Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

May 1, 2014

Myrtle Beach Golf Trip Report: “That is Like Christmas”

Spring is the most popular time of year to take a Myrtle Beach golf trip, but it’s not for everyone. The Swafford Golf Tour has made their annual sojourn to Myrtle Beach for 26 consecutive years in February, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Group leader Dan Swafford, who organizes the 70+ man trip, took a few minutes to discuss why a winter, beach golf vacation works for his crew.

Swafford’s 2014 trip lasted 10 days, included more than 200 holes, and more fun than he wanted to recount on the record!

His group annually includes players from 14 states and all of them, with the exception of the Texans, suffer through a lack of golf during the long winter months, which accounts for the timing of the trip.

“[Most of ] us are from the northern states and it breaks our winter up,” Swafford, who lives in Ohio, said. “It’s so economical and the golf courses we get to play are outstanding. We don’t play that kind of stuff around here and for the cost you get, you can’t beat it anywhere around the country. I’ve been on other trips and nothing beats Myrtle Beach.”

For the Swafford Golf Tour, nothing beats their annual Thursday round at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, a layout they’ve played every year since it opened in 1994. Over the years, they’ve gotten to know the course’s staff and owners and they have a Thursday night fish fry and hog roast at one of America’s 100 best public courses.

That is like Christmas,” Swafford said of the Caledonia cookout. “We look forward to that day more than almost any other out of the year. It’s a special day for us. They treat us like family, and they are our family.”

The fun certainly didn’t stop at Caledonia. The rest of the itinerary included, but was not limited to, golf at Carolina National, Diamondback, Heather Glen, the Love Course at Barefoot, True Blue, Pawleys Plantation, Willbrook and Heritage.

While the winter of 2014 was unusually cold, even here in South Carolina, the Swafford Tour, which was in town from February 14-23, enjoyed outstanding weather. The only hiccup for Swafford was a cancelled flight in Dayton that caused him to rent a car and drive down.

“The weather we had this year was unbelievable,” Swafford said. “It was between 55 and 70 (degrees) every day. I played in shorts six of the 10 days.”

By now the post-trip surveys are in and, not surprisingly, the Caledonia experience carried the day, in another memorable year.

An annual golf trip that began with three guys driving through the night and taking the gondola across the Intracoastal Waterway to play Waterway Hills in 1989 for the first round, is already looking forward to another year.

So are we.

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April 18, 2014

Edison Leads After Opening Round of Palmetto, Schlottman Breaks Fowler’s Tourney Record

The leaderboard at the top of the Palmetto is tightEdison High School shot a team score of 298 at Lion’s Paw Golf Course to take a five-shot lead in the Championship Flight after the first round of the Palmetto High School Golf Championship.

Forsyth Country Day School’s Ben Schlottman fired a tournament record 65, and FCDS and Charlotte Christian are tied for second place. Schlottman's score was one better than PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler's 66, the previous record. (Championship Flight team standings)

West Florence shot a team total of 325 at Panther’s Run to lead the first flight. (First Flight team standings)

The Palmetto is a 54-hole, college-style event that allows high school teams to test themselves against opponents from across the nation. Teams opened play with a qualifying round on the Lion’s Paw or Panther’s Run course at Ocean Ridge Plantation on Thursday.

Teams were then flighted, according to score, for the final 36 holes of competition. The first round was played on the Panther’s Run and Lion’s Paw courses. The championship round will be played on the Willard Byrd and Rees Jones courses at Sea Trail Plantation.

Defending champion Forsyth Country Day, led by Auburn signee Ben Schlottman, is back to defend its title.

Current PGA Tour players Rickie Fowler, the 2006 champion, and Harris English are among the Palmetto’s most distinguished alums.

Teams from South Carolina, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Texas will be competing in the Palmetto this year.

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April 17, 2014

Team Led by Jim Furyk and Mark Bryan Wins 20th Annual Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After the Masters

The team led PGA Tour star Jim Furyk and Hootie & the Blowfish guitarist Mark Bryan won the 20th annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am title with an 18-under par score of 54 at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Course Monday.

For the ninth consecutive year a sellout out crowd of 6,000+ fans packed the Dye Course to watch their favorite athletes, musicians and celebrities compete in the 20th anniversary of the Monday After the Masters.

Headlining the star-laden tournament were PGA TOUR stars Dustin Johnson and Furyk; LPGA legend Nancy Lopez; Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, and football hall of famers Richard Dent, Eric Dickerson Marcus Allen and Bruce Smith. Among the professional golfers who joined Johnson, Furyk and Lopez were Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Charlie Rymer, Billy Horschel and Boo Weekley. Representing the music world were legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis, country sensation Steve Azar, R&B singer Javier Colon; singer-songwriter Edwin McCain; Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel and Dan Tyminski of Union Station.

The day began with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike Show broadcasting live from the Dye Course’s first tee. It was the fourth consecutive year America’s most popular sports talk show originated from the event. LISTEN: Mike & Mike talk to Hootie & the Blowfish about the tournament

Proceeds from the tournament, which has raised nearly $5 million for charity, go to the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.

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March 19, 2014

Dustin Johnson Headlines Monday After the Masters Commitments

8-time PGA Tour Winner Dustin Johnson will headline the MAM fieldPGA Tour stars Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk, Pro Football legend Marcus Allen and World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez are among the big names that have committed to play in the 20th annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am. (Full List of Celebrity Commitments)

The Monday After the Masters will be played at the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort on April 14.

This will mark the 12th consecutive year the event is played at the Dye Course and festivities will begin with the Celebrity Long Drive contest at 10 a.m. The tournament will tee off at 11 a.m.

Johnson, who hasn’t finished worse than sixth in his last five stroke play events, is one of the hottest players in the world. He has moved up to eighth in the official world golf rankings and will enter The Masters as one of the pre-tournament favorites.

Allen, one of only four players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP awards, was one of the greatest running backs in National Football League history.

PGA Tour star and former U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk will be making his fourth consecutive appearance at the event, and LPGA legend Nancy Lopez will be playing for the second year in a row.
Other stars committed to play are ESPN Radio host Mike Golic, Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry, Golf Channel personality Charlie Rymer, PGA Tour players John Daly and Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Grammy winning musician Branford Marsalis, and former South Carolina Gamecock stars Marcus Lattimore and Connor Shaw.

While tournament festivities begin with the Celebrity Long Drive contest, the day will start with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike Show broadcasting live from the first tee at the Dye Course beginning at 6 a.m. It will mark the fourth consecutive year that America’s most popular sports talk show broadcasts from the Monday After the Masters.

All ticket proceeds benefit the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.
Monday After the Masters has hosted celebrity actors, sports figures, musicians and more. Guests have included PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, Tom Watson, John Daly and Arnold Palmer, along with LPGA Tour stars Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez and Kristy McPherson from Conway. Sports and entertainment stars Bill Murray, Samuel L. Jackson, John Elway, Johnny Damon, Dan Marino and Joey Fatone among many others, have also participated in the event.

For more information about the Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am, visit HootieGolf.com.

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March 6, 2014

5 Things You Need to Know About the West Course

If you’ve taken more than two or three Myrtle Beach golf trips, you’ve probably been to Myrtle Beach National, one of the area’s bedrock facilities.

Home to three Arnold Palmer designs, Myrtle Beach National is one of the most popular beach golf vacation destinations in the country. While King’s North is rightly the most heralded design at MBN, the West Course has long been among the area’s most popular as well.

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February 26, 2014

Father-Son Team Classic Brings Family Bonding Together

For many people, golf is a game passed down through family, a means to bond in good times and bad. One of the game’s great celebrations of its familial roots – the Father-Son Team Classic – is beginning to appear on the horizon.

The 17th annual tournament, which is open to any father-son type relationship, including grandfather-son, stepson-father and son-in-law (uncle)-nephew, will take place in Myrtle Beach July 24-26. Nearly 1,000 golfers will come to the Grand Strand to play one of the game’s most unique tournaments.

At the 54-hole event’s heart is the time fathers and sons spend together. For some, the tournament reinforces already strong bonds, but for others it has helped mend fractured relationships.

“In the tournament’s second year, I was in middle of giving out flight prizes and a guy came up and said, ‘I’ve got to talk to you,’” said Robert Harper, the tournament’s founder. “He said my son and I hadn’t talked for seven years. There was a rift between my wife and his wife. Out of the blue he called me and said, ‘Dad let’s play golf.’ We sat down and talked about it, came here and met. We each brought our wives and found out it was a misunderstanding.’”

Those moments, while atypical, speak to the tournament’s emotional pull.

“(Players) will tell you, ‘We came in here thinking it was important to win, and we left realizing we won just by spending three days here,” Harper said.

The tournament, which features rounds of better ball, alternate shot, and Captain’s Choice, includes some of Myrtle Beach’s best golf courses. Crow Creek, Indian Wells, King’s North, Long Bay, the Love Course, Parkland, Rivers Edge and Prestwick are all hosting tournament rounds.

The Father-Son divides players into flights based on their verifiable USGA handicap.

The good times don’t end with each round. There is a cookout and skills contest that includes putting, chipping and a long drive following the opening round, and an awards ceremony and cookout following the final round.

The number and range of father-son combinations participating in the event speak to its popularity. Former athletes and politicians such as Lou Holtz, 1960 World Series MVP Bobby Richardson, and former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges, all of whom were named “Father of the Year,” have played.

July is a month where families crowd into the Myrtle Beach area, filling the beach, and the Father-Son Team Classic blends the concept of a family vacation and golf.

For first time participants, the Father-Son costs $1,200 per team. The cost is $975 for past participants. Registration includes the cost of all three rounds of golf, cart included, a $100 PGA Tour Superstore gift card for each player, a hat, shirt, balls and more. The entry fee also includes dinner at the awards ceremony for each player and a guest.

For more information, go to: www.fathersongolf.com

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February 20, 2014

3 Best Holes on the West Course at Myrtle Beach National

Myrtle Beach National is one of the bedrocks of the Grand Strand golf community. The three-course destination has hosted more beach golf vacations than any comparable facility in South Carolina, and its appeal is obvious, particularly on the West Course.

The virtues that have made the West Course so attractive to people taking beach golf vacations are as straightforward as they are attractive. The long-time Myrtle Beach favorite offers players a chance to score and outstanding conditions.

You won’t need a dozen balls to finish the round and if you record the highest score of your trip here, the blame resides only with the man in the mirror.

We recently visited with Myrtle Beach National head pro Rick Schultz to get his thoughts on the three best holes at the Arnold Palmer designed layout. Here is Schultz’s take on the best of the best at the West Course.

— The par 5 10th hole sets the tone for a back nine that is the strength of the course, according to Schultz. Playing away from the clubhouse and into the surrounding woodlands, the 10th is a straight-away par 5 that will give you a chance at par or better.

A couple of relaxed swings will position you for a manageable approach into an undulating green. Take your time, make sure you are on the right side of the hole, and start the back nine strong.

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February 17, 2014

Course Review: Grande Dunes Ranks Among The Best

Grande Dunes 15Marylander Steve Kincaid and Barry Carroll, an Ohio native, finished rounds at Grande Dunes on an uncharacteristically brisk February afternoon approximately 15 minutes apart. The mercury struggled to get above 50 degrees, but it made little difference to Kincaid and Carroll, who were traveling with separate groups.

Combine five holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway, two more that offer stunning waterway views, and a course that enjoys excellent year-round conditions, and the reasons for Grande Dunes’ popularity are many.

“I think it’s one of the finest golf courses on the Grand Strand,” Carroll said. “It’s a very fair test of golf.”
 

The critics have been equally impressed by the course. Golf Magazine named Grande Dunes one of the nation’s top 10 new courses upon its opening, and Golf Digest has since named it one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. It’s also worth mentioning the National Golf Course Owners Association named Grande Dunes its national course of the year in 2009.

Why is Grande Dunes so popular? Architect Roger Rulewich did an outstanding job from a design perspective and a he had a spectacular piece of land to work with.  Rulewich crafted the area’s longest course, playing 7,618 yards from the tips, but only Myrtle Beach resident and rising PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson is capable of playing from that distance.

Grande Dunes has six sets of tees, and most… 

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February 17, 2014
February 13, 2014

5 Ways To Improve Your Golf Game During a Miserable Winter

Winter is always a miserable time of year for golfers, and 2014 has brought more frigid woes than normal. With a huge storm having pummeled the South and now doing the same to our Northern neighbors, there would seem to be little to do but dream of your next Myrtle Beach, South Carolina golf vacation.

But that’s not the case.

Bad weather doesn’t mean you should put your dreams of improving in the closet with your clubs. Here are five things you can do to ehance your chances of playing well on your beach golf vacation this spring.

1. Bring those clubs inside and practice while looking into the mirror. Swing in slow motion, monitoring your swing in the mirror and trying to relate what you are feeling with what you see. You’ve got plenty of time with the snow on the ground, so dedicate 5-10 minutes several times a week to swinging in the mirror.

2. Being in good shape helps you play better golf, so when it’s to cold to go outside, lift weights, focusing on your glutes and core. The increased strength will provide greater confidence and allow you to really go after the ball. If lifting weights isn’t your thing, Pilates and/or yoga are no less beneficial as each will greatly improve your flexibility. Setting the remote control down long enough to workout has many benefits.

3. Buy a mat and work on your stroke inside. To really hone your mechanics, practice putting with one hand at your side.  The one-armed drill will help you develop a consistency and rhythm that will pay dividends when you are on real grass.

4. Work on improving your mental game. Whether it’s visualizing an efficient pre-shot routine (and I mean very efficient – thinking about a shot to long is rarely of benefit) or controlling your emotions, particularly anger, winter is the time to begin implementing plans. You can practice your pre-shot routine in the living room and begin working on techniques to deal with your emotions.

5. After all the indoor practice, if you have a nice golf store in the area (and the roads are clear), head to the simulator to begin grooving your swing with the benefit of state-of-the-art technology as an aid.

What do you do to work on your game during the winter months?

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February 4, 2014

Heather Glen Golf Links: Three Best Holes

Heather Glen Golf Links is one of the quiet stars of the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

More than 60 courses have opened since Heather Glen debuted in 1987, but the Scottish-inspired facility has remained a favorite. We recently paid a visit to the Little River layout and long-time head pro Steve Heher provided an inside look at the best hole on each of Heather Glen’s three nine-hole layouts.

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January 30, 2014
January 16, 2014

America s hottest golfer is coming

America’s hottest golfer is coming to the Golf Capital of the World.

After a nation-wide search, professional golfer and model Blair O’Neal has been selected to host the Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, an online program that will showcase the virtues of a Myrtle Beach golf trip.

O’Neal, who appeared in a full-page Cobra Puma ad in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, will begin filming the webisodes next week, and the shows will start broadcasting on www.GolfHoliday.com in

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January 16, 2014

The Three Best Holes at World Tour

World Tour is a recreation of some of golf’s greatest holes, allowing players to test their game on the challenges offered at courses like Augusta National, but which holes constitute the best of the best at World Tour?

We consulted with general manager Tom Plankers and he shared his favorite hole on each of World Tour’s three nine-hole layouts.

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January 16, 2014

Lion’s Paw Was the First Big Cat to Roar

Lion's Paw was the first Big Cat on the Myrtle Beach gofl sceneAwards continue to pile up for Lion’s Paw Golf Links and the other three Big Cats at Ocean Ridge Plantation, one of two four-course facilities on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

In June, Where to Retire Magazine selected the Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., facility as one of America’s top places to retire. It was the seventh time Ocean Ridge Plantation was chosen for the honor.

Lion’s Paw opened in 1991 as the first “Big Cat’’ course. A top 50 selection in the Myrtle Beach golf market by Golf Digest, Lion’s Paw is especially unique because of its wide variety of challenges and spectacular scenery. Lion’s Paw has something for every golfer: spacious, well contoured holes allowing players the freedom to swing away, noticeable rustic wetlands, and white sandy bunkers to test ability under pressure.

In fact, all four Ocean Ridge courses – Panther’s Run, Tiger’s Eye and most recently Leopard’s Chase are the others – are distinct in their own way.

Lion’s Paw and Panther’s Run share a 23,000-square-foot clubhouse, home to a pro shop that annually is selected among the country’s best, and are Grand Strand golf vacation favorites.

Most experts say Lion’s Paw is among architect Willard Byrd’s best works. Byrd is a familiar name to folks who regularly make a Myrtle Beach golf trip. His designs along the Grand Strand include:

One of Lion’s Paws’ signatures is the countless oyster shells decorating the banks of Nos. 3 and 17, both par 3s.

Lion’s Paw installed new MiniVerde ultradwarf greens in 2013, the same putting surface used on Panther’s Run and at the home of The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass.

Have you played it? Help other Myrtle Beach golfers by sharing YOUR review on the Lion's Paw page!

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