In the Studio with Charlie Rymer: Myrtle Beach National GM’s 3 Favorite Holes at King’s North

Charlie:

I’m with Ryan Ruddy, the head pro and general manager at Myrtle Beach National, a 54-hole facility that’s been here in Myrtle Beach going way back, and really one of the classic Myrtle Beach golf resorts. Great facility you got there at Myrtle Beach National.

Ryan Ruddy:

We’ve got three great tracks. Obviously, we have the West Course, South Course, and the big guy, King’s North. Arnie (Arnold Palmer) came out in ’94 and redesigned it and put his stamp on it.

Charlie:

Let’s talk a little bit about King’s North, and I know the hole everybody talks about is The Gambler. Mr. Palmer named it after Kenny Rogers. I believe they were friends and it seemed like Kenny Rogers was there the day the hole was dedicated.

Ryan Ruddy:

Yeah, actually we have a plaque out there. We got his little shoe imprints. It’s pretty sweet. We actually have photos of Kenny out there just driving around when it was redone in ’94. It’s a fun hole. Just like The Gambler, risk-reward. You got that island fairway out there. You can shoot it down there and have a mid iron in, or you can take the long route around with free shots, but it can make or break your round. It could either be an eagle or it could be a double.

Charlie:

Yeah, it can give you a great memory either way. Either way.

Ryan Ruddy:

Got it more than most, but yeah.

Charlie:

Green’s got a lot of character in it, as well.

Ryan Ruddy:

Yeah, it does, yeah. It’s got a lot of sloping in there, out there, especially on that hole, but that whole course has some unique design holes or a lot of undulation. It’s not just your flat front to back. It’s got some character in them.

Charlie:

Well, let’s move over to the back side. Talk a little bit about number 12.

Ryan Ruddy:

Yeah, number 12. It’s the famed par three out there. You can see back here on the photo behind us. It’s got the famous SC bunkers out there on the left representing the state of South Carolina. It’s a good mid iron in there, a big green, but when the wind blows right in your face, it could knock your shot right down in that water there.

Charlie:

Yeah, island greens are pretty to look at. Sometimes a little more challenging when you actually get out there, but obviously a spectacular hole. And let’s move forward a few holes and talk a little bit about number 16.

Ryan Ruddy:

Yeah, number 16. It’s not a signature hole per se, but it’s got a lot of character to it. Typically, it’s into the wind, so the tee shot it looks more open than it is. You can get in trouble to the left hand side, and you got trouble off to the right getting into the trees there. But the second shot is where it’s most picturesque. You got that traditional sand running right into the water. So with the sun setting, it’s just got a cool second shot in there. And it’s a little tough. You think you’re only 150 yards out, 120. You got to club up a little bit for some reason. I don’t know what it is. It seems downhill, but it’s not.

Charlie:

I always tell folks when they’re traveling to an area, especially for that first time, when you go in the shop, don’t be thinking, “I’m just going in and it’s transactional. I’m going to get a shirt and a hat, pay my green fees.” Spend a little bit of time talking to the staff to learn a little bit more about the golf course. What are maybe some of the more popular questions that you get from folks that, “Hey, tell me about the grass. Tell me about the sand.” What kind of questions do you get generally in the shop?

Ryan Ruddy:

Yeah, the most, without a doubt, is about the grass. People coming from north, they play on bentgrass, and they hear about the Bermuda and the green and they hear it on television when the tour players are talking about it. So they always ask us what kind of grass we have out there. It’s pretty cool. We have two courses have MiniVerde, which is the South and West, and then King’s North has a Champion Bermuda. So it’s, “Is there a lot of grain?” And we usually tell folks, “Hey, King’s North, it might look like it’s two cuff, but just take half.” And we always get the question, “What do you do on The Gambler?” You only live once, man. You’re going down there… Let’s go.

Charlie:

Yeah, you didn’t come all the way to Myrtle Beach just to lay up, right?

Ryan Ruddy:

And another good one is number 18. They call it “Bullseye” out there, and that’s got 40 traps on it. And they want to know how many traps are actually out there. And you’re like, “Yeah, we got 40. There are 40 out there.” So we get a lot of questions, and it’s just fun to answer them.

Charlie:

Well, Ryan, you got a heck of a facility out there at Myrtle Beach National with the three golf courses. Appreciate you taking time, get in our beautiful new studio, and walk us through some of the great golf.

Ryan Ruddy:

Thank you very much, Charlie. Glad to be here.

Charlie:

Appreciate it.