Myrtle Beach Golf News & Updates

Everyone likes to get a new driver in search of a couple more yards off the tee, and in this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal introduces you to two of 2012’s most popular new drivers. Come to PGA Tour Superstore with Blair and get the inside scoop on two of the game’s hottest drivers – TaylorMade’s R11s and Cobra’s AMP driver. Blair and her guests provide a detailed look at what each driver offers and how they can benefit your game.

Dan Maples has publicly declared Willbrook Plantation one of his finest works, and a round at the South Strand gem will leave little doubt as to why. Willbrook challenges golfers with a strong design and charms them with an unforgettable lowcountry setting.

Identifying the cream of the crop at the 4.5-star course, a long-time favorite of Myrtle Beach golf insiders, isn’t easy, but we ask head pro Kevin McGuire to provide a look at the layout’s three best holes and he obliged.

Golf Magazine has unveiled its list of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play,” a ranking of America’s 100 best public layouts, and three Myrtle Beach golf courses have earned a spot on the prestigious list.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Dunes Golf & Beach Club and the Love Course at Barefoot Resort all earned a spot among the nation’s elite public courses.

Caledonia, a Mike Strantz design, again led by the way. The South Strand favorite was ranked 27th, a one

Set amidst sprawling oak trees draped in Spanish moss and abundant wildlife, Willbrook Plantation provides a quality round of golf with the ambiance to match.

Range finders and GPS devices can help make the game easier and speed pace of play. In this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal takes you to PGA Tour Superstore to review the best distance measuring devices on the market. From laser range finders to handheld GPS devices, Blair showcases the latest and greatest on the market (including what she uses!). Find out which device will work best on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip.

Blair O’Neal: Hi. I'm Blair

Golf Magazine has release its biennial list of the best public courses in each state and, as expected, Grand Strand layouts feature prominently in the rankings for North and South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach golf courses dominated Golf Magazine’s list of the Palmetto State’s best layouts, occupying seven of the top 10 spots and 13 of 20 overall. A couple familiar names led the charge as Caledonia was No. 3 in South Carolina and the Dunes Club was No. 4. Both courses are currently

The on-stage entertainment for the 29th annual Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is beginning to take shape, and a pair of personalities with national profiles will be among this year’s guests.

Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer is returning to the World’s Largest 19th Hole, and he will be joined by Blair O’Neal, a Cobra-Puma staff player who has been called America’s hottest golfer. O’Neal, who plays on the Symetra Tour, is also the host of the

Duane Whittle, Barefoot Resort & Golf’s superintendent, is starting to enjoy the summer months.

Whittle oversaw the recent installation of new Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass greens on the Dye Course at Barefoot, a transition that will improve the golf course and reduce his stress level when the temperature rises each summer. The Dye Course, which has been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest, reopened to the public on July 16 and the new

Myrtle Beach’s most revered golf course has received one of the area’s most prestigious honors.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club has been named the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association’s 2012 Course of the Year.

The MBAGCOA 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.

Barefoot Landing has long been known as one of the prime entertainment centers on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, but the restaurant lineup is also drawing crowds these days.

Several new eateries have opened at Barefoot in recent years. Here are five that won't let you down:

* Fire Island Grille: Experience a taste of the islands on your next Myrtle Beach golf trip at this tiki-hut structure that serves unique dishes in a tropical setting.

The atmosphere is casual, with flame-lit

Greg Norman’s Australian Grille has been one of the best and most popular restaurants on the Myrtle Beach golf scene since its opening in 1999. From the Shark Bar at happy hour to its masterful entrees, Greg Norman’s reputation as a restaurateur is the equal of the former world No. 1’s on-course accomplishments along the Grand Strand. In this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal takes you to the Barefoot Landing hotspot and provides a sampling of the menu and stunning views overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Enjoy a look at one of the area’s best restaurants.

Blair: Hi, I am Blair O'Neal with The Golf Buzz, presented by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Today I am with Peter Dombrowski, Director of Operations at Greg Norman's Australian Grille. Thanks for having us today.

Peter: Good to have you with us.

Blair: Can you tell us a little bit about the restaurant?

Peter: Yes. We have been here since October of 1999. We are celebrating our 12th anniversary and it is just the finest restaurant in all of Myrtle Beach.

Blair: Sounds good. Can you tell me a little bit about this dish right here? It looks amazing and it smells even better.

Peter: It's actually one of our signature items. It's been on the menu since we opened. It is called the Greg Norman Australian Premium Striploin ‘Au Poivre’. It's actually used with Australian beef from the beef company that Greg owns on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and topped off with wilted spinach and crispy fried onions and served with a peppercorn sauce. It is wonderful.

Blair: I'm looking forward to trying that later. What about any happy hour menus now? Our golfers are out on the golf course all day long and they want to come and get some food and some good drinks.

Peter: The best happy hour in town is in the Shark Pub. Our bar area of the restaurant is called the Signature Shark Pub. We have happy hour food specials from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily and then drink specials from 4:00 to 7:00.

Blair: What about any special events or live music here?

Peter: We are situated right on the Intercoastal Waterway so we have a beautiful waterway deck that seats 122 guests. We do live entertainment 7 days a week during the summer and then on the shoulder seasons, the spring and fall, we do live entertainment outside on Thursday through Saturday.

Blair: And hours of operation?

Peter: We are open for lunch 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. I referenced the hours for happy hour. Then for dinner we open at 4:30 daily, 7 days a week.

Blair: Sounds good. Thanks so much for having us, Peter. I am Blair O'Neal with The Golf Buzz and make sure to visit Greg Norman's Australian Grille.

Once golfers visit Myrtle Beach, they tend to come back. In fact, if you ask someone how they ended up choosing Myrtle Beach for their golf vacation, the #1 answer is “A friend recommended it.” That speaks to the variety of experiences available here, and the value you get for every dollar spent on your golf trip.

We received this actual golfer testimonial the other day, and it seems to illustrate this point, albeit in a brutally honest way! 

Anyway, we found it so

Sports Illustrated Golf Group's Travelin’ Joe Passov has assembled his list of the nation’s best summer destinations, and a Myrtle Beach golf favorite is near the top of list.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, a consensus top 100 public course in America, was ranked the third best summer destination in the South by Passov, trailing only courses that will host major championships in the next two years.

Passov, Golf Magazine’s longtime travel guru, said of Caledonia:

When three-time major champion Larry Nelson and Jeff Brauer opened the Avocet Course at Wild Wing in 1993, the layout was met with universal praise. More impressive than the initial plaudits is the way the design has withstood the test of time.

Sixteen years after it opened, 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 Nelson and 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. The fairways provide ample landing room for those of us who only see the short grass when others are playing from it.

“It has a unique feel,” head pro Dave Harbaugh said. “But it’s still… 

The Grand Strand has more than 1,500 eateries, many of them quality local establishments, but among the chain restaurants that call the area home, few, if any, are more popular the P.F. Chang’s. The popular China bistro is one of Market Common’s flagships restaurants. In this installment of Myrtle Beach Golf Buzz, host Blair O’Neal visits P.F. Chang’s. Find out what the most popular item on the menu is at P.F. Chang’s, which serves its meals family style, and get