“Breaking Par with Charlie Rymer” Episode 25: School’s in Session at The Hackler Course at CCU

“The Big Timer” is headed back to school, taking on the par-3 10th hole at the golf home of the Chanticleers, The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina University. Let’s see if Charlie’s able to stay on the birdie train!

Cancer knocked me down, but not out. Now, I’m cancer free. The recovery? It’s been tough. I’ll need patience, a lot of humor …

(Somebody clapped. I heard him!)

… And support from friends and family. Over the last two years, I haven’t played much golf, but there’s no better place to get back in the game than on 66 courses in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We’re keeping score, but just teeing it up means I’ve already won!

(That’s why they call me “The BIIIIIIIIIIG TIMER!”)

Join me on my journey to break par!

Charlie Rymer:
We’re off to the campus golf home of the Chanticleers. Their football field is blue, but the golf course is a perfect green. The Hackler Course at Coastal Carolina eases us into their back nine with a short par three and a chance to go low. There’s some water running up the right side, but plenty of wiggle room next to the green once you clear that water. Let’s get after it!

So you’ve probably heard of Coastal Carolina University’s football program. Boy, have they come up big in the last few years. Also have a great baseball program and men’s and women’s golf as well. In fact, my buddy David Duval, his son Brady is coming to school here at Coastal Carolina. Why not have a great golf program here in “The Golf Capital of the World?”

We’re on campus. This is the Hackler Golf Course. It’s known by locals as always being in excellent shape. This is the par-three 10th. I got about 145 yards, a little downwind. I’m going to see if I can cruise this nine iron in there. Be right, baby. All right. I think we’re going to be putting for birdie.

I like marine biology, big whales and stuff. Last time I went to the beach here in Myrtle Beach, Greenpeace showed up and they tried to tow me back out to sea. I don’t go to the beach anymore.

Well, I tell you what, Coastal Carolina is rocking. Kids come from all over the country to come here. The PGA Management program is really cool. You can actually get a degree while you’re getting your membership in the PGA of America and that kids that graduated from that go on to run the business of golf.

And the staff is wonderful. Will Mann is a past president of the PGA of America and he’s one of the instructors. And I’ll tell you what, it’s a super neat place. I’m a proud member of the PGA of America so it’s nice to see Coastal Carolina coming up big in the world of golf.

All right. I thought that was on the green. Looks like I missed just a little bit. I got a cool shot I’m going to show you. This ball is sitting down in the rough. Some people freak out over that because you can’t really putt it.

Hey, look at that ball. You try to putt that ball, it’s not going anywhere. So you want to kind of dig it out a little bit. Get it running. Boy, this golf course is in good shape.

So what I’d do, a lot of people don’t think about this way, the angle of the shaft really has an impact on a short game. So I’m going to go almost vertical with the angle, that’s going to get the toe down and I can pick this ball right out of that grass with the toe. I’ll land it just a little short and it’ll run up there. See how I go vertical? I’ll put a putting grip on there. I’ll catch that ball right there. And that way, just a little bit of this club’s got to go through the grass. We’ll putt and stroke on it. There we go.

Try that next time. Go up with the angle. Just a little bit of the club goes through the grass, takes that resistance away. Putting stroke, get it up there. Get your tap in, make your par, move on to the next great hole.

No birdie at the Home of the Chanticleers, but no worries. We’re staying in Conway for our next stop and you don’t want to miss it!

Miss an Episode? Just Click the Links Below to Catch Up!

Episode 24: World Tour

Episode 23: Grande Dunes Resort Course

Episode 22: Crow Creek

Episode 21: Meadowlands

Episode 20: The Wizard

Episode 19: Man O’ War

Episode 18: Colonial Charters

Episode 17: Barefoot-Norman

Episode 16: Barefoot-Love

Episode 15: Barefoot-Fazio

Episode 14: Arcadian Shores

Episode 13: Blackmoor

Episode 12: Wachesaw Plantation East

Episode 11: Willbrook

Episode 10: Tradition Club

Episode 9: TPC Myrtle Beach

Episode 8: River Club

Episode 7: Litchfield Country Club

Episode 6: Caledonia

Episode 5: True Blue

Episode 4: Pawleys Plantation

Episode 3: Founders Club at Pawleys Island

Episode 2: Heritage Club

Episode 1: Wedgefield Country Club

Series Trailer