Two Myrtle Beach Golf Schools Rank Among Nation’s Top 25

Myrtle Beach long ago carved out its niche as America’s most popular golf destination, and now it can lay legitimate claim to being among the best and most cost effective places to learn the game.

 The Grand Strand is home to two of the “Top 25 Golf Schools in America,” according to Golf Magazine. The Phil Ritson-Mel Sole Golf School, located at Pawleys Plantation, and Classic Swing Golf School, located at Legends Resort, were both named to the prestigious list.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for the hard work we put in,” Ted Frick, owner and chief instructor at Classic Swing Golf School, said. “There are a huge number of golf schools in the country and to be honored and recognized is saying these guys and girls know what they are doing.”

In addition to acknowledging the quality of instruction, the Golf Magazine list also called attention to the value of Myrtle Beach area schools. The average cost of attending one of Golf Magazine’s top 25 schools is $1,403. The peak rates at Classic Swing ($469) and Ritson-Sole ($595) are just a fraction of that cost.

“We are honored to be recognized once again as one of the best schools in the country,” said Mel Sole. “That never gets old. I’m pleased to see that Golf Magazine included tuition rates for each school, so people can see that they don’t have to pay thousands for top quality instruction. Our goal is to grow the game of golf by offering a first-class experience that many golfers can afford.”

Both the Ritson-Sole and Classic Swing schools offer elite facilities and on-site accommodations, both important factors in their inclusion on the list. The practice complex at Legends, a 30-acre tract of land that includes lights and a covered hitting area, is among the best in the nation.

The Classic Swing Golf School, founded in 1992, uses a holistic approach to the game, offering one, two and three-day golf schools that begin at the green and work their way to the tee box. Frick also educates his pupils on the value of stretching and physical conditioning. In addition to the outdoor practice facility, Frick has an indoor hitting lab, allowing players to hone their craft regardless of the weather.

The Ritson-Sole School has been on the golf magazine list since it’s inception in 1999, and according to Golf Magazine, “This group has done it longer and better than any school.” A former South African PGA Tour player, Sole improves a player’s game from tee to green with a premium placed on adding distance. The Ritson-Sole school also offers one, two and three-day schools.

Both schools provide extensive video analysis and provide their students with DVDs for future reference. The multi-day golf schools typically offer four hours of instruction each day, allowing players the time to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the course.

The Ritson-Sole and Classic Swing schools are two of the most prominent Myrtle Beach golf schools, but they are hardly alone. The Grande Dunes Golf Academy, led by Brad Redding, one of nation’s top 100 instructors, according to Golf Magazine, The Chuck Wike Golf School at Tradition Club, Champions Golf Academy at Long Bay Club, and the Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue and Caledonia all offer top rate instruction.

While Myrtle Beach is about playing golf with your buddies, don’t forget, it’s also the ideal place to learn the game and its fundamentals.

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