superintendent. Bellamy knows every inch of the layout and how it reacts to changing conditions, and golfers benefit from his expertise.

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Elbow Room Aplenty: Set on 180 acres, there isn’t a house or condo to be found at Beachwood. The course has as much room as any layout along the Grand Strand and the result is an undisturbed round of golf.

Location, Location, Location: What makes Beachwood’s tranquil setting a surprise to some is its location. The entrance to the course is directly off of Highway 17 in the heart of North Myrtle Beach. Once you enter the property gates, the surrounding hustle and bustle dissipates. Meanwhile, the location makes the course easily accessible to everyone.

Don’t Look For the Bag Drop: Beachwood is the area’s only course that doesn’t have a bag drop. Attendants meet players in the parking lot and ferry their clubs to their golf cart, meaning you never touch your clubs and don’t have to circle the parking lot. Just pull in and things are taken care of.

Good Forever: Beachwood places an emphasis on customer service and makes good on its word. In addition to a friendly staff, rain checks are good forever. Beachwood once honored a rain check 23 years after it was issued! That’s not a typo. A man received the rain check in 1970 and redeemed it in 1993. The same policy remains today.

Photo Gallery: Beachwood Golf Club

2011-06-06T17:12:29Z

One of North Myrtle Beach's first courses, Beachwood Golf Club continues to please golfers with a playable layout and outstanding customer service. Enjoy a look at the Gene Hamm favorite.

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Nature Valley's Tips From the Pro: Hinge and Hold Helps Around the Green

2011-06-06T15:39:38Z

In this week’s installment of Nature Valley’s Tips From the Pro, Ted Frick, owner and director of instruction at Classic Swing Golf School, explains how to hit it close when you’ve been short-sided around the green.

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Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Prepare for Summer Spectacular

2011-06-03T20:23:08Z

Myrtle Beach golf courses have one of golf’s most aggressive family outreach programs and it’s getting ready to reach its zenith.

Memorial Day is in the rearview mirror, marking the unofficial start of summer and an increasingly popular shoulder golf season. Historically, summer in Myrtle Beach has meant sunscreen, beach toys and swimming in the Atlantic, and that remains true.

But families that make an annual pilgrimage to the Grand Strand are increasingly packing golf clubs alongside their bogey boards.

]]> More than 40 Myrtle Beach golf courses, including five that have been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest in recent years, participate in a Kids Play Free program, allowing children 16 and under to play for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

“It’s fun to be able to get the kids involved at a young age,” said Brookville, Fla., resident Roger Maharaj after playing a round at Wild Wing-Avocet with his son. “He is going to remember it for the rest of his life.”

“The ‘Kids Play Free’ program is one of our most rewarding endeavors,” said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “We pride ourselves on introducing juniors to the game of golf and creating a family-friendly atmosphere for everyone. This unique program will allow families vacationing along the Grand Strand to play a great round of golf at a tremendous value.”

The popular “Kids Play Free” program is hardly the area’s only family oriented program. For the 23rd year, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday will be running its Summer Family Golf Tournaments series. The tournaments are hosted every Wednesday from June 23 through August 18 and each event is played at a different Myrtle Beach golf course.

Some of the Myrtle Beach golf courses hosting the Summer Family Golf Tournaments include the TPC, True Blue and Grande Dunes. (view tournament schedule)

The Summer Family Golf Tournaments allow all junior golfers, 16 years-of-age and younger, to play for free with a paying adult. Participation in a tournament costs $40 for adults (unless otherwise noted on the schedule) with the fee including a cart and the chance to win one of many contests. Each Summer Family Golf Tournament features a closest-to-the-pin and long-drive contest with prizes awarded to the winners. The tournaments have three divisions – open, couples and adult/youth – and feature a captain’s choice format.

Beyond the family programs, summer offers traveling golfers premium values (checkout summer golf specials). Course conditions are typically ideal, the weather is nice, and course’s aggressively court play.

Summer is a perfect time to sneak away for a golf trip and the elements that make Myrtle Beach so popular in the spring and fall are all still in play.

Beachwood Golf Club - 3 Best Holes

2011-06-03T14:30:09Z

Beachwood Golf Club is one of the Grand Strand’s Golden Oldies. The Gene Hamm design opened its fairways in 1968 and helped pave the way for golf on the North Strand.

The original design has stood the test time, pleasing golfers and playing as Hamm intended. The layout has maintained its architectural integrity, and we asked director of golf Kevin Lawson to tell us the venerable facility’s three best holes.

The gregarious Lawson agreed, so here are Beachwood’s three best holes, according to the man who oversees its operation:

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No. 14, 581-yard, par 5 – Beachwood’s longest and most challenging hole, No. 14 is a double dogleg that tests players from tee to green. On a layout that mostly allows players to swing away, No. 14 requires accuracy on a hole that doglegs to the left twice.

“You really have to favor the right side of the fairway on the layup shot to get back into the green on the third shot,” Lawson said. “You are always playing into the wind in the summer. It’s a great golf hole.”

The 14th is a true three-shot hole. Par is a good score.

No. 17, 512-yard, par 5 – A dogleg left, Beachwood’s penultimate hole is one of its most enjoyable. The fairway is open off the tee so feel free to swing away. The corner of the dogleg is available to be cut, opening the possibility of going for the green in two.

There is water on the right side of the hole, beginning 200 yards from the green. Avoid the water and a good score potentially awaits.

No. 18, 239-yard, par 3 – Beachwood’s signature hole, No. 18 is a demanding test whose greatest challenge is in its length and the out of bounds area on the left. Even from the white tees, it plays a meaty 199 yards and the prevailing wind is in your face.

“A lot of people play it like a par 4 because it’s always into the wind,” Lawson said. “Be patient and try to get it up and down if you can’t get it there.”

What is your favorite hole at Beachwood?

Photo Gallery: FDNY World Trade Center Ribbon Beam Presentation

2011-06-03T14:06:56Z

At this year's FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing, New York City firefighters presented the Myrtle Beach tourism community with a ribbon beam from the World Trade Center's North Tower as a way of saying thanks for the area's efforts in aiding NYC service workers in the aftermath of the attacks. Enjoy a photo gallery of the day's events.

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David Feherty to Headline 2011 Golf.com World Am Entertainment

2011-06-01T13:14:13Z

For the second consecutive year, Golf Magazine columnist and CBS analyst David Feherty will highlight the entertainment at the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

One of golf’s wittiest voices, Feherty will bring his irreverent (and insightful) views on the game and life to the World’s Largest 19th Hole on Thursday, September 1.

Last year Feherty regaled World Am players with tales from his life on the course and in the broadcast booth, lending star power and a surplus of laughs to the tournament.

]]> “We are thrilled to welcome David Feherty back to the World’s Largest 19th Hole,” said Dave Macpherson, the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship tournament director. “It was a blast having him here last year, and it will, again, add considerably to the experience World Am players enjoy.”

Feherty played on both the European and PGA Tours, winning five times on the European circuit and twice finishing in the top 10 in the Order of Merit. He played two years on the PGA Tour, recording a second place finish at the New England Open. Feherty had three top 10 finishes in the Majors, including a fourth place effort at the 1994 British Open, and he played in the famed 1991 Ryder Cup, scoring 1.5 points.

In addition to his golf work, Feherty has become a tireless advocate for American troops wounded in combat (the link takes you to a must-read story), using his celebrity and humor to make a difference in the lives of people who have sacrificed dearly for our freedom.

A native of Northern Ireland, Feherty has also authored three best-selling books: A Nasty Bit of Rough, Somewhere in Ireland a Village Is Missing an Idiot, and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup.

Feherty, Annika Sorenstam and Jeff Gordon, among others, have headlined the entertainment at the 19th Hole.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Veterans Golf Classic

2011-06-01T13:05:33Z

Military veterans from throughout the United States gathered in Myrtle Beach for the 12th annual Veteran Golf Classic. The event was played on 12 Myrtle Beach area courses and attracted 450 veterans from 33 states. Enjoy a look at one of the Myrtle Beach golf tournaments.

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FDNY Firefighters Present Myrtle Beach With World Trade Center Beam

2011-05-27T15:45:45Z

One by one people made their way to the stage where a four-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center’s North Tower was displayed. Some had tears in their eyes, others had smiles on their faces, while others studied the oxidized and wounded hunk of metal that once called Ground Zero home.

Regardless of expression, everyone paid their respects to a memorial – that manages to reflect the raw nature of the attacks and emotions that remain - honoring those who lost their lives in the deadliest terror attacks in American history.

]]> To mark the upcoming 10-year anniversary of 9-11, New York City firefighters donated the ribbon beam from the fallen North Tower of the World Trade Center to the Myrtle Beach tourism community during an emotional ceremony at Springmaid Beach Resort as part of the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing.

Kevin O’Brien, who brought the FDNY event to Myrtle Beach 10 years ago, worked to help secure the beam as gesture of appreciation for the small role the Grand Strand tourism community played in helping New York City service workers heal from the attacks.

Myrtle Beach began hosting the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing in the spring of 2002, and with the 10th anniversary of the attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C. and Stonycreek, Pa., nearly upon us, 750 firefighters from across the United States took a momentary break from the golf outing’s festive atmosphere for the moving presentation.

As a pair of uniformed FDNY firefighters flanked the beam, draped prior to its unveiling in an American flag, the assembled crowd helped sing the national anthem and fell silent as an FDNY firemen played a chill and tear-inducing version of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.

The ceremony was particularly poignant for the assembled firefighters, given that 343 of their FDNY brethren died when the towers collapsed. Firefighters from across the nation flocked to Ground Zero to assist the FDNY in the aftermath of the attacks, attended funerals, and helped the city return to its feet.

The outpouring from across America helped inspire the birth of the FDNY 9-11 Golf Outing. The annual event, held on more than 30 Myrtle Beach golf courses, brings firefighters from across America together for a good time and to raise money to support families of the fallen.

O’Brien, the master of ceremonies for the presentation, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday president Bill Golden, who helped make the event a reality on the Grand Strand, and Myrtle Beach mayor John Rhodes addressed the crowd.

The City of Myrtle Beach is creating a permanent memorial site for the beam at The Market Common and it will be dedicated this summer.

Myrtle Beach Golf Courses Designed by Tom Fazio

2011-05-27T15:10:15Z

What the list of Myrtle Beach golf courses designed by Tom Fazio lacks in length it more than makes up for with quality.

Fazio has designed two of America’s top 12 public courses – Shadow Creek and Karsten Creek – and his Myrtle Beach golf courses are comparable to the best of his work. Enjoy a look at the Myrtle Beach golf courses designed by Tom Fazio.

TPC of Myrtle Beach: Fazio’s first Myrtle Beach golf course opened to rave reviews in 1999 and has only gotten better. One of only three 5-star courses in the Carolinas, TPC of Myrtle Beach hosted the 2000 Senior Tour Championship, an event won by Tom Watson.

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TPC provides players a Tour-quality environment every day. The greens are often elevated and surrounded by bunkers, and the price for missing a green is often a trip to a bunker or a swale five feet below the putting surface.

The importance of hitting and holding the greens also places a premium on being good off the tee. The fairways at TPC are lined with pine trees but they are sufficiently generous.

Fazio created four set of tees at TPC and while it’s cliché to say make sure to play from the proper set, it’s true.

Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort: The layout features more than 90 bunkers and water on 16 of 18 holes, giving players plenty to look at it. While water is everywhere, it often only comes into play on the worst of shots. The bunkers are much more penal, factoring into almost every shot. Waste bunkers, pot bunkers, fairway and greenside bunkers, Fazio has them all.

The course isn’t exceedingly long, but the fairways are narrow in spots and the bunkers punish wayward shots, making it difficult to reach the green in regulation. The course’s layout rewards accuracy off the tee and demands a precision iron game into greens that have considerable undulation.

Both of Fazio’s Myrtle Beach golf courses can comfortably take their spot alongside the best courses in the area and the nation.

VFW, Army Triumph at Veterans Golf Classic

2011-05-26T19:41:34Z

Military veterans from 33 states flocked to Myrtle Beach for the 12th annual Veterans Golf Classic, and after three sun-splashed days, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Army emerged as the big winners in an event that is as much about camaraderie as it is competition.

The 54-hole tournament features four flights – Eisenhower, Franks, MacArthur and Nimitz – and the field is comprised of two-man teams, at least one of which must be an active service member or a military veteran.

Individual winners emerged at the event, but the annual battle for the Carolina Cup and the Branch Challenge generated the most passion from the 450 veterans that attended.

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The VFW three-peated in the competition for the Carolina Cup, edging the America Legion yet again, much to the delight of its members. In the Branch Challenge, Army bested the Air Force, denying its bid for a second straight title.

The Veterans Golf Classic, a handicap tournament, featured a different format every day. On Monday, each team played best ball; Tuesday was a scramble; Wednesday featured a combined net team score.

The 12 Myrtle Beach area courses that hosted tournament rounds were: Arcadian Shores, Black Bear, Crown Park, Farmstead, Founders Club, International Club, Meadowlands, The Pearl, Possum Trot, Prestwick Country Club, Sandpiper Bay, and True Blue Plantation.

In addition to golf, the event includes an afternoon happy hour after the first two rounds and a Wednesday night banquet that highlights the proceedings. The banquet, as always, included a presenting of the colors, an awards ceremony, and a three-course meal.

Flight Winners were: Eisenhower Flight – Doug Warf (Millington, Tn.) and Janice Warf (Millington, Tn.); MacArthur Flight – John Malpass (Pinehurst, N.C.) and Lansing Hewitt (Annandale, Va.); Nimitz Flight – Donald Wolford (Little River, S.C.) and Tom Teyssier (North Myrtle Beach, S.C.); Franks Flight – Joseph Steffen (Wilder, Ky.) and Curt Clements (Fort Thomas, Ky.)

Photo Gallery: Two-Time US Open Champion Curtis Strange at Sandpiper Bay

2011-05-26T14:40:35Z

Two-time US Open Champion Curtis Strange gave a pair of free clinics at Sandpiper Bay Golf Club as part of the PGA Free Lesson Month and Play Golf America promotions. Strange provided swing tips and answered questions for nearly 200 people at Sandpiper, the reigning Myrtle Beach area golf course of the year. Enjoy a photo gallery of the day's events.

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Myrtle Beach Golf Tournaments - Veterans Golf Classic Poised to Tee-Off

2011-05-19T14:14:25Z

On a list of the best Myrtle Beach golf tournaments, the Veterans Golf Classic ranks at or near the top, and for the 12th consecutive year, the Grand Strand is prepared to welcome more than 440 American heroes to the event.

The Veterans Golf Classic, a 54-hole event featuring players from 33 states, will tee-off Monday, May 22.

The 12 Myrtle Beach area courses hosting tournament rounds are: Arcadian Shores, Black Bear, Crown Park, Farmstead, Founders Club, International Club, Meadowlands, The Pearl, Possum Trot, Prestwick Country Club, Sandpiper Bay, and True Blue Plantation.

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Two-man teams, with at least one player who is active or a veteran military service member, compete in the handicap event over three days. The opening round is a best ball format, followed by a scramble, and then combined net team score on the final day.

Players are broken down into four flights – Franks, Nimitz, Eisenhower, MacArthur – based on their handicap. The tournament is open to men and women.

The event will include players who have participated in every American conflict from World War II to the present.

In addition to the team competition, members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.) will compete for the Carolina Cup while members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard will compete in the Branch Challenge. The V.F.W. won the Carolina Cup for the sixth time victory in seven years in 2010 and the Air Force won the Branch Challenge.

The Veterans Golf Classic is part of a series of Myrtle Beach golf tournaments that MBGH runs. Other Myrtle Beach golf tournaments administered by MBGH are the Palmetto High School Championships, the Summer Family Tournaments and the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

Everyone is a Friend at Black Bear Golf Club

2011-05-17T19:31:09Z

When the name bear is associated with a golf course, images of a difficult round and high scores immediately come to mind. But at Black Bear Golf Club, a fierce name belies a friendly course.

The drive into Black Bear Golf Club’s plantation style clubhouse reveals lush fairways and greens, providing an inviting glimpse of the very playable Tom Jackson design.

Located on the North Strand, Black Bear Golf Club is one of the first course’s players see when entering the area on Route 9, and the 22-year-old layout is devoid of housing.

With an emphasis on customer service, Black Bear focuses on providing an experience that is equal parts quality golf and Southern hospitality. As head pro Patrick Wilkinson says, “Everyone that comes here is a friend.”

]]> Making friends at Black Bear includes a layout that is challenging, yet imminently playable, and tees that range from 4,861 yards to 6,787 yards. The course has 23 fingers lakes, so there is plenty of water but few forced carries.

Black Bear has only two forced carries, on the par 5 second and 18th holes. Most of the water is on the sides of the course’s generous, mounded fairways, so there shouldn’t be a surplus of lost balls.

Combine the mounded fairways, which typically funnel balls back towards the short grass, with generous landing areas and Black Bear is a relatively easy driving course.

“You have to really hit it sideways to get it out of the fairway,” head pro Patrick Wilkinson said.

Black Bear’s Champion bermuda grass greens are also large, offering Wilkinson and his staff multiple pin options each day. The greens don’t have a surplus of undulation, but they are quick, placing a premium on the ability to control speed.

The course’s best stretch comes at the end. Holes 17 and 18 are standouts and both offer significant challenges, particularly the 17th, a 454-yard, par 4 that requires two good shots to hit the green.

While the closing stretch is Black Bear’s most memorable, an early hole is its toughest. The course bears its teeth on 579-yard second, a hole that is unreachable in two. It’s one of the layout’s toughest driving holes (right you are in the trees, left in a pond) and the second shot demands a layup into a fairway with water running up the left side. Squeezed by water, the fairway narrows near the green so shots that come up short are likely wet.

Conversely, the par 5 12th hole plays just 513 yards from the tips (476 from the white tees) and offers the chance to pick-up a stroke. Players that cut the corner on the dogleg left can find a second shot with as little as 160 yards left to the green, opening up the possibility for birdie, maybe even better.

Black Bear presents diverse challenges, requiring players to hit every club in the bag. The par 4s range from 352 to 454 yards, including an assortment of doglegs. As a whole, the par 3s aren’t particularly onerous but the 221-yard sixth hole – it’s 195 from the white tees – is a beast.

The Verdict: Black Bear is a good, fair golf course. Players can expect to find good conditions, a friendly staff and the opportunity to score well. Given the width of the fairways, there shouldn’t be much trouble off the tee, so spend time gauging speed on the practice putting green and get ready for an enjoyable round of golf.

Myrtle Beach to Host College Golf Combine

2011-05-17T18:47:48Z

Earning a college golf scholarship is a dream for countless kids across the nation, and Myrtle Beach is partnering with one of the nation’s fast growing events to make the process a little easier.

Myrtle Beach will be hosting one of the College Golf Combines – open to boys and girls - July 5-7 at Legends Resort. The combines bring aspiring collegiate golfers and coaches together for three days, giving players a chance to test their mettle and showcase their skills while offering coaches a look at hundreds of talented young players.

Legends Resort is home to the highly regarded Heathland, Moorland and Parkland layouts and one of the nation's best practice facilities.

More than 600 players and 150 college coaches are expected to attend one of the four College Golf Combines held this summer – St. Louis, Mo., Beaumont, Calif., and Ocean City, Md., are the other host cities.

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“We will build on the success of the previous combines to provide recruits from each region of the United States and throughout the world a very unique, pressure packed experience while being evaluated by college golf coaches,” Kimberly Campbell, tournament director, said. “During these challenging economic times, the combines provide great value for both the recruit's parents and college golf coaches.”

With 36 holes of medalist play and a skills challenge, college coaches from the Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior college levels get the opportunity to see prospective student-athletes perform under pressure.

“It’s a good test for young kids to play against pressure,” Campbell said. “We give kids and parents recruiting information. It’s tough process so we also have a seminar to help everyone better understand what is going on.”

One college golf coach echoed Campbell sentiments.

“I have been coaching college golfers for 13 years and the combine was the most productive recruiting tournament I have ever attended,” a college golf coach said. “We early signed a recruit that the combine format allowed me to watch every part of his game under pressure. He shot 80, but was 2 under par for 14 holes of the tournament round. He finished top 10 in the short game skills, was 13th of 103 in driving stats and 14th of 101 in wedge stats on Trackman. I will be attending combines every summer for as long as I am coaching.”

To register for any of the four events or learn more, go to www.collegegolfcombines.com.

Black Bear Golf Club - The 3 Best Holes

2011-05-16T18:59:40Z

Black Bear Golf Club has a memorable name and a layout that has been pleasing North Strand players for years. There is nary a house to be found on the course, which features 23 finger lakes and ponds, and it provides a peaceful round of golf.

With that in mind, we asked head pro Patrick Wilkinson to take us inside Black Bear’s three best holes.

No. 8, 352-yard, par 4 – A short dogleg right, there is a substantial risk-reward component to No. 8. Players can cut as much of the water as they’d like – a long drive from the 315-yard white tees will have you knocking on the green’s front door – but flirting with the water invites disaster.

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“It’s a fair hole,” Wilkinson said. “But greedy people raise the water level in the pond.”

The smart play is to hit the ball a little over 200 yards to the left side of the fairway, leaving a short approach, but to far left lands the ball in the trees. The green is two-tiered and the pin position and drive placement determine how much the water factors into the approach.

On the card, the eighth doesn’t look difficult but it’s full of decisions, which makes it fun.

No. 17, 454-yard, par 4 – By far the longest par 4 and most difficult hole, the 17th represents a substantial challenge. The hole plays slightly downhill, but hitting the fairway is crucial. Bunkers on the left collect errant shots and a big oak tree on the right can prevent a clear look at the hole’s L-shaped green. There is also water on the left coming in and the green slopes toward the lake, making a pin placement on that side treacherous.

No. 18, 533-yard, par 5 – Playing into Black Bear’s plantation style clubhouse, the 18th is the course’s signature hole. It’s reachable in two but an eagle putt requires two outstanding shots and the willingness to risk drowning a ball on the 18th hole.

“It’s risk-reward; do you want to play it safe?,” Wilkinson asked. “A lot of high scores are posted there. It’s an awesome looking hole.”

With a good drive there will be the temptation to go for the green, but it will take a lot of muscle and nerve.

What is your favorite hole at Black Bear?

Black Bear Golf Club - 5 Things You Need to Know

2011-05-16T18:54:37Z

Black Bear Golf Club is one of four Tom Jackson designs along the Grand Strand, and, located on Route 9, it’s an ideal layout to play on the way in or out of the area. The course opened in 1989 and is full of character (though a small part of it blew away with the top of the facility’s famous covered bridge in a hurricane!), but here is what you need to know before heading to a staple of the North Strand golf scene.

1. Something in a Name - A trip to Myrtle Beach conjures up images of great golf, sun, good times and … black bears? That’s right. Little known fact, Horry County is home to a thriving black bear population and they’ve been spotted on courses throughout the area, hence the unique name.

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2. Hog Heaven – Black Bear has a tasty thank you to groups that visit the area through preferred package providers – a free pig pickin. Every Friday in the spring and fall, Black Bear has a pig roast, a party that has proven to be very popular with players. The hog is on the grill and players serve themselves. It’s a nice treat.

3. Follow the Straight Line – Black Bear is home to a collection of 23 finger lakes and ponds, providing the course with ample water. Though there is plenty of room to drown a ball, there are only two forced carries on the course. Players that hit it relatively straight, will leave with their golf bag still full of balls.

4. Peace and Quiet – Seclusion ranks near the top of Black Bear’s many charms. The layout is devoid of all types of housing, enhancing Black Bear’s natural beauty and the staff’s ability to landscape the property.

5. You Might Remember When – Long-time Grand Strand golfers might remember Black Bear by its original name, Myrtle West. The course assumed the name the Black Bear when new ownership took over in 2000.

Photo Gallery: Black Bear Golf Club

2011-05-16T18:42:07Z

A popular North Strand layout, Black Bear Golf Club is among the area's most playable tracks. The course has 23 finger lakes and ponds that contribute to the facility's beauty without overwhelming players. Enjoy a look at the Tom Jackson design.

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Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship Early Entry Deadline Approaches

2011-05-11T14:36:50Z

Golfers have until Friday, June 3 to receive and early entry discount when registering for the 2011 GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. The 28th annual World Am will be held August 29 through September 2 with more than 3,000 golfers from 50 states and 20 countries expected to converge on 60 Myrtle Beach area courses for the week.

Registration for the 72-hole tournament is $550, but can be obtained for $500 for new players and $450 for past participants before June 3. Entry into the tournament includes four rounds of golf, a gift bag upon arrival, and four evenings of food, drink and golf exhibits at the “World’s Largest 19th Hole.”

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The entry fee also includes admission for the golfer, and guest, into the “World’s Largest 19th Hole” at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center each evening after tournament play. The 19th Hole features an extensive golf exposition, equipment demos, entertainment, open bars, concerts, prize drawings and food from some of Myrtle Beach’s finest restaurants.

The 19th Hole features an extensive golf exposition, equipment demos, entertainment, open bars, concerts, prize drawings and food from some of Myrtle Beach’s finest restaurants.

Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is a 72-hole tournament with participants competing for the right to be crowned “World Amateur Golf Champion.” Players are flighted according to their handicap and at the conclusion of the four rounds, flight winners advance to the 18-hole world championship round.

The World Am features five competitive divisions, ranging from men and women 49 years-of-age and under to the super seniors 70 years-of-age and older. The event’s inclusiveness is apparent in its past champions. Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the World Championship and three women have earned the distinction including 2009 winner Linda Fuller from Richmond, Texas. The defending champion is Bobby Perkinson of Alcoa, Tenn. The 74-year old shot his age last year to win the 2010 World Am to earn the title of “World Amateur Handicap Champion.”

The 2011 World Am will mark the fifth year of the Cory Lemke Parent-Child Championship, a tournament for any combination of parent and child participating in the event. Registration for the Parent-Child Championship is limited to the first 150 teams with no additional entry fee. The event will be played in honor of Cory Lemke, who won his flight at the age of 15 in 2002 and played countless rounds of golf with his father, Mark Lemke, a 14-year tournament participant. Cory tragically lost his life in a 2006 motorcycle accident but his memory will live on through the Cory Lemke Parent-Child Championship.

The 60 Grand Strand golf courses comprising this year’s World Am are some of the finest in the area including all four Barefoot Resort & Golf courses, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, World Tour Golf Links, TPC of Myrtle Beach, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National and Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation.

“The GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is considered the ‘Every Day Golfers' U.S. Open,’” said Dave Macpherson, tournament director of the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. “Any amateur golfer with a United States Golf Association handicap index, or foreign equivalent, can register for the World Am and has a legitimate chance to be crowned as the ‘World Golf Champion.’ We’ve added a few special events in 2011 and look forward to the 28th year of the World Am.”

For more information on the event, host golf courses, or to register, call 1-800-833-8798 or visit WorldAmGolf.com.

About the SI Golf Group
GOLF MAGAZINE is at the core of the most powerful media company in the game, the SI GOLF GROUP. The magazine, which delivers a circulation of 1.4 million golf enthusiasts with a readership of 6.1 Million, us golf’s most widely read publication and provides the best instruction, equipment reviews and travel coverage in the category. With the combined resources of GOLF, SI GOLF PLUS (the No. 1 golf weekly publication) and Golf.com (the highest trafficked golf website). The SI GOLF GROUP delivers a monthly audience of 12.6 million avid golfers and fans.

About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 99 championship golf courses, 79 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation.

Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, Golf Holiday also manages the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.

Hot List: Myrtle Beach's 5 Longest Par 3s

2011-05-09T21:14:35Z

Par 3s are often about finesse and distance control, but not always. Myrtle Beach golf’s five longest par 3s require as much, if not more, brute strength than the longest of drives.

Unless you are a low single-digit handicap, you likely don’t play from the tips, but if you find yourself in the nether regions of the tee area, here are Myrtle Beach’s five longest par 3s. Bring everything you have.

]]> 1. Wicked Stick, No. 7, 265 yards – It’s only appropriate that the founding father of "grip-it-and-rip-it" golf, John Daly, sits atop this list. At 265 yards, this hole would test Long John himself. For some of us, 265 is a great drive. Swing from the heels and hope for the best. If a long par 3 isn’t enough, Wicked Stick also has one of the Grand Strand’s five longest par 5s.

Has ANYONE birdied No. 7 from the tips?

2. Burning Ridge, No. 12, 247 yards – Gene Hamm is one of the most prolific Myrtle Beach golf course architects with seven courses to his credit, and the 12th at Burning Ridge is among his most daunting creations. Burning Ridge isn’t extremely long - 6,780 yards from the tips – but this whopper requires every bit of swing speed and strength you have.

3. Prestwick, No. 8, 246 yards – This Pete and P.B. Dye inspired monster doesn’t have trouble around the green but merely reaching it is a herculean task. Golfers are best served to aim left, giving themselves the opportunity to run the ball up.

T-4. Moorland, No. 7, 245 yards – Moorland has been ranked among America’s most challenging golf courses and the seventh does little to discourage that notion. If you are playing a P.B. Dye layout, be ready for a challenge.

T-4 Dunes, No. 12, 245 yards – In addition to being one of the Grand Strand’s longest par 3s, it’s one of the prettiest. The Atlantic Ocean is nearby and a salt marsh comes into play on the right side. To think, when you walk off the 12th green Waterloo, the Grand Strand’s most famous par 5, awaits.

Have you played the Grand Strand’s longest par 3s and if so, how did you fair?

Golf Holiday is the ultimate source for information on Myrtle Beach golf.