Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

The guys at Golf Magazine went undercover at True Blue, one of the best Myrtle Beach golf courses, and reported on their experience in the January 2014 issue. The story, which ran with a subhead saying, “We go undercover to see if you’re overpaying,” evaluated True Blue based on service, pace of play, quality and value before delivering a verdict. Not surprisingly, the Golf Magazine spy had a positive experience at a layout that has long been hailed as being among the

You’ve got to know when to hold’em,
Know when to fold’em,
Know when to walk away
And know when to run

– Kenny Rogers' “The Gambler”

The passage from the famed Kenny Rogers song hangs on a sign at the sixth tee box on King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, welcoming players to the most exhilarating hole on the Myrtle Beach golf scene.

The par 5, known to all who have played the course as The Gambler, is synonymous with the Arnold Palmer designed gem. The alternate, island fairway allows daring players the opportunity to reach the green in two, provided they have the requisite skill and a gambler’s propensity for risk.

It’s a hole that is at once gorgeous, sweat-inducing and unforgettable. It’s King’s North packed into 568 yards.

King’s North underwent a comprehensive redesign in 1996, complete with new greens, routing changes and the magic touch of Palmer. Out of the renovation emerged a signature Myrtle Beach golf course that has been a frequent member of Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.

The beauty of the course lies in its variety. King’s North offers risk-reward choices throughout the round, giving players the opportunity to cut a corner in pursuit of a birdie or something rarer than a royal straight flush, an eagle.

Holes three, five and six each present a choice off the tee that allows players to considerably shorten the hole. Play bold and the chances of a birdie (or double bogey) are greatly enhanced.

Beyond strategic decision making, what distinguishes King’s North is… 

Wesley Day of Ajax, Ontario, parred the third extra hole Saturday to become the first overall boys’ champion from outside the United States in the 45th year of the annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.
 
Day, who made a 30-footer for par on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff at Myrtle Beach National’s West Course to stay alive, outlasted 13-year-old Trent Phillips of Inman, S.C., after the two players tied at 1-under-par 215 after 54 holes. Day

The 30th birthday is a milestone most don’t look forward to because it’s a reminder that time and the accoutrements of youth are passing. But at Burning Ridge Golf Club, which opened in 1980, the completion of the course’s third decade has caused no gnashing of teeth.

As a matter of fact, the Gene Hamm design is better at 30 than it was at 20.  Spurred by an extensive renovation project in 2005, Burning Ridge, a traditional course, was named the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association and South Carolina Golf Course of the Year in 2006, and the facility has gotten better since.

Located on Highway 501, the primary artery into Myrtle Beach, Burning Ridge Golf Club promises good conditions, value and customer service, and delivers on all accounts.

Burning Ridge Golf Club features mounded fairways that are lined by scores of pine trees, yawning bunkers and elevated greens.

The course measures 6,780 yards from the black tees, but most people play from 6,216 yards on the white tees, so the layout isn’t exceedingly long.  Burning Ridge doesn’t take the driver out of the bag for most players, but accuracy off the tee is paramount to success.

The course’s fairways offer …

Some of golf’s most prominent courses – Augusta National and Pine Valley come immediately to mind – are inaccessible to the overwhelming majority of players, either because they are private or the price tag is prohibitive. World Tour Golf Links brings a taste of the game’s most exclusive layouts to you. Each of World Tour’s 27 holes is inspired by one the game’s great designs. Come along as Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz host Blair O’Neal samples Amen Corner, the Old Course at St. Andrews and the Postage Stamp at Troon. It’s a trip you won’t forget.

Let’s get this out of the way early: by the standards of any decent golfer I’m horrible. A fragile psyche and a swing only Charles Barkley could love have conspired to keep my handicap on the wrong side of 20.

A new name, new greens and a couple holes with completely new looks have brought ample attention to the General James Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina, a staple of many Myrtle Beach golf packages.

Formerly known as Quail Creek, the Hackler Course, which was officially renamed on November 11, underwent a summer overhaul.

The course is owned by Coastal Carolina, the alma mater of PGA Tour star and Myrtle Beach golf spokesman Dustin Johnson,  and the university renamed it in honor Hackler, a former Air Force general who invented the golf package and worked tirelessly to improve the Grand Strand community.

While players will notice the new name on the scorecard, the greens are what they will be talking about. The course, then known as Quail Creek, opened in 1968 and the original greens remained, according to head pro Chuck Johns.

As a result of their age, the previous greens were bumpy and sometimes inconsistent, but those days are a thing of the past. Coastal’s commitment to the course was reflected in its decision to install new MiniVerde ultradwarf Bermuda grass greens.

MiniVerde thrives in the South Carolina heat and has become one of the most popular putting surfaces in the South.

The changes to the greens didn’t stop at the surface. Craig Schreiner, who co-designed the Member’s Course at Grande Dunes and led the renovation at Pine Lakes, oversaw the work at the Hackler Course, including the redesign of the greens.

What were once relatively flat putting surfaces now feature… 

Some of the nation’s best young golfers will be competing for a national championship in Myrtle Beach this weekend.

The National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) will be hosting its national championship at Barefoot Resort on November 16-17. The two-day, stroke play event will feature the 24 best non-varsity teams in the nation.

Barefoot is home to four award-winning layouts and the highly acclaimed Love and Dye Courses, both of which have been ranked among America’s

There are more than 1,800 holes along the Myrtle Beach golf scene, and one of the game’s leading travel writers believes he has found the most underrated test on the Grand Strand.

In his third annual Travelin’ Joe Awards, Golf Magazine travel editor Joe Passov, in an entry titled “Most Underrated Hole (Myrtle Beach Division),” recognized the 14th hole at Grande Dunes, writing:

“I thought I knew Myrtle pretty well, but I hadn’t played Grande Dunes until August. Architect Roger Rulewich did an excellent job and totally surprised me with the pulse-quickening 220-yard, par-3 14th. Downhill tee shot, massive green, gargantuan bunker, superb interaction with the Intracoastal Waterway – impressive.”

Who are we to argue with Passov, who has played more than 1,500 courses around the globe?

Passov’s assessment of the 14th is spot-on. Mercifully for those of us who don’t play the game as well as Travelin’ Joe, the hole plays a much more manageable 158 yards from the white tees. It’s an outstanding hole and the tee shot is the most dramatic on a course full of them.

The Intracoastal comes into play on six holes at Grande Dunes and is visible on two others, adding stunning scenery to an elite design.

The course opened in 2001 and immediately took its place among the area’s best, delighting players with not only its views but the challenge of a layout strong enough to co-host the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship.

In addition to being ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest, Grande Dunes was named National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association in 2009.