Faith Rewarded: Returning Event Group Enjoys Stellar Spring Golf Experience in Myrtle Beach

After experiencing rough conditions for their 2018 event produced by preceding winter conditions that were abnormally harsh, Nextgengolf gave Myrtle Beach another shot to host their fourth annual Spring Break Open this March. Their faith was rewarded with a stellar experience, as Nextgengolf’s Connor Brown tell us.

By Connor Brown, Nextgengolf

Nextgengolf has held its annual Spring Break Open for the past four years in Myrtle Beach, the past two at Legends Golf Resort on each of its three championship courses. Whether it has been a spring break trip for our National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) teams, a City Tour team buddies golf trip or an excuse to sneak away for a weekend to play golf, the Spring Break Open has invited golfers from more than 20 states to experience “The Golf Capital of the World.”

The reason why we choose to host the Spring Break Open is Myrtle Beach is simple: Myrtle Beach has access to many great golf courses, beachfront lodging and a wide variety of entertainment options, and the experience can be done with the needs of a budget-conscious golfer in mind. This year we had 150 golfers come to Myrtle Beach to experience Legends and stay in Myrtle Beach oceanfront accommodations.

We’ve already gauged player feedback, and are happy to announce that the unanimous consensus was the desire to come back to Myrtle Beach next year.

Last year, however, this was not the case. With any outdoor game, conditions may not always be the best depending on how weather affects the course. In 2018 when we held the Spring Break Open at Legends, the course was coming off a pretty tough winter and early spring. Having to deal with an unusually long stretch of sub-freezing temperatures and frozen participation, the greens responded the only way greens can in that weather: they were essentially dead.

Even though course conditions in 2018 were poor, everyone knew that it was no fault of the course or their staff. Some of our players decided not to come this year, fearing poor course conditions again. But what I am most excited about after experiencing this year’s Spring Break Open was seeing Legends’ commitment to protecting their greens with new tarps as off-season conditions warranted, and how their efforts ensured a 2019 experience for our players that saw a return of outstanding conditions.

Legends and other Myrtle Beach courses have made a concerted effort to reinvest in their players’ experiences. The new greens at Legends-Moorland and the quality of product that Legends Golf Resort has put forth this year entirely makes up for the misfortune of last year’s conditions.

As golf consumers, we are often critical of course conditions. As someone who has visited Myrtle Beach over the past four years, I’m happy to report course conditions are the best we have ever seen in March, and the overall experience from a hospitality perspective was significantly improved. We all make mistakes, and sometimes Mother Nature is not friendly, but Myrtle Beach and Legends Golf Resort really made a made an impression on our group this year – and we look forward to returning to Myrtle Beach for future spring break golf trips.

Hope the information helps other golfers who are considering spring golf in Myrtle Beach.

Connor Brown is the director & operations manager for Nextgengolf and the National Collegiate Club Golf Association.