Golf Group of the Week: Carolina Cup Has Ample Competition, Camaraderie

Twenty four golfers gathered around the bag drop at Barefoot Resort. Smiles were as plentiful as the fall sunshine and from a distance the group looked like the countless others that flock to Myrtle Beach for a golf vacation.

But when half of the group started talking, accents rarely heard on Myrtle Beach golf courses began filling the air. We aren’t talking about a New Yawk accent or even the one our friends from Bahston bring – they are among our most loyal visitors – but instead the sounds of Great Britain started ringing in ears.

In an area that plays millions of rounds of golf annually, standing out isn’t easy, but the men that compete for the Carolina Cup have their own unique story.

Every fall Clive Wood and 11 fellow Brits, all from the Manchester area, pack their passports and head to airport in anticipation of a Myrtle Beach golf trip. When they arrive on the other side of the pond – after the nine-hour flight to Atlanta and the short hop to Myrtle Beach – they meet up with Dave Hnat, Ray Campbell and their American counterparts.

Twelve Brits and 12 Americans, hailing from Maryland and Pennsylvania, gather each fall to compete for the Carolina Cup.

 “This is our seventh year,” said Peter Schearon, a member of the British team. “We play the same guys each year and it’s our own little Ryder Cup. The courses in Myrtle Beach are marvelous, and we have the opportunity to play different types of courses with the setups and the grasses, and we’ve made good friends over here.”

Despite the obvious camaraderie between the transatlantic foes, the competition is as tightly contested as it is fierce. Gimmes are at a minimum and taut matches are the norm. In keeping up with the trend on the professional level, the British prevailed this year, 19-17, insuring the Cup will call Manchester home for the fourth time in seven years.

The last three competitions have been decided by a total of four points, meaning Campbell and Wood, the handicap chairmen, have done a superb job. The first four days consist of two-man team, better ball matches before giving way to singles matches on the final day.

While the distance traveled and Ryder Cup competition, complete with team shirts, take center stage, at its core this Myrtle Beach golf trip is like so many others.  Good friends and good golf conspire to create an unforgettable trip.

“The camaraderie every year hits home with me,” said Gary Miller, who captained the American team this year. “We are in competition but we get together at the end of the day, and we have dinner (and have a good time).”

It’s a familiar Myrtle Beach golf story with different accents.

Carolina Cup Q&A
American Captain: Gary Miller, York, Pa.
British Captain: Mark Tucker, Manchester, England
Score: Red Coats (Britain) 19, Upstart Rebels (America) 17
Course Lineup: Rivers Edge, TPC Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Plantation, Glen Dornoch, Love Course at Barefoot Resort
Accommodations: Ocean Reef Resort
Series History: British lead 4-3
How did the event get started? Wood, Hnat and Campbell were originally part of a larger group of Brits and Americans that convened every year along the Grand Strand. In an attempt to create a more serious golf trip, they recruited their own players and started the Carolina Cup.