Press Releases
Myrtle Beach National Company Assumes Management of Wild Wing Golf Courses
12/07/2009
December 3, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Myrtle Beach National Company, one of the Myrtle Beach area’s oldest and largest golf course ownership/management companies, announced that it will assume management of the golf courses at Wild Wing Plantation, located in Myrtle Beach, as of today. The management agreement with Myrtle Beach National does not include the Wild Wing Plantation real estate development.
The Myrtle Beach National Company will oversee the outside operations, pro shop, maintenance and marketing of Wild Wing, which consists of the 18-hole Avocet course, designed by Larry Nelson and Jeff Brauer, and the nine-hole Hummingbird course, a Willard Byrd design.
Wild Wing opened in 1991 with the Wood Stork course and the debut of the Hummingbird course in 1992. In 1993, Wild Wing introduced the Avocet course and followed with a 1994 unveiling of the Falcon course. The four 18-hole facility closed three of the tracks in 2006, with Avocet remaining open for play, to focus on real estate development. Hummingbird reopened in 2008 after a renovation into a nine-hole course.
Both Wild Wing courses received four stars in the latest Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” guide and the facility was also named as the “2002-03 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year” by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association.
“We are excited that Myrtle Beach National has assumed management of the 27 holes at Wild Wing,” said Lawton Benton, general manager of Wild Wing golf courses. “Myrtle Beach National has created great experiences for golfers for many years and we are committed to a long, successful relationship with them to continue this goal at Wild Wing.”
With the addition of Wild Wing golf courses, the Myrtle Beach National Company now owns and/or manages 13.5 golf courses on the Grand Strand; Aberdeen Country Club; King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, SouthCreek at Myrtle Beach National and the West Course at Myrtle Beach National; Waterway Hills Golf Club; Long Bay Golf Club; Litchfield Golf Club; River Club; Willbrook Plantation, Blackmoor Golf Club, and Wachesaw Plantation East, which was added to the Myrtle Beach National family in August 2009. Eleven of the Myrtle Beach National Company golf courses received four stars or higher in Golf Digest’s “2009-2010 Places to Play” guide.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to work with Wild Wing, two courses enjoyed by golfers of all skill levels,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations and marketing of Myrtle Beach National Company. “Wild Wing will fit well into our current course operations and we look forward to being directly involved with the day-to-day management of the courses.”
About Wild Wing Golf Courses
The Wild Wing golf courses offer all that the discriminating golfer is looking for in a great day on the greens with two courses that make outings memorable. The Avocet course, designed by Larry Nelson and Jeff Brauer, has been a Myrtle Beach must-play for more than 15 years. Recently renovated, the Hummingbird Nine is a must-play along the Grand Strand.
In addition, to great golf courses, Wild Wing offers a warm and inviting pub to enjoy a great meal and beverage before or after hitting the links. The pro shop stocks anything that golfers need, as well as a few “must have items.”
About Wild Wing Plantation
Construction began three years ago at one of Myrtle Beach’s most unique residential communities, Wild Wing Plantation. A private retreat with a choice of amenities that owners had only dreamed of, Wild Wing Plantation provides owners with 180 acres of freshwater lakes, nearly 14 miles of shoreline, a multi-million dollar amenity center, three swimming pools with splash zone and water slide, lighted tennis courts, basketball court and a kids playground area, in addition to the 27 great holes of golf.
Wild Wing Plantation home sites range from 1/3 acre to a full acre with a choice of lake, golf course and nature preserve views. The future site of 750 single-family custom homes, sites start in the $90,000’s. For more information, visit www.wildwingmb.com or call 1-888-243-0133.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and now management companies in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company was formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, SouthCreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation, Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club and Gary Player’s Blackmoor Golf Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In August of 2009, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Wachesaw Plantation East.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort to Offer Holiday Brookgreen Gardens Getwaway
11/09/2009
Resort to Offer Relaxing Weekend Vacation and Nights Of A Thousand Candles Performance
November 9, 2009, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is partnering with Brookgreen Gardens to present a very special weekend in celebration of the holiday season. From November 25th through December 31, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort‘s Brookgreen Gardens Holiday Getaway includes two nights in select luxury accommodations at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort; daily breakfast buffets at the Resort’s award-winning grill, Webster’s Lowcountry Grill and Tavern; unlimited bike rental and unlimited tennis on the Resort’s 17 Har-Tru clay courts at the Litchfield Racquet Club.
The getaway also features two tickets to the botanical garden museum of Brookgreen Gardens, a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world. Located just one mile from Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, Brookgreen Gardens will host the 11th annual Nights of A Thousand Candles during the weekends of December 4 and 5, December 11 and 12 and December 17, 18 and 19. Nights of A Thousand Candles features thousands of lights and candles that illuminate the garden paths and strolling carolers and musicians who provide an entertaining evening on the Garden grounds.
“Nights of A Thousand Candles has grown tremendously over the last seven years,” said Ray Crabb, general manager of Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. “We are thrilled to welcome back families and couples again this year for an event that has become an annual favorite here in Pawleys Island.”
Located 18 miles south of Myrtle Beach S.C. and 15 miles north of Georgetown, S.C., just off Hwy. 17, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort features spacious, condominium units, villas, suites and fairway cottages with a choice of golf course, scenic ocean or poolside views.
Resort guests can also enjoy the championship golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, bike trails, award-winning restaurants and excellent meeting facilities. Voted as one of the “World’s 50 Best Golf Resorts” by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort offers the best in golf amenities. Guests enjoy preferred tee-time privileges at three championship courses: the River Club, Willbrook Plantation Golf Club, and Litchfield Country Club. Guests can also visit the Resort’s Racquet Club, which was rated by Tennis Magazine as the fifth greatest tennis resort in America. The Racquet Club offers 17 Har-Tru surface courts, with three lighted courts, a stadium court and one of the top tennis schools in the Carolinas.
For more information or to book the Nights of a Thousand Candles Getaway, visit www.litchfieldbeach.com or call 1-888-766-4633. Packages start at just $36 per person per night for a special two-night package but exact rates will be determined by reservation dates and accommodation types.
About Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark, located on U.S. 17 between Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island, with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture, in an outdoor setting, by American artists in the world. Brookgreen Gardens has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas. Brookgreen Gardens is open to the public daily. For more information on Brookgreen Gardens, visit Brookgreen.org or call (843) 235-6000.
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, along the Waccamaw Golf Trail, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit litchfieldbeach.com.
Myrtle Beach National to Host 41st Annual George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament
11/04/2009
2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover and Solheim Cup Participant Kristy McPherson Two Past Competitors in One of State’s Oldest Junior Golf Tournaments, November 26-28, 2009
November 4, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The 41st annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament, named one of the top junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, returns to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, November 26-28, 2009, with more than 220 golfers from nine states scheduled to compete. The states represented include Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
The third-oldest junior golf tournament in South Carolina, the George Holliday Memorial Tournament is open to junior golfers between the ages of 9 and 18 who compete in three rounds at Myrtle Beach National’s SouthCreek, West and King’s North courses. The boys’ division consists of three age levels; 10-11, 12-13 and 14-18 years of age with four age brackets in the girls’ division; 10-12, 13-14 and 15-18 years of age. All golfers who are 18 must still be enrolled in high school. There will also be an Under-9 years-of-age division in which the younger golfers will only play nine holes each day.
The junior championship is held in memory of George Judson Holliday, III, of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, who won many junior level and collegiate tournaments before dying tragically at the age of 22 in November 1967.
The tournament has hosted numerous junior golfers who have achieved success on the professional and collegiate level. PGA TOUR and LPGA golfers Glover, D.J. Trahan and McPherson; Current collegiate golfers George Bryan IV (South Carolina), Jacob Burger (Clemson), Sam Lyons (Coastal Carolina), Tripp McCallister (Coastal Carolina) and Cimmie Shanan (Furman) have also competed in the past.
In past years, the tournament has welcomed participants from states and foreign countries including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and Canada.
“Myrtle Beach National has always encouraged events to get junior golfers involved in the game of golf; a game they can enjoy for a lifetime,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for The Myrtle Beach National Company. “The George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament is the highlight of our tournament schedule and we look forward to welcoming junior golfers and their families to Myrtle Beach over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
To register or for more information, contact Myrtle Beach National at 1-800-344-5590 or visit mbn.com/golf-events.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, Gary Player’s Blackmoor Golf Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In August of 2009, Myrtle Beach National was chosen to manage the day-to-day operations of Wachesaw Plantation East.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
MyrtleBeachGolf.com Assumes Customer Service Area at both Grand Strand Martin's Locations
09/03/2009
August 25, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – MyrtleBeachGolf.com announced today that it will assume management of the Martin’s customer service space in both Martin’s PGA TOUR Superstore locations along the Grand Strand effective October 15, 2009. The Myrtle Beach Superstore is located at 1400 29th Avenue and the North Myrtle Beach location is 2310 Highway 17 South.
MyrtleBeachgolf.com brings to Martin’s the leading website in the area for selling golf tee-times and area accommodations. This business partnership with Martin’s PGA TOUR Super Store will provide both local and visiting golfers the very best options for securing last minute tee times. Golfers will be able to see tee time availability, up to the minute pricing with the Tee Time Network’s new Dynamic Pricing functionality and book their tee times online in real time with the help of an on-site golf director before they leave the customer service area. To assist golfers in the decision- making process they can check out what other golfers have said about their golf course selections using the Golf Insider. This website offers course reviews and ratings by golfers who have recently played the course. They can even post their comments on courses that they have played during their trip.
“We’re proud of the reputation MyrtleBeachGolf.com has earned and we're excited about offering the highest level of service available to local and vacationing golfers” said Eric Branch, Director for MyrtleBeachGolf.com. “Golfers will also be able to join our new last-minute tee time membership TeeUpTomorrow.com which offers discount tee times on nearly all Myrtle Beach area courses.”
Beyond golf tee times, the Martin’s PGA TOUR Superstore lobby kiosk will provide traveling golfers access to 10 award-winning resorts. These MyrtleBeachGolf.com partner properties feature oceanfront and fairway villa accommodations.
About MyrtleBeachGolf.com
MyrtleBeachGolf.com has evolved into one of the leading websites for vacationing golfers to the Myrtle Beach area, and books tee-times on nearly all area Myrtle Beach golf courses as well as golf packages with lodging at 10 award-winning resort properties. Contact them at 843. 000.0000 or visit www.DISCOUNTMYRTLEBEACHGOLF.COM
Myrtle Beach National Company Chosen to Manage Wachesaw Plantation East Club
09/03/2009
August 31, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Myrtle Beach National Company announced today that it has assumed day-to-day management of Wachesaw Plantation East Golf Club in Murrells Inlet. A leading golf course ownership and management company operating ten Grand Strand courses, The Myrtle Beach National Company will oversee the outside operations, pro shop, maintenance and marketing of Wachesaw Plantation East, which opened in 1996 and is the site of four nationally-televised LPGA tour events.
“We’re excited that the owners of Wachesaw Plantation East chose the Myrtle Beach National Company to manage this great facility,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf marketing and operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. “We have been approached in the past to manage area courses and have been very selective to create relationships with courses that fit into our current operations. This course is a perfect fit. We look forward to being directly involved with the day-to-day management of Wachesaw Plantation East. It is a great opportunity to market a course that has hosted four national tour events and is a highly-rated Clyde Johnston design. Golfers of all skill levels enjoy playing Wachesaw Plantation East and this course fits nicely with our other Prime Time Signature courses.”
“Wachesaw Plantation East enjoys a reputation for quality playing conditions and congenial service. We are happy to now be part of the Myrtle Beach National family of courses,” said Rob Mosser, General Manager and Head Golf Professional of Wachesaw Plantation East. “We believe that the marketing and operational expertise that the Myrtle Beach National Company brings will help us to grow and best serve our customers in an increasingly competitive market,” Mosser added.
About Wachesaw Plantation East
Wachesaw Plantation East is an 18-hole championship golf facility that is the centerpiece of Ellington Resort, an Interval International Five-Star Resort owned and operated by Festiva Resorts. From 1997 to 2000, Wachesaw Plantation East hosted four nationally-televised LPGA tour events, the last of which was the Kathy Ireland/Greens.com Championship in 2000. Wachesaw Plantation East is a Clyde Johnston design featuring traditional Scottish elements, including rolling fairways, classic mounding and strategically-placed bunkers. It features numerous freshwater lakes, scenic wetlands and fast and true Tif-Eagle greens. The golf course is carved from the hunting grounds of a historic rice plantation that thrived on the property in the 18th and 19th centuries.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach Prime Time Courses to Host Patriot Golf Day
09/02/2009
September 3, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach National Company officials announced today that the Myrtle Beach Prime Time courses will participate in Patriot Golf Day, the national golf fundraiser to be held over the Labor Day weekend. All golfers who contribute to the Patriot Golf Day campaign by booking tee times at any of the participating Myrtle Beach National courses will also receive special discounts on apparel and selected golf balls in the respective pro shops.
From Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, golfers across the
“When we learned about this great benefit, it wasn’t a question of whether or not we would participate, but how much could we do to help,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations, Myrtle Beach National Company. “We hope that the money raised at our 11 Myrtle Beach Prime Time golf courses, and across the
To schedule a tee time at a Myrtle Beach Prime Time course, which include such notable courses like Kings North, Long Bay Club, Blackmoor and Wachesaw East Plantation, or for more information, visit MBN.com or PatriotGolfDay.com.
About Patriot Golf Day
From Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, golfers across the
Sponsored by the PGA of America and the USGA, Patriot Golf Day was started in 2007 by Captain Dan Rooney, after he’d finished his second tour of duty in Iraq, An F-16 pilot for the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, and a PGA professional, Rooney recognized the tremendous need to provide support to the families of his comrades, killed and injured.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, SouthCreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation, Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club and the Gary Player design Blackmoor Golf Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. On August 31, the Myrtle Beach National Company announced that they had been chosen to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of Wachesaw Plantation East Golf Club in
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy Teams Up with Lowcountry Prep School
07/08/2009
The Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy announced that it will partner with Lowcountry Prep School, in Pawleys Island, S.C., this fall to create a full-time high school golf program to prepare junior golfers for college admission and scholarship opportunities. The first class of Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy (HRCGA) students will arrive for enrollment at Lowcountry Prep School on August 17, 2009.
Located at Long Bay Club and Willbrook Plantation, HRCGA determined that there was a need for a top-notch golf school for talented high school students, from not only the Grand Strand, but from around the world. Former PGA Tour player, Hugh Royer, III developed the golfing component based on his experience as a touring professional, teaching professional, and instructor at other golf academies. Central to the plan for the Academy was to associate the golf academy with an established independent school known for its reputation of academic excellence.
In 2009, HRCGA approached Lowcountry Prep School Board of Trustees in Pawleys Island to be its academic partner. Accredited by the Southern Association of Schools (SACS) and the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA), Lowcountry Prep School provides a rigorous college prep academic curriculum including honors and Advanced Placement classes. Over the past decade, 100% of Lowcountry graduates attended college and the SAT scores of Lowcountry Prep students are the highest in Georgetown and Horry Counties.
“We look forward to working with Dr. Mitchell and Lowcountry Prep School to prepare our students for college,” said Royer. “Together, we can provide the best in golf and the best in academics for junior golfers. There are good golf academies throughout the country; there are good prep schools throughout the country. We wanted to combine the two in order to prepare players for the next level and beyond.”
“The partnership between Lowcountry Prep School and the Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy provides the best of both worlds – a challenging high school education enhanced by outstanding golf training,” said Dr. Peter Mitchell, superintendent of Lowcountry Day School. “By insisting on excellence in the classroom and on the golf course, our students will gain admission into top universities and be able to secure college scholarships.”
About Lowcountry Prep School
Founded in 1995, Lowcountry Prep enrolls 200 students in K3-12. An average class size of 13 students, coupled with an upper school faculty with over 40% having a doctoral degree, creates an ideal learning environment. Students complete five high school courses in science and math, as well as four courses in English, History/Government, and Foreign Language, and required classes in music and art.
As one of two schools in South Carolina endorsed by Project Learning Tree and the 2009 grand prize winner in the state-wide public and private school Champions of the Environment contest, Lowcountry Prep capitalizes on its natural resources to provide exemplary education in environmental science. The Lowcountry Prep Leadership Institute develops leadership skills for all students. The school’s commitment to academic excellence is complemented by instilling an ethic of service and moral development that equips graduates for success in college and for a life of meaning and purpose.
About The Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy
Led by former PGA TOUR player Hugh Royer, III, the Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy is one of the most distinctive golf learning centers in the country as it features comprehensive training programs for players of all ages and skill levels. Located at the Long Bay Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Hugh Royer CGA opened in March 2007, and debuted its new Long Bay learning center on April 21, 2008. The learning center features an 8,000 square-foot short game area with chipping, putting and bunker practice sites, a 3,500 square-foot building for the offices and golf-specific fitness room, three private teaching bays, state-of the-art video equipment, extensive club fitting technology and a student lounge. Sports psychologist Stephen A. Russo, Ph.D. assists players in handling the mental pressures of the game, and accommodations are included with many of the programs.
Royer turned professional in 1988, and played three years on the PGA Tour, captured four wins on the Nationwide Tour and one victory on the South African Tour. After his retirement in 2000, Royer opened the Columbus Golf Academy in Columbus, Ga., where he served as the Director of Instruction. Royer taught more than three years at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, S.C. and has worked with PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, and Hooters Tour players, in addition to teaching junior, collegiate and amateur players.
Champions Golf Academy Changes Name to Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy
06/02/2009
Grand Strand Golf School to Host Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s Myrtle Beach Open, June 13-14
June 2, 2009, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Representatives from the Champions Golf Academy announced today that the two-year-old golf school will now be known as the Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy. Located at the Long Bay Club in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Hugh Royer CGA (HRCGA) was created to meet the needs of golfers at every stage of their amateur and professional development. The HRCGA provides a comprehensive development platform for golfers seeking to dramatically improve their ability to compete effectively and win, by providing state-of-the-art equipment and expert coaching and instruction.
The HRCGA will play host to the Myrtle Beach Junior Open, a stop on the national Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, June 13-14 at Long Bay. The 36-hole event is open to all junior golfers between the ages of 10 to 19 years of age. Golfers will be grouped according to their age and will receive points based on their finish. The winners of each age division will advance to the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour Championship Invitation at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla. in December.
The first round begins Saturday, June 13, with tee times starting at 8:06 a.m. After golf, participants and their families are invited to a tournament cookout, catered by Ruth’s Chris Steak House, along with a clinic hosted by the HRCGA instructional staff, Nike Golf and Sunset Beach Putters. The final round is scheduled to begin Sunday, June 14 at 8:06 a.m. with the awards ceremony to be held immediately after golf.
“We’re excited to launch our new name and welcome the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour to Myrtle Beach,” said Royer, director of instruction and former PGA TOUR player. “My family has been involved in playing and teaching the game of golf for decades and we decided to change the name of the Academy to reflect those achievements. By hosting the Myrtle Beach Junior Open, we hope to introduce local junior golfers to competitive golf and provide an opportunity from them to participate and possibly compete in the tournament’s championship in Fla. later in 2009.”
To register for the Myrtle Beach Junior Open or for more information on the Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy, call (843) 399-1551 or visit HughRoyerCGA.com.
About the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour was founded with the intention of providing junior golfers between the ages of 10-19 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. Play is open to both males and females with the following age divisions; boys 16-19; boys 13-15; boys 10-12; girls 15-19; and girls 10-14.
The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour has set up a point’s race which will run throughout the year. Each and every tournament the HJGT conducts, there will be points awarded for top ten finishers in each division. At the end of the year, the HJGT will conduct its year end tour championship. The tour championship will be an invitational for those who have won a tour event and those who have accumulated the most points. A points champion will be declared in each age division with a trophy presentation prior to the December tour championship.
About The Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy
Led by former PGA TOUR player Hugh Royer, III, the Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy is one of the most distinctive golf learning centers in the country as it features comprehensive training programs for players of all ages and skill levels. Located at the Long Bay Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Hugh Royer CGA opened in March 2007, and debuted its new Long Bay learning center on April 21, 2008. The learning center features an 8,000 square-foot short game area with chipping, putting and bunker practice sites, a 3,500 square-foot building for the offices and golf-specific fitness room, three private teaching bays, state-of the-art video equipment, extensive club fitting technology and a student lounge. Sports psychologist Stephen A. Russo, Ph.D. assists players in handling the mental pressures of the game, and accommodations are included with many of the programs.
Royer turned professional in 1987, and played three years on the PGA Tour, where he captured four wins on the Nationwide Tour and one victory on the South African Tour. After his retirement in 2000, Royer opened the Columbus Golf Academy in Columbus, Ga., where he served as the Director of Instruction. Royer taught more than three years at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, S.C. and has worked with PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, and Hooters Tour players, in addition to teaching junior, collegiate and amateur players.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National also owns and operates the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. Myrtle Beach National assumed management of Blackmoor Golf Club, a Gary Player signature course, in September of 2008.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort to Host Carolina Couples Event
05/29/2009
May 29, 2009, Pawleys Island, S.C. – The 13th annual Carolina Couples Classic, the premier couples’ golf tournament in South Carolina, will be held October 8-11, 2009, at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort in historic Pawleys Island. The Carolina Couples Classic attracts couples from across the country to compete for gifts and prizes.
Over the 12 years of the tournament, more than 700 couples have participated representing states such as Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. In addition to the two-person team competition, this year’s event again includes an Intra-Club Competition with additional prizes for the teams representing the winning golf club.
“The Carolina Couples Classic is the premier couples’ golf event in the Carolina’s,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. “We welcome back many couples who mark the Classic dates on their calendar every year and come for the competition, the great golf and to see longtime friends that they’ve met at prior Carolina Couples Classics. We’re looking forward to the biggest weekend in Classic history this year.”
Participating golfers will receive one round of golf on both River Club and Willbrook Plantation; three nights of accommodations in a four-bedroom fairway villa at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, with single suite upgrades available; a daily breakfast buffet; a welcome reception and cocktail party on Thursday night; lunch on Friday and Saturday; Saturday night’s awards party; a welcome gift at registration; and tournament prizes.
Demo Day, an annual tradition at the Carolina Couples Classic, is scheduled for Friday, October 9th at the Litchfield Country Club driving range from 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m. Demo Day offers Carolina Classic participants the opportunity to test the latest in golf equipment technology from manufacturers including Callaway, Nike, Ping and Taylor Made. Carolina Couples participants will receive complimentary club fitting and substantial discounts on all golf purchases.
The entry fee for the 2009 Carolina Couples Classic is $955 per couple, and group leaders who bring three or more couples will receive a $50 gift certificate to the River Club or Willbrook pro shops. To register, golfers should call 1-888-714-5935, or visit CarolinaCouplesGolf.com.
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, along the Waccamaw Golf Trail, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit LitchfieldBeach.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National also owns and operates the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. Myrtle Beach National assumed management of Blackmoor Golf Club, a Gary Player signature course, in September of 2008.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach National Hosting Retired Military Golf Classic
05/26/2009
May 26, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. - The Myrtle Beach National Company is playing host to the 26th Annual National Retired Military Golf Classic, May 26 through May 30, 2009. The tournament is a captain’s choice format at five Myrtle Beach championship golf courses; King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, South Creek at Myrtle Beach National, the West Course at Myrtle Beach National, the Long Bay Club and Aberdeen Country Club.
The men’s tournament consists of 72 holes while the women will utilize a 54-hole competition with the courses and foursomes rotated each day. New in 2009, golfers are allowed to use Range finders during the tournament. The registration fee runs $265 for men and $220 for women and includes the golf and cart fees, awards, special drawings, a Retired Military Classic golf shirt, a man’s hat or a women’s visor and mulligans.
Team and individual prizes will be awarded with golf vacations, gift certificates and cash as the prizes. A closest-to-the-pin contest will be held each day and golfers can win a ___ car with a hole-in-one. More than $60,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded during the tournament.
“The Myrtle Beach National Company is honored to once again welcome active and retired military personnel to Myrtle Beach for the 2009 National Retired Military Golf Classic,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “This is our 26th year hosting the tournament with military members representing more than 24 military bases. This is a week that many participants put on their calendars well in advance as they look forward to both the camaraderie and competition that the week offers.”
For more information on the tournament, call 1-866-469-7853 or visit NRMGC@oceanaresorts.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach Nation has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National sponsored George Holiday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during the Easter weeked for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Country Club Offers Launch Your Game Series, April 16 and May 1
04/14/2009
South Myrtle Beach National Course to Provide Complimentary Lessons, Newest Technology Testing and Special Deals on Apparel and Equipment to Golfers
April 14, 2009, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Grand Strand golfers can get their game ready for the spring by participating in the “Launch Your Game” series to be held at Litchfield Country Club driving range Thursday, April 16th and Friday, May 1st. Each session will run from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and there is no charge to the public to participate. On April 16, Callaway Golf and Nike will be showcased with Ping and Cleveland Golf visiting on May 1st.
Golfers have the opportunity to test out the latest golf equipment, receive custom club fittings, order new clubs and receive discounts for all special orders that day. Litchfield Country Club teaching professionals will also be on hand both days to give free golf instruction to participants. The driving range merchandise tent will feature great specials on golf balls, equipment and apparel for men and women. Golfer can also register to win a 20-inch Sharp Aquos flat screen television by participating in the “Launch Your Game” series.
“The ‘Launch Your Game’ series is the perfect opportunity for golfers to get ready for their best spring season ever,” said Christa Bodensteiner, head golf professional at Litchfield Country Club. “This year, our teaching professionals will be on hand both days to provide free golf instruction and help golfers cut strokes off their game. We hope that any golfer who really wants to play his or her best golf this spring to join us on April 16th and May 1st.”
For more information or to register, contact Litchfield Country Club’s Pro Shop at (843) 237-3411, ext. 1.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Clay D. Brittain, Jr. Inducted into Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame
03/23/2009
Clay D. Brittain, Jr., chairman emeritus of the Myrtle Beach National Company, was inducted as an inaugural member of the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame in a March 12th ceremony held at Pine Lakes Country Club. Along with fellow 2009 Hall of Fame class members Cecil Brandon, Carolyn Cassidy Cudone, Jimmy D’Angelo, General James F. Hackler, Jr. and Robert White, Brittain was recognized for his many contributions to the Myrtle Beach area golf industry.The Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame was created in September 2008 and individuals were nominated by members of the Myrtle Beach golf industry during the fall. The Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors reviewed each nomination before selecting the most outstanding candidates. All inductees are honored with a permanent monument located in the Pine Lakes Country Club Hall of Fame Garden, adjacent to the newly renovated course and clubhouse.
“I will never forget this day,” said Brittain. “It’s an honor to be among these six wonderful people who all contributed to the Myrtle Beach golf industry. I’d like to express my gratitude to Burroughs & Chapin Company for establishing the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame Board of Directors who included me in this group of inductees.”
“Clay Brittain has always been a tireless promoter of Myrtle Beach golf and tourism” said Pete Pearce, chairman of Myrtle Beach National. “I started working with Clay soon after I moved to Myrtle Beach in 1962 and we were part of the ownership group that formed Myrtle Beach National in 1971. Clay was a driving force behind the success of Myrtle Beach National and it would not be the company that it is today without his leadership. Clay is a grand person and is a deserved member of the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame.”
“You could search the world over and not find a finer, more loyal friend than Clay Brittain,” said Cecil Brandon. “Our friendship is not only one I have thoroughly enjoyed but has been beneficial to all aspects of my public and private life. I am sure all of his other friends feel the same way.”
A 40-year veteran of the golf industry, Clay Brittain, Jr. played an instrumental role in uniting the golf and tourism industries in Myrtle Beach. A native of North Carolina, Brittain moved to Myrtle Beach after college and purchased his first Grand Strand property in 1952 with a 50 percent interest in the Second Avenue Fishing Pier. Hurricane Hazel washed the entire pier away in 1954, but Brittain traded his share in the fishing pier lot for half interest in Sea Captain’s House, the first independent oceanfront restaurant in Myrtle Beach.
Brittain and several Myrtle Beach area hotel owners banded together to form the Myrtle Beach National Company in 1971, and Brittain was named as the first president. The hotel owners wanted to sell golf packages through their hotels but needed golf courses due to the shortage of tee times. Under his leadership, Myrtle Beach National built and acquired nine golf courses through the years and became one of the largest course and accommodation ownership groups in the Southeast. One of his first calls was to Arnold Palmer to ask him to design three premier signature golf courses at Myrtle Beach National. In later years, Mr. Brittain had the foresight to steer the company’s accommodations toward condominiums, a growing trend in Myrtle Beach real estate. In 1997, Brittain was named chairman of Myrtle Beach National until his retirement in 2006.
Brittain was also an important partner in the birth of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday in 1967, a marketing cooperative formed with the goal of promoting the Myrtle Beach area as the world’s premier golf destination.
While shaping Myrtle Beach National, Brittain also helped develop the entire Myrtle Beach golf industry by serving as president of the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association from 1991 through 1993, and later served as the vice president of the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association. He was instrumental in urging the Myrtle Beach chapter to join the National Golf Courses Owners Association.
Largely responsible for establishing the PGA golf degree at Coastal Carolina University, Brittain was later honored for his contributions to the community in 2001, when the Clay Brittain, Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at the university was named in his honor. Brittain was the 2003 recipient of the Don Rossi Award from the National Golf Course Owners Association of America for his long-lasting contribution to the golf association. Brittain received the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service from the University of South Carolina in 1989 and received the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest honor for a civilian from Governor Jim Hodges in 2000. In 2005, he was awarded the Ashby Ward Pioneer of the Year Award for the positive, significant impact he made in the Myrtle Beach area.
Myrtle Beach National to Host Sixth Annual Junior Golf Shootout, April 10-11, 2009
01/21/2009
January 21, 2009, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach National will play host to the sixth annual Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shootout during Easter weekend, April 10-11, 2009. The spring partner of the George Holliday Tournament held annually in November, the Junior Golf Shootout, hosts more than 150 boys and girls between the ages of nine and 18 years of age for the two-day tournament. The tournament entry fee is $129 with a registration deadline of April 1, 2009.
Sponsored by Myrtle Beach National, PGA TOUR Superstore and Coca-Cola®, the Junior Golf Shootout features two tournament rounds at Myrtle Beach National’s Southcreek and West Course, lunch each day, a welcome gift, door prizes and fun for the entire family. Sanctioned by the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, tournament participants can earn points towards the Heritage Classic Foundation Rankings.
“The Junior Shootout is a great complement to our fall George Holliday Tournament and showcases college-talent bound players,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. “The Junior Shootout gets bigger and better each spring and offers the same competitive challenges for junior golfers, just earlier in the year. These events support our commitment to growing the game of golf with our yearly program of ‘Kids Play Free’ at all of our courses.”
For more information or to register for this year’s Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shootout tournament, call 1-800-344-5590 or visit mbn.com.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand.
The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach National Offers “Golf Green Fee Giveaway” Contest
12/02/2008
December 2, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. — The Myrtle Beach National Company is offering golfers the opportunity to instantly win free green fees by visiting MBN.com before booking their trip to the Grand Strand area. Since introducing the giveaway earlier this fall, more than 1,400 golfers have won free green fees at one of the nine Myrtle Beach National golf courses by registering for the online contest. The Golf Green Fee contest runs through March 15, 2009, with all rounds tot be played by May 31, 2009. All winners are responsible for their cart fees.
“Visitors to the MBN.com site can plan their entire golf or beach vacation from rooms to golf times with the convenience of visiting one site on the Internet,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “Myrtle Beach National has nine wonderful golf courses and we want to reward anyone who frequents our Web site with free green fees at one of our facilities this fall.”
About Golf Insider
For golfers still undecided on what course to play during their Grand Strand vacation, “Golf Insider” provides golfers with a reliable source of non-biased information about Myrtle Beach courses. A golfer-driven, online social network that shares the experiences of golfers who have made recent visits to the Grand Strand area, "Golf Insider" provides golfers with the opportunity to read other players’ comments and share their own golf experiences on all area golf courses at MBN.com/golf-insider. Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf at MBN.com, golfers can view course videos, search for available tee times and rates, book packages and tee times in real time with access to every course’s complete tee sheet, maps of area courses, and review area coupon offers and much more.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand.
The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Each Thanksgiving, the Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Willbrook Plantation welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just The Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach Welcomes 200 Junior Golfers For Tournament
11/24/2008
Myrtle Beach National to Host One of South Carolina’s Oldest Junior Golf Tournaments, November 27–29, 2008
November 24, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will play host to 200 junior golfers from 14 states for the 40th annual George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament November 27–29, 2008. States represented in this year’s tournament include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Named one of the top junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, the George Holliday Memorial Tournament is open to junior golfers between the ages of 9 and 18 who will compete in the tournament’s three rounds at Myrtle Beach National’s SouthCreek, West and King’s North courses. The boys’ division consists of three different age levels; 10-11, 12-13 and 14-18 years of age with four age brackets in the girls’ division; 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 and 16-18 years of age. All golfers who are 18 must still be enrolled in high school. There will also be an Under-9 years-of-age division in which the younger golfers will only play nine holes each day.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament ranks among the oldest junior golf tournaments in the state of South Carolina. Only the South Carolina Golf Association Junior Championship (50 years) and the Al Esposito Junior Golf Championship (53 years) have been in existence longer than the George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament.
Over the 40 years, the event has hosted numerous junior golfers who have found success on the regional and national level. PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR golfers who participated in past George Holliday tournaments include D.J. Trahan, Lucas Glover, Cimmie Shanan and Kristy McPherson. Collegiate golfers Zack Byrd (Coastal Carolina), George Bryan IV (South Carolina), Jacob Burger (Clemson), Sam Lyons (Coastal Carolina) and Tripp McCallister (Coastal Carolina) have also competed in the past.
The junior championship is held in memory of George Judson Holliday, III, of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, who won many junior level tournaments while attending Mullins High School in South Carolina, and later at the Asheville School for Boys in North Carolina. At the college level, Holliday had a 69 stroke average over 40 matches and a +1 handicap. He died tragically in November 1967 at the age of 22.
“Myrtle Beach National has always encouraged events to get junior golfers involved in the game of golf; a game they can enjoy for a lifetime,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for The Myrtle Beach National Company. “The George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament is the highlight of our tournament schedule and we look forward to welcoming junior golfers and their families to Myrtle Beach over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
For more information, contact Myrtle Beach National at 1-800-344-5590 or visit mbn.com/golf-events.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand.
The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Entries Now Being Accepted For The 40th Annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament
09/17/2008
Myrtle Beach National to Host One of South Carolina’s Oldest Junior Golf Tournaments for Boys and Girls 9 to 18 Years of Age
September 17, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Myrtle Beach National Company is now accepting entries for the 40th annual George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament November 27 – 29, 2008. Named one of the top junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, the George Holliday Memorial Tournament consists of three rounds at Myrtle Beach National’s SouthCreek, West Course and King’s North courses with a daily 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.
The George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2008 and is among the oldest junior golf tournaments in the state of South Carolina. Only the South Carolina Golf Association Junior Championship (50 years) and the Al Esposito Junior Golf Championship (53 years) have been in existence longer than the George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament.
Over the 40 years, the event has hosted numerous junior golfers who have found success on the regional and national level. PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR golfers who participated in past George Holliday tournaments include D.J. Trahan, Lucas Glover, Cimmie Shanan and Kristy McPherson. Collegiate golfers Zack Byrd (Coastal Carolina), George Bryan IV (South Carolina), Jacob Burger (Clemson), Sam Lyons (Coastal Carolina) and Tripp McCallister (Coastal Carolina) have also competed in the past.
More than 400 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 18 from across the United States and Puerto Rico will participate in the three-day tournament, which is sanctioned by the South Carolina Junior Golf Association. In addition, college golf coaches will be in attendance to scout prospective players for college golf teams.
The boys’ division consists of three different age levels; 10-11, 12-13 and 14-18 years of age with four age brackets in the girls’ division; 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 and 16-18 years of age. All golfers who are 18 years of age must still be enrolled in high school. There will also be an Under-9 years-of-age division in which the younger golfers will only play nine holes each day.
The junior championship is held in memory of George Judson Holliday, III, of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, who won many junior level tournaments while attending Mullins High School in South Carolina, and later at the Asheville School for Boys in North Carolina. At the college level, Holliday had a 69 stroke average over 40 matches and a +1 handicap. He died tragically in November 1967 at the age of 22.
“Myrtle Beach National has always encouraged events to get junior golfers involved in the game of golf; a game they can enjoy for a lifetime,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for The Myrtle Beach National Company. “The George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament is the highlight of our tournament schedule and we look forward to welcoming junior golfers and their families to Myrtle Beach over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
The entry fee for the George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament is $135 with an $85 fee for participants in the Under-9 Years-of-Age Division. The entry fee includes the three tournament rounds, a welcome gift and lunch each day. To register, contact the Myrtle Beach National Company at 1-800-344-5590 or visit www.mbn.com/golf-events.
About Myrtle Beach Golf
Myrtle Beach Golf is a division of the Myrtle Beach National Company which has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand.
The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach National Company Assumes Management of Blackmoor Golf Club
09/11/2008
September 10, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Myrtle Beach National Company, one of the Myrtle Beach area’s oldest and largest golf course ownership companies, has now ventured into the operating and management of other area golf courses with the announcement today that it will assume management of Blackmoor Golf Club located in Murrells Inlet, as of September 10, 2008.
“This management agreement is part of our company’s future expansion strategy to grow market share and revenue in the golf segment of tourism in Myrtle Beach” said Tom Hale, executive vice president of Myrtle Beach National Company who orchestrated the management agreement. “We feel that this property can be integrated into our current course mix, benefit from our areas of expertise and help us achieve our short and long term business objectives.”
Currently the Myrtle Beach National Company has nine golf courses rated four stars or higher by Golf Digest’s “2008 Places to Play” guide. The management agreement with Blackmoor encompasses course maintenance, pro shop management, and advertising and marketing for the Gary Player signature course that opened in 1990.
“We’re excited about having the opportunity to add Blackmoor to our Signature collection of golf courses owned by the Myrtle Beach National Company” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations and marketing of Myrtle Beach National Company. “The management team at the Myrtle Beach National Company has been approached many times over the years to manage other courses. It is a challenge for a single course to stand alone in today’s marketplace and compete against multi-course ownership groups. Now with the critical mass of resources that we have in place, it makes sense strategically and economically to assume the third-party management of Blackmoor and other courses in the market. We look forward to being directly involved with the day-to-day management of the only Gary Player Signature course on the Grand Strand.”
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and now management companies in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company was formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, SouthCreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Myrtle Beach National Golf Courses To Host Patriot Golf Day, August 29 – September 1
08/18/2008
Second Annual National Benefit to Raise Money to Help Provide Educational Scholarships for Military Families
August 18, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach National officials announced today that the nine Myrtle Beach National courses will participate in Patriot Golf Day, the national golf fundraiser to be held over the Labor Day weekend.
From Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1, golfers across the United States will be asked to donate a minimum of $1 in support of Patriot Golf Day, with all proceeds benefitting the Folds of Honor Foundation, an organization that provides scholarship opportunities to the families of soldiers who have been injured or killed in the line of military duty. In 2007, 3,200 golf facilities nationwide participated in Patriot Golf Day, raising more than $1 million.
Sponsored by TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Patriot Golf Day was started in 2007 by Captain Dan Roone, after he’d finished his second tour of duty in Iraq, An F-16 pilot for the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, and a PGA professional, Roone recognized the tremendous need to provide support to the families of his comrades, killed and injured. Patriot Golf Day events range in organization from a simple $1 addition to greens fees all the way to Patriot Golf Day tournaments and clinics.
“More than 37,000 service members have been killed or wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, and Patriot Golf Day is a way for patriotic Americans to assist families of those military personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” said Rooney, who returned to Iraq for a third tour of duty this summer.
“When we learned about this great benefit, it wasn’t a question of whether or not we would participate, but how much could we do to help,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations, Myrtle Beach National Company. “We hope that the money raised at our nine Myrtle Beach National golf courses, and across the United States, will positively impact families of servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.”
To schedule a tee time at a Myrtle Beach National course or for more information, visit MBN.com or PatriotGolfDay.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort to Host "Just the Girls" Event
07/22/2008
LITCHFIELD BEACH & GOLF RESORT TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL “JUST THE GIRLS: COAST & CUISINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA” WEEKEND
Sponsored by South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism and Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, Second Annual Event to be Held October 10-12, 2008
July 22, 2008, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort will play host to the second annual “Just the Girls: Coast & Cuisines in South Carolina” weekend, October 10-12, 2008. Editors from Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Cottage Living and Southern Living will present the latest in food, gardening and decorating to the “Just the Girls” guests.(br>
The inaugural 2007 event sold out with 200 participants from South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan and Georgia, with a waiting list of 100 additional people.
The weekend kicks off Friday, October 10 with a “Welcome to the Coast” evening reception at the Litchfield Country Club featuring the favorite recipes of the magazine’s food editors. On Saturday, October 11, Coastal Living senior food and entertaining editor Julia Rutland shares her secrets in creating leisurely breakfasts at the “Rise-and-Shine Breakfast.” Later that day, Cottage Living assistant decorating editor, Turner Carroll, demonstrates exciting ideas for decking the halls this season at the “Cottage Living Holiday Favorites Decorating Seminar.” The night wraps up with the “Cocktails in the Courtyard and Cooking Light Supper Club Celebration” where Cooking Light executive chef Billy Strynkowski will share easy cooking tips to be tried at home, “behind the scenes” kitchen secrets and a lively cooking demonstration.
On Sunday, October 12, “Just the Girls” guests will be treated to “Garden Party-Breakfast with Southern Living” as Southern Living associate garden editor Rebecca Reed shares her green thumb secrets on everything from planting the perfect container to making yards photo ready in a flash.
The two-night getaway package starts at $361 and includes lodging at Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort, Friday night reception, Saturday breakfast, Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch.
For more information or to register, call 800-582-9974 or visit LitchfieldBeach.com.
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features three award winning championship golf courses; Willbrook Plantation, a seven-time Golf for Women “Top 25” course selection; The River Club, one of Golf Digest’s 4½ star courses with the area’s only Bentgrass greens and Litchfield Country Club, a 4-star Golf Digest course with stately charms in a setting of moss covered oaks. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort also offers a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston the areas only sea side resort. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit litchfieldbeach.com.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort And Litchfield Country Club To Host “Family Fun Golf” Clinics In July
06/30/2008
June 30, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort and Litchfield Country Club will host “Family Fun Golf Clinics” for all families residing in the Litchfield and Pawleys Island area during the month of July.
The weekly Tuesday clinics begin at 4:30 p.m. and include a 40-minute session on the basics of golf led by Litchfield Country Club teaching professionals. The families will then be able to apply those new skills by playing nine holes at Litchfield Country Club.
The clinic is $35 per twosome and clubs can be provided with advance notice. Reservations are required as space is limited to eight families per clinic. To register or find out more information, call (843) 237-3411, ext. 1 or visit mbn.com.
Located 18 miles south of Myrtle Beach, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort features one, two and three-bedroom suites, condos, villas, houses and cottages with a choice of oceanfront, golf course, lake or poolside views. All units are non-smoking and select buildings offer wireless Internet. Summer packages and specials can be found by visiting LitchfieldBeach.com.
“The Family Fun Golf Clinics is another reason for families to select the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort as the site for their summer vacation,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. “Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort allows easy access to all the sights and sounds of Myrtle Beach but still offers a secluded ‘away from it all’ feeling. With resort amenities that include a private beach; a pool and play plaza that has a lazy river, water deck island and two hot tubs; bicycle rentals; tennis facilities; day spa and three championship golf courses, there is an activity for everyone. Golf is a great way for families to have fun while on vacation and Litchfield Country Club is the flagship course of the historic lowcountry plantation courses.”
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit www.litchfieldbeach.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
The Champions Golf Academy to Host Summer Camps, June 9 - August 19
05/19/2008
Weekly Day Camps Designed for All Junior Golfers, 12 to 17 Years of Age
May 19, 2008, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Champions Golf Academy announced today that 2008 summer golf camps for all junior golfers, both boys and girls, from 12 to 17 years of age are open for registration. Located at the Long Bay Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., the weekly camps begin on Monday, June 9 and run through the month of August. Junior golfers receive instruction from 9:00 a.m. until noon each day, followed by lunch and afternoon play with a Champions Golf Academy instructor. Students will be grouped according to age and ability and the game-improvement camp will focus on fundamentals, full swing, short game skills, course management, club selection and tournament preparation in a fun, yet competitive, environment.
Tuition for the week-long Champions Golf Academy Summer Golf Camp is $750 per golfer, with discounts given to those participating in the program for more than three weeks. To learn more information or register, parents are encouraged to call (843) 399-1551 or visit the academy’s website, ChampionsGolfAcademylbc.com.
“We’re excited to launch our first summer golf program for junior golfers,” said Academy owner and former PGA TOUR player, Hugh Royer, III. “These weekly camps are designed specifically for junior golfers, whether they live in Myrtle Beach or are vacationing in the area. Parents can drop off their up-and-coming young golfers with us before work, and pick them up in the afternoon. For those who live outside the Myrtle Beach region, the family can enjoy one of America’s best golf and vacation destinations while the junior golfer is immersed in an extensive golf instruction program. Whether the junior golfer aspires to play high school, collegiate or professional golf, the Champions Golf Academy Summer Golf Camp is the answer. My handpicked instructional team’s simple and proven approach, utilizing the most advanced training tools available, at an exceptional world-class facility will provide players with every opportunity to succeed.”
About The Champions Golf Academy
Owned and operated by former PGA TOUR player Hugh Royer, III, the Champions Golf Academy is one of the most distinctive golf learning centers in the country as it features comprehensive training programs for players of all ages and skill levels. Located at the Long Bay Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., The Champions Golf Academy opened in March 2007, and debuted its new Long Bay learning center on April 21, 2008. The learning center features an 8,000 square-foot short game area with chipping, putting and bunker practice sites, a 3,500 square-foot building for the offices and golf-specific fitness room, three private teaching bays, state-of the-art video equipment, extensive club fitting technology and a student lounge. Sports psychologist Stephen A. Russo, Ph.D. assists players in handling the mental pressures of the game, and accommodations are included with many of the programs.
Royer turned professional in 1987, and played three years on the PGA Tour, where he captured four wins on the Nationwide Tour and one victory on the South African Tour. After his retirement in 2000, Royer opened the Columbus Golf Academy in Columbus, Ga., where he served as the Director of Instruction. Royer taught more than three years at the International Junior Golf Academy on Hilton Head Island, S.C. and has worked with PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, and Hooters Tour players, in addition to teaching the top professional, collegiate and amateur players for the past seven years.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort to Host Carolina Couples Classic
05/13/2008
Golfers From Across The Country To Compete In 11th Annual Couples Tournament, October 2-5, 2008
The 11th annual Carolina Couples Classic, the premier couples’ golf tournament in South Carolina, will be held October 2 – 5, 2008, at the award-winning Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. The Carolina Couples Classic attracts couples from across the country to compete for gifts and prizes. In the past, participants from Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia have competed.
In addition to the two-person team competition, this year’s event again includes an Intra-Club Competition with additional prizes for the teams representing the winning golf club.
Participating golfers will play two of the Myrtle Beach area’s premier plantation courses, Litchfield Country Club and Willbrook Plantation; stay three nights of accommodations in a fairway villa at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort; receive a welcome gift at registration; enjoy a daily breakfast buffet and lunch on Friday and Saturday, and attend a welcome reception and cocktail party on Thursday night, a seafood feast on Friday night and Saturday night’s awards dinner.The 11th annual Carolina Couples Classic, the premier couples’ golf tournament in South Carolina, will be held October 2 – 5, 2008, at the award-winning Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. The Carolina Couples Classic attracts couples from across the country to compete for gifts and prizes. In the past, participants from Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia have competed.
In addition to the two-person team competition, this year’s event again includes an Intra-Club Competition with additional prizes for the teams representing the winning golf club.
Participating golfers will play two of the Myrtle Beach area’s premier plantation courses, Litchfield Country Club and Willbrook Plantation; stay three nights of accommodations in a fairway villa at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort; receive a welcome gift at registration; enjoy a daily breakfast buffet and lunch on Friday and Saturday, and attend a welcome reception and cocktail party on Thursday night, a seafood feast on Friday night and Saturday night’s awards dinner.
Demo Day, an annual tradition at the Carolina Couples Classic, is scheduled for Friday, October 3rd at the Litchfield Country Club driving range from 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m. Demo Day offers Carolina Classic participants the opportunity to test the latest in golf equipment technology from manufacturers including Callaway, Nike Ping and Taylor Made. Carolina Couples participants will receive complimentary club fitting and substantial discounts on all golf purchases.
The entry fee for the 2008 Carolina Couples Classic is $999 per couple, and group leaders who bring three or more couples will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Litchfield Country Club or Willbrook pro shops. To register, golfers should visit MBN.com/CouplesClassic or call 888-714-5935.
“The Carolina Couples Classic is the premier couples’ golf event in the Carolina’s,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. “We welcome back many couples who mark the Classic dates on their calendar every year and come for the competition, the great golf and to see longtime friends that they’ve met at prior Carolina Couples Classics. We’re looking forward to the biggest weekend in Classic history this year.”
For more information, call 1-800-845-1897 or visit MBN.com.
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, along the Waccamaw Golf Trail, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit LitchfieldBeach.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Country Club To Serve As Home Course For Lowcountry Day School Golf Team
03/21/2008
High School Golf Team Will Practice and Host Matches at the Willard Byrd Course
Litchfield Country Club officials announced today that the Club will serve as the home course of the Lowcountry Day School golf team during the 2008 spring season. The Fightin’ Marlins varsity golf team consists of eight student-athletes who are currently in grades nine through 12. The Lowcountry Day School will practice daily at the course and host four tournaments during the season that runs from mid-March through the month of April.
“We’ve played other courses in the Grand Strand community, but Litchfield Country Club stands head-and-shoulders above everyone,” said Danny Bell, head coach of the Fightin’ Marlins golf team. The Litchfield course is in great shape and we have the use of their driving range, putting green and walk nine holes each day during practice. The Litchfield Country Club staff has been very professional and the teaching professionals take the time to offer additional tips after practice. Our relationship with Litchfield Country Club has helped our student-athletes improve their game.”
“We are very excited to welcome the Lowcountry Day School golf team to Litchfield,” said Christa Bodensteiner, head golf professional. “We hope that practicing daily on our challenging course will give the team a true advantage during their matches. Litchfield Country Club has always been very supportive of junior golf programs and we look forward to supporting the Low Country squad in 2008.”
For more information or dates of the matches, contact Litchfield Country Club’s Pro Shop at (843) 837-3411 or visit ldspi.org.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses..
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Country Club Offers Golfers Opportunity To Fine Tune With “Launch Your Game” Events
03/20/2008
Weekly Thursday Sessions Give Golfers Opportunity to Test Newest Golf Technology
Grand Strand golfers can get their game ready for the spring by participating in the “Launch Your Game” events to be held at Litchfield Country Club. Each Thursday from March 27th through May 1st, golfers can visit the Litchfield Country Club practice facility and test out the latest in golf club technology from some of the industry’s most popular companies.
Golfers can also receive custom club fittings, order new clubs and receive playing tips from Litchfield Country Club teaching professionals. The weekly clinics will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. each Thursday with refreshments served. All events are free and open to the public.
The “Launch Your Game” schedule will run as follows:
March 27 – Nike Golf
April 3 – Adams Golf
April 10 – Cleveland Golf
April 17 – Callaway Golf / Ecco Shoes
April 24 – TaylorMade Golf
May 1 – PING
“Our ‘Launch Your Game’ events are the perfect opportunities for golfers to get ready for their best spring golf season ever,” said Christa Bodensteiner, head golf professional at Litchfield Country Club. “Golf technology changes quickly and playing with the most up-to-date, fitted clubs can take strokes off a golfer’s game.”
For more information, contact Litchfield Country Club’s Pro Shop at (843) 837-3411.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic” and “Just Girls Weekend.” For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Golf Holiday and GOLF Magazine Host Inaugural GOLF Magazine Championship
02/26/2008
February 26, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and GOLF Magazine announced today that they will host the inaugural GOLF Magazine Championship, March 4-5, 2008, at Barefoot Resort & Golf.
Seventy-two golfers will participate in the event on Monday and Tuesday after being selected during a two-month contest held on GOLF Magazine’s web site, GOLF.com. More than 18,000 golfers registered for the golf vacation to Myrtle Beach, and each winner and guest receiving meals and two days of golf and instruction under the tutelage of the game’s best teachers.
On Tuesday, March 4, the golfers will participate in a full morning of instruction on all aspects of the game from five of GOLF Magazine’s “Top 100 Teachers”, Mike Perpich from RiverPines Golf in Alpharetta, Georgia; Gale Peterson from Sea Island Golf Learning Center in St. Simons Island, Georgia; Carol Preisinger from Kiawah Island Club in Kiawah Island, South Carolina; Dana Radar from The Dana Radar Golf School in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Brad Redding from Grande Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Later that afternoon, the five “Top 100 Teachers” will host another instructional clinic at the Barefoot Resort & Golf practice facility with Charlie Rymer, ESPN commentator and Road Trip: Myrtle Beach cast member, serving as the emcee. The clinic will run from 2:00-3:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Admission to the event is free and the public is encouraged to attend and learn from the game’s best teachers.
On Wednesday morning, March 5, the golfers will tee off at The Love Course at Barefoot Resort & Golf in the two-person, 18-hole tournament with a four-ball net stroke play format. After the conclusion of the golf, an awards reception will be held at the Barefoot Resort & Golf clubhouse featuring GOLF Magazine columnist David Feherty as the master of ceremonies.
“We were thrilled by the number of golfers who registered for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best golf teachers in the United States,” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “Thanks to GOLF Magazine for partnering with us on this annual event and for bringing their “Top 100 Teachers” to Myrtle Beach. Golf can be a challenging game and what better way to hone your skills than working with the game’s best teachers during a golf vacation in the Golf Capital of the World.”
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 104 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championship Accepting Entries
02/25/2008
Golf Capital of the World to Host National Prep Golf Tournament, March 20-22, 2008
February 25, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Team entries are now being accepted for the 11th annual Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championships, to be held March 20-22, 2008. Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championship will welcome more than 60 teams from 10 states and Canada, including Alabama, California, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. The 54-hole event will be held at Aberdeen Country Club, Blackmoor Golf Club, Crown Park Golf Club, Founders Club, Indigo Creek Golf Club, Meadowlands Golf Club, River Hills Golf Club, Sea Trail Plantation, The Pearl Golf Club, Tradition Golf Club, True Blue Plantation and Wachesaw Plantation.
The Palmetto’s qualifying method ensures that teams of all skill levels enjoy a competitive experience. The tournament kicks off the first day with a qualifying round to flight each squad and teams then participate in the two-day championship within their flight. In addition to the team competition, medals are awarded to the top individual performers in each flight.
The Palmetto High School Golf Championships will once again team up with the National High School Golf Coaches Association (NHSGCA) for the annual spring championship, and the fourth annual fall championship, to be held September 13-14, 2008. The NHSGCA is the only national association for high school golf coaches and through the partnership, the Palmetto High School Golf Championships reaches high school golf coaches across the country seeking tournaments for their teams. The NHSGCA also sponsors the Palmetto All-Tournament Team.
“The Palmetto High School Golf Championships is one of the most competitive high school team tournaments in the nation,” said Dave Macpherson, Palmetto High School Golf Championships tournament coordinator. “The tournament hosted more than 50 teams from 20 states in 2007, and with the assistance of the National High School Golf Coaches Association, we expect a deep field again this spring.”
The cost for the three-day tournament is $950 per five-person team and registration ends March 1, 2008. For more information about the 2008 Palmetto High School Golf Championships, call 1-800-833-8798 or visit PalmettoGolfChampionship.com.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 104 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest amateur golf tournament, the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament, the Veterans Golf Classic, the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing and the Summer Family Golf Tournaments,. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Annika Sorenstam to Participate in 2008 Monday After the Masters
02/20/2008
February 20, 2008, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters tournament organizers announced today that LPGA Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam will make her first appearance at the annual Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament to be held this year on April 14th at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The most successful player in women’s golf, Sorenstam has rewritten the record books during her storied 14-year career on the LPGA TOUR with 70 tournament victories, 10 Majors championships and more than $20 million in career earnings. Sorenstam was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.
“We are looking forward to the 2008 Monday After the Masters Tournament and having Annika Sorenstam participate,” said Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish. “I got to know Annika at the opening of her golf academy in Orlando, Florida, and invited her to join us this year. She just won her first tournament of the year last Sunday and as a member of my foursome, we’ll definitely be the team to beat.”
Other guests scheduled to appear at the 14th annual celebrity charity golf tournament include NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, and from the new GOLF CHANNEL golf reality show, Road Trip: Myrtle Beach, singer-songwriter Josh Kelley, ESPN commentator Charlie Rymer and Duramed FUTURES TOUR golfer Perry Swenson. PGA golfers scheduled to appear include President’s Cup team member Woody Austin, John Daly, Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, Jim Thorpe and as well as LPGA golfer Laura Davies.
Monday After the Masters tournament tickets go on sale Saturday, February 23rd at 10:00 a.m. at the House of Blues, the Barefoot Resort & Golf pro shops and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $10 with children 12 years of age and younger admitted free. All ticket proceeds benefit the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation. Last year, the event recorded its second consecutive sell-out and raised $456,000 for the charities.
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has been involved in all five of the Monday After the Masters Tournaments held on the Grand Strand, and was joined as a co-presenting sponsor in 2007 by Intel Corporation.
“We are excited to host our sixth Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament here in Myrtle Beach,” said Bill Golden,vice president and director of marketing of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “The Monday After the Masters Tournament has meant so much to the state of South Carolina and we are proud to help present an event that helps fund the state’s junior golf and education programs and attract more national media attention to the Myrtle Beach area.”
The field for past Monday After the Masters tournaments has typically included many of the biggest names in music, television and movies, sports and the professional golf world. Musicians from many different genres have competed, including jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis; R&B singer Javier; pop rock performer Edwin McCain; Alter Bridge drummer Scott Phillips and country singers Steve Azar, Johnny Lee and Jake Owen. Celebrities who have participated in the annual tournament have included ESPN hosts Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick; Gary Valentine of “King of Queens”; Kevin Sorbo of TV’s “Hercules” and “Andromeda”; actor Anthony Anderson from “The Departed” and Lucas Black of “Friday Night Lights” and “Jarhead”.
From the sports world, the annual tournament has welcomed former NFL stars Dwight Clark, Jim McMahon and Sterling Sharpe; University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier and former Major League Baseball players Kevin Elster and Eric Karros. The professional golf field has always been well represented with Arnold Palmer, Tom Kite, Andy North, Woody Austin, J.B. Holmes, Ricky Barnes, Rich Beem, Lee Elder, Robert Gamez, Charley Hoffman, Billy Kratzert, Mark Lye, Troy Matteson, Jim McGovern and Erica Blasberg having participated in past years.
Monday’s post-golf concert from the House of Blues has featured legendary performances from Hootie & the Blowfish and their musical guests. The concert has enjoyed tremendous popularity over the past 13 years with the list of past performers including Meatloaf, Branford Marsalis, Jason Mraz, Josh Kelley, Sister Hazel and Edwin McCain. The concert has drawn many other celebrities to the stage including John Daly, Samuel L. Jackson, Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick. This year's concert will be limited to the sponosors of the pro-am only.
About the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament
Recently named by Golf for Women Magazine as one of the most popular celebrity pro-am golf tournaments in the country, the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament attracts thousands of people who enjoy the music of the two-time Grammy award winners as well as the friendly competition between the band and their celebrity and PGA professional friends. Over the past 13 years, the Monday After the Masters has donated more than $3.5 million to the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of South Carolina and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 104 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Myrtle Beach, S.C. to Host Road Trip: Myrtle Beach GOLF CHANNEL Reality Show
01/24/2008
Thirty-Minute Golf Reality Show to Feature Charlie Rymer, Mark Bryan, Josh Kelley and Perry Swenson During Ultimate Myrtle Beach Golf Experience
January 24, 2008, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and GOLF CHANNEL are bringing the ultimate Myrtle Beach golf experience to 110 million homes worldwide with the February 5th debut of Road Trip: Myrtle Beach, the first reality show to be based in the state of South Carolina. Each original episode will air Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. and will be rebroadcast during the week.
Filmed entirely along the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean that extends from Southport, N.C. to Georgetown, S.C., the Myrtle Beach area is the first golf destination to play host to a non-competitive reality program. Road Trip: Myrtle Beach will provide a backstage glimpse at why the Grand Strand area is known as the “Golf Capital of the World” with more “Top 100” golf courses than any other destination and three million rounds recorded on area golf courses each year.
The 12-episode series follows former PGA TOUR professional and current ESPN commentator Charlie Rymer, Hootie & the Blowfish band member Mark Bryan, musician Josh Kelley and Duramed FUTURES Tour player Perry Swensen as they enjoy an extended Myrtle Beach golf vacation. Each episode takes place at a different Grand Strand golf course and features light-hearted banter between cast members, course information and videos, game management tips and golf instruction by Rymer, the foursome’s activities after golf at area restaurants and night spots and live, original music, including the show’s theme song that was written and recorded by Bryan and Kelley. The show’s fifth recurring member, a 1962 red convertible Cadillac, is easily recognizable as it transports the foursome along the Grand Strand.
“Having Road Trip: Myrtle Beach filmed right here in Myrtle Beach is a tremendous opportunity to showcase the area as the ideal golf destination,” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing at Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “We want to continue to grow the Myrtle Beach golf market and to accomplish this goal, we must reach out to golfers around the world and show what a golf vacation is like here by presenting the destination through the eyes of an entertaining cast in a fun and insightful way. Road Trip: Myrtle Beach is the perfect vehicle to get Myrtle Beach in front of 92 percent of the world’s golfers and the chance to present the quality of the golf, accommodations, restaurants and after-golf entertainment along the Grand Strand.”
GOLF CHANNEL will broadcast the first four episodes of Road Trip: Myrtle Beach in the United States and more than 50 countries around the world starting in February with the remaining eight shows to be broadcast in the third and fourth quarter of 2008.
“We are excited to debut Road Trip: Myrtle Beach in February,” said Jay Kossoff, GOLF CHANNEL’s managing director of original productions and executive producer. “This is a unique show that features golf, music and a very talented cast. We believe that our viewers will enjoy the humorous dialogue between the cast members and the course highlights from Myrtle Beach, the perfect destination for the show.”
Rymer has been treating golf fans to his quick wit and “down home” humor as a sports commentator for ESPN since 1998. Relying on his experiences on the PGA TOUR, Rymer uses his views on life and golf to entertain audiences all over the world. Bryan is a founding member, songwriter and the lead guitar player for the multi-platinum band, Hootie & the Blowfish. Hootie & the Blowfish has garnered enormous success over the last 10 years, earning two Grammy Awards, an MTV Music Award, Billboard Music Award and a People’s Choice Award. A native of Augusta, Georgia, Kelley was writing songs on the side as a student at the University of Mississippi when some of his work made its way to a Hollywood Records representative. Kelley signed with the label and has released two albums, with a third to debut in February 2008. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Swenson is one of the up-and-coming American female golfers on the Duramed FUTURES Tour. The 24-year-old graduated from the University of Texas where she finished second at the 2004 and 2005 Big 12 Championship.
Road Trip: Myrtle Beach, developed and executive produced by GOLF CHANNEL, is produced by Mickey Holden of the Holden Production Group. Holden has 25 years of experience providing original programming to network television. Some of his recent projects include CBS’ “Jack at Augusta,” The Food Network’s “Food Camp,” “Bragging Rights” on The Tennis Channel, “The Wandering Golfer” on Fine Living and “Tiger at 3” on CBS.
About GOLF CHANNEL
GOLF CHANNEL (GolfChannel.com), co-founded by Arnold Palmer and a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMSK), is available in more than 110 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. It features a programming schedule that includes more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as news, instruction and original productions, such as the popular Big Break. GOLF CHANNEL became the exclusive cable home of the PGA TOUR in 2007, and televises part or all of every PGA TOUR event. In addition, the network is exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour, European Tour and Canadian Tour, and the exclusive cable home of the Champions Tour. Also featured is a generous mix of other competition from the LPGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour of Southern Africa.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 97 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Long Bay Golf Club to Host Golf Tournament to Benefit North Myrtle Beach High School
01/07/2008
Tournament to Benefit Scholarship Programs and Music Education at North Myrtle Beach High School
The Long Bay Golf Club will host the inaugural “Golf Fore Education” tournament on Saturday, February 2nd. Presented by The Golf Gurus of Myrtle Beach and SunCruz Casinos, the captain’s choice tournament is open to both individuals and four-person teams and will begin with an 11:00 a.m. shotgun start.
An awards ceremony will follow the completion of play with prizes to be awarded to the first-place, second-place, third-place and last-place teams as well as winners of the hole-in-one, closest-to-the-pin and long drive contests. Golfers can also purchase raffle tickets for a wide assortment of prizes. Food and drink will be served throughout the day with heavy hors d’oeuvres after golf.
All proceeds from the tournament will benefit North Myrtle Beach High School with 50 percent of the contributions given to scholarship programs for graduating seniors and the remainder donated to the North Myrtle Beach High School Band to help support music education. All contributions are tax-deductible with single entry fees of $100 and four-person teams priced at $400. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $100.
A participants’ reception will be held on Friday, February 1st at the SunCruz Casinos in Little River, starting at 5:30 p.m. Hors d’ouevres, drinks and gift bags will be provided for all participants, as well as a short clinic by head golf professionals from The Myrtle Beach National Company. For more information on participating in the “Golf Fore Education” tournament or sponsorship opportunities, contact Scott Noll of Golf Gurus Myrtle Beach at (843) 399-8880 or scott@golfdepartment.com.
“Thank you to The Long Bay Golf Club, The Myrtle Beach National Company and SunCruz Casinos for helping us host this fundraiser for the students of North Myrtle Beach High School,” said Kish Gohil, one of the owners of Golf Gurus of Myrtle Beach. “This is a great opportunity to help raise money for hard-working students while enjoying one of Myrtle Beach’s finest golf courses."
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety.
The Myrtle Beach National Company has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones-designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
LPGA Professional Robyn Roberson Joins The Staff At Direct Approach Golf School
01/02/2008
Atlanta-Native Takes Position as Director of Female Instruction at Lowcountry’s Premier Golf School
January 2, 2008, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Robyn Roberson was recently named as the new Director of Female Instruction at Direct Approach Golf School, located at Willbrook Plantation in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Hired on December 3rd, Roberson’s duties include assisting in the day-to-day management of the school, coordinating the marketing and advertising needs of the school and building the female golfer clientele.
“I’m very excited to join the Direct Approach Golf School staff,” said Roberson. “When I heard that a school with the reputation of Direct Approach was looking for a female instructor, I jumped at the opportunity. My students have typically been about 90 percent female and I enjoy working with women to ease the intimidation factor on the golf course and help them improve and enjoy the game of golf.”
With 25 years of golf experience to share with her students, Roberson comes to Direct Approach Golf School after serving two stints at the Dogwood Golf Club in Austell, Georgia. The Atlanta, Georgia native had a strong family relationship with Dogwood as her father, Luke Roberson, was the club’s first golf professional from 1972 until 1975. Introduced to golf by her father at the age of nine, Roberson became Dogwood’s head golf professional from 1992 through 2002. From 2002 through 2005, she served as the first female teaching professional at Turnberry Isle Resort in Miami, Florida, before returning to Dogwood in 2005 as the membership and club manager.
Roberson became an LPGA professional in 1992 and earned her LPGA Class A certification in 1997. She has participated in the LPGA Teaching School, the LPGA Clubfitting Workshop, the LPGA Rules Workshop and the LPGA National Seminar. In 2000 and 2002, she was nominated as the LPGA Professional of the Year.
“Adding an instructor with Robyn’s credentials to the staff of Direct Approach Golf School makes our school even stronger,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “She has a strong background of helping female golfers improve their game and their knowledge of the game of golf. We’re proud to offer that, along with her tremendous level of skill, at our school.”
About Direct Approach Golf School
The Direct Approach Golf School is a year-round learning facility that features one, three and five-day golf schools with top-quality instruction from seasoned PGA and LPGA certified instructors. Located at Willbrook Plantation in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Direct Approach’s learning center includes covered hitting areas, short game targets, private putting, chipping and sand areas, and more - making Willbrook Plantation an ideal setting for all students seeking to take control of their game. Direct Approach offers highly-specialized and individualized programs for men and women, juniors, seasonal clinics, weekly women’s only schools and couples schools with a guaranteed four-to-one student/teacher ratio to ensure personal attention. Private instruction is also available for all skills of golfers. For more information, visit DirectApproachGolf.com or call (843) 235-9599.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. The Myrtle Beach National Company has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones-designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Thirteen Myrtle Beach Area Golf Courses Honored in SC Ranking
12/06/2007
More Grand Strand Courses Selected Than Any Other Region in South Carolina
December 6, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Thirteen Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday member courses were named to the “25 Best Courses You Can Play” rankings just announced by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel. The biennial list was again dominated by the Grand Strand, the home of more than half of the honored premier public access facilities. Charleston was second with five courses, Hilton Head came in third place with four courses and the Midlands and Upstate finished just behind with two and one courses, respectively.
The Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday courses honored included Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Grande Dunes Resort Course, The Heritage Club, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Legends Resort–Heathland Course, Pawleys Plantation, Prestwick Country Club, The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort, The Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort, The Love Course at Barefoot Resort, Tidewater Golf Club and True Blue Plantation.
“To have 13 Grand Strand courses recognized by the South Carolina Golf Ratings Panel in their ’25 Best Courses You Can Play” ranking demonstrates the quality golf experience that Myrtle Beach golf courses provide,” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “We congratulate our members who were selected for the ‘Best Courses You Can Play” list and applaud their commitment to taking care of the golfers who visit the Grand Strand.”
About South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel
The South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel membership is comprised of golf industry, former golfers and coaches, media and business and industry members that are charged with the identifying the best South Carolina golf courses. The Panel considers criteria such as course routing, course design balance, course management strategy, course equity to reward good shots while penalizing bad ones, course memorability, aesthetics of the course and surrounding area and the overall experience by the golfer from the pro shop to the course. The Ratings Panel releases three different ratings: The annual “New Course of the Year” list; the bi-annual “South Carolina’s 50 Best Courses” that identifies the best public or private courses during even-numbered years; and the “25 Best Courses that You Can Play” that lists the best non-private courses in the state in odd-numbered years.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 97 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Golfweek Honors The Waccamaw Golf Trail Courses
12/03/2007
Golfweek's Definitive Guide To The Golf Life 2008 lists the Waccamaw Golf Trail in their Best RESORT Golf Courses Listing.
The Waccamaw Golf Trail is located along the southern shores of Myrtle Beach's world-renowned Grand Strand. This is one of the oldest resort destinations in America. "For more than 200 years, families have been traveling to the Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island townships - collectively known as the Waccamaw Neck area - - to escape the summer heat and enjoy the cool waters and gentle ocean breeze. That tradition continues today. Only now, many of the visitors come for a different reason - to experience the Waccamaw Golf Trail, one of the finest assemblages of courses in the country."
"Gently cradled in a hammock of unspoiled coastal landscape - where longleaf pines and moss-draped oaks give way to tidal rivers and tranquil beaches - the 12 signature courses of the Waccamaw Golf Trail comprise a collection of the most highly acclaimed courses on the Carolina coast. Among them are three Golfweek's Best Courses, three of Golf Digest's 'America's 100 Greatest Public Courses,' six 4.5 star courses and one of only three five-star courses in the entire southeastern United States."
The Waccamaw Golf Trail also offers beautiful beaches, award-winning restaurants and 2 resorts called Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort and Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club resort.
Visit the trail at http://www.waccamawgolftrail.com for up to the minute specials and news about the trail.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort Presents Nights of a Thousand Candles Getaway
11/29/2007
Resort to Offer Relaxing Holiday Weekend Vacation For Two on Myrtle Beach’s South Strand
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort will offer the Nights of A Thousand Candles Getaway Vacation in celebration of the 2007 holiday season. Hosted by Brookgreen Gardens, Nights of A Thousand Candles is an annual holiday festival with thousands of lights and candles, carolers and musicians providing an entertaining evening on the Garden grounds during the weekends of November 30 – December 1, December 7 – December 8 and December 13 – December 15 from 3:00 – 10:00 p.m.
The weekend getaway includes three nights of luxury accommodations at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort; daily breakfast and dinner for two at the Resort’s award-winning grill, Webster’s; a choice of two tickets to Nights of A Thousand Candles or two tickets to enjoy the entire Brookgreen Gardens experience; unlimited bike rental and unlimited tennis on the Resort’s 17 Har-Tru clay courts.
“Nights of A Thousand Candles has grown tremendously over the last five years,” said Ray Crabb, general manager of Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. “We are thrilled to welcome back families and couples again this year for an event that has become an annual favorite here on the Grand Strand."
For more information or to book the Nights of a Thousand Candles Getaway, visit https://secure.guestdesk.com/reservations/?id=21&systemType=2&bookedOnrefLoc=litchfieldbeach%2Ecom&packageURLID=2833&showPackageDetails=1or call 1-888-766-4633. Exact rates will be determined by reservation dates and accommodation types.
About Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark, located on U.S. 17 between Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island, with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture, in an outdoor setting, by American artists in the world. Brookgreen Gardens has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas. Brookgreen Gardens is open to the public daily. For more information on Brookgreen Gardens, visit Brookgreen.org or call (843) 235-6000..
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, along the Waccamaw Golf Trail, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit litchfieldbeach.com.
2007 George Holliday Memorial Tournament Results
11/28/2007
2007 George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament Results
As an integral element of The Myrtle Beach National Company’s commitment to junior golf and promoting the game to players of all ages, the 39th Annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament was held at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club November 22-24, 2007. A field of 225 boys and girls from throughout the United States and Puerto Rico competed in the three-day tourney.
The boys’ competition introduced its two top competitors to an age-old college rivalry that figures to play out several more times in the next four years. Jacob Burger, 17, of Orangeburg, S.C., who signed last week to play at Clemson, dueled with Wesley Bryan, 17, of Chapin, S.C., who signed last week with the University of South Carolina, in Saturday’s final-round action.
"Knowing it was Carolina-Clemson day with the big (football) game, we kind of figured that's how it was going to be,” Burger said.
Burger won the latest match-up of the top two juniors in the state with a 6-under-par 66 Saturday, for a 9-under 207 total and four-shot win over his rival.
The victory earned Burger the Jay Haas Award, given annually to South Carolina’s top junior golfer. He entered the Holliday with a narrow lead over Bryan, and with a win in this, the final event of the ranking season, Burger clinched the yearlong South Carolina Junior Golf Association points title after finishing second in that race a year ago.
Mariah Stackhouse, 13, from Riverdale, Ga., took the championship in the girls’ competition. Stackhouse was the 2006 Holliday runner-up, and her win in this year’s event capped a stellar year in which she became the youngest winner of the Georgia Women's Match Play Championship, won the Georgia Girls Championship, and represented Georgia in the USGA State Team Championship in Texas.
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Jacob Burger |
Mariah Stackhouse |
The overall winner was Jacob Burger, age 17 with a score of 207
2nd Place went to Wesley Bryan with a score of 211
The overall girls winner was Mariah Stackhouse, age 13 with a score of 222
Ages 9 and under played 9-holes each day
Other winners, by age bracket were . . .
Boys age 9 & Under . . . Blake Taylor ~ 120, Jack Funderburg ~ 139, Kohler Karavan ~ 143, Ethan Hood ~ 161, Tucker Vaughn ~ 173, Riley Crouch ~ 200
Boys age 10 & 11 . . . Adam Garrett ~ 223, Max Bell ~ 254, Mark Karavan ~ 258, James Mishoe ~ 258, Tyler Caron ~ 280, Jacob Lail ~ 299
Boys age 12 & 13. . . Jackson Moore ~ 225, Blake Kennedy ~ 226, Mark Reilly ~ 230, Kyle Austin ~ 239, Ryan Lamb ~ 241, Taylor McCullum ~ 243
Boys age 14 & 15 . . . Adam Goins ~ 223, Christian Hawley ~ 223, Blaine Woodruff ~ 225, Arran Setro ~ 227, Lewis Adams ~ 228, Miller Capps ~ 231, Trevor Cone ~ 231
Boys age 16 - 18 . . . Jacob Burger ~ 207, Wesley Bryan ~ 211, Justin Clement ~ 216, Aiden Javed ~ 219, Caulder Moore ~ 219, Troy Spencer ~ 219
Girls age 9 & Under . . . Erin McBride ~ 54
Girls age 10 & 11 . . . Reona Hirai ~ 241, Chloe Bradburn ~ 276, Nathalie Lezcano ~ 287
Girls age 12 & 13 . . . Mariah Stackhouse ~ 222, Katelyn Dambaugh ~ 237, Marychandler Bryan ~ 264, Sierra Everson ~ 266, Katy Funk ~ 270, Katya Hoffman ~ 273
Girls age 14 & 15 . . .Torey Johnson ~ 240, Megan Brunham ~ 248, Alexa Payne ~ 255, Lauren Ferguson ~ 258, Tara Lyons ~ 269, Sarah Timms ~ 270
Girls age 16 - 18. . . Haley Stephens ~ 226, Meredith Swanson ~ 229, Cayci Ruppe ~ 234, Taylor Weaver ~ 237, Anna Martin ~ 242, Iman Ellis ~ 245
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS AND ALL PARTICIPANTS
Go to http://www.juniorgolfscoreboard.com to view all the scores.
King's North Named One of SC's Top 25 Courses
11/26/2007
South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel Names Arnold Palmer-Design as One of State’s Best
November 26, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – King’s North at Myrtle Beach National was named to the “25 Best Courses You Can Play” rankings just announced by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel. The biennial list recognizes the state’s top resort, public access and daily-fee courses during odd-numbers years. King’s North was also selected for the panel’s inaugural “25 Best Courses You Can Play” ranking in 2005.
“It is an honor to be named one of the top 25 golf courses in the state of South Carolina,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “Our Arnold Palmer signature course is unique and memorable because of its surroundings, conditioning and playability. To be recognized by this panel of enthusiastic golfers who play the best courses around the state makes it even more gratifying.”
Opened in 1971 and redesigned in 1996 by Palmer’s design firm, King’s North features bent grass fairways, greens and memorable holes that challenge golfers year after year. The par 5, 6th hole was christened “The Gambler” due to its “risk-reward” island fairway. Golfers can take the safe route by avoiding the lake and playing the dogleg left fairway or “gamble” for an eagle by taking the shortcut through the island fairway. The famed par 3, 12th hole island green was redesigned with the addition of a wooden bulkhead. Considered one of the state’s best island greens, the distinctive sandtraps are shaped in the letters “SC.” The par 4, 18th hole is nicknamed “The Bullseye” with 42 sand traps that golfers must try to avoid.
The Panel’s 2007 list was again dominated by the Grand Strand, the home of more than half of the honored premier public access facilities. Charleston was second with five courses, Hilton Head came in third place with four courses and the Midlands and Upstate finished just behind with two and one courses, respectively. Other Myrtle Beach courses honored included Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, Grande Dunes Resort Course, The Heritage Club, Legends Resort–Heathland Course, Pawleys Plantation, Prestwick Country Club, The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort, The Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort, The Love Course at Barefoot Resort, Tidewater Golf Club and True Blue Plantation.
About the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel
The South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel membership is comprised of golf industry, former golfers and coaches, media and business and industry members that are charged with the identifying the best South Carolina golf courses. The Panel considers criteria such as course routing, course design balance, course management strategy, course equity to reward good shots while penalizing bad ones, course memorability, aesthetics of the course and surrounding area and the overall experience by the golfer from the pro shop to the course. The Ratings Panel releases three different ratings: The annual “New Course of the Year” list; the bi-annual “South Carolina’s 50 Best Courses” that identifies the best public or private courses during even-numbered years; and the “25 Best Courses that You Can Play” that lists the best non-private courses in the state in odd-numbered years.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. The Myrtle Beach National Company has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones-designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Early Entry Deadline Approaches For 24th Annual PGA Tour Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship
06/22/2007
Golfers still have time to register for the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship and save $35 prior to the event's early entry deadline on Monday, July 16th. The World Am will limit the 24th Annual World Am entries to 4,250 participants with the current registration for the “World’s Largest Amateur Single-Site Golf Tournament” standing at 2,953, almost 15% more than last year’s total at this time.
Registration for the world's largest amateur golf tournament, to be played along Myrtle Beach's famed Grand Strand from August 26 through August 31, is $490 prior to the early entry deadline. Golfers can enter online at WorldAmGolf.com or by calling 1-800-833-8798. After the July 16 expiration date, the registration fee will be $525.
Entry into the tournament includes four rounds of golf and a gift bag with more than $150 worth of merchandise. The entry fee also provides the golfer and guest with a pass to the World's Largest 19th Hole, the tournament's nightly party in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center that features food, an open bar, live entertainment and a golf expo. The 40,000 square-foot PGA TOUR Superstore will feature merchandise from leading golf equipment and apparel manufacturers; as well as game improvement areas, skill contests and games for participants and guests to enjoy. Participants compete for the right to be crowned “World Champion” and have a chance to win more than $500,000 in prizes given away at the tournament.
The International Pairs Championship returns in 2007 and once again, a World Am duo has the opportunity to become the United States Qualifier and win an all-expense paid trip to St. Andrews to represent the United States in the 2008 International Pairs World Finals.
The World Amateur’s newest competitive entry is as much about the bond between family and golf as it is competition. 2007 will mark the inaugural year of the Cory Lemke Parent-Child Championship, a tournament for any combination of parent and child participating in the World Amateur. Registration for the Parent-Child Championship is limited to the first 150 teams with no additional entry fee. The top 10 teams with the lowest net scores will receive PGA TOUR Superstore gift certificates.
The event will be played in honor of Cory Lemke, who won his flight at the age of 15 in 2002 and played countless rounds of golf with his father, Mark Lemke, a 12-year tournament participant. Cory tragically lost his life in a 2006 motorcycle accident but his memory will live on through the Cory Lemke Parent-Child Championship.
Charlie Rymer, former PGA Tour golfer and current ESPN commentator, will serve as the Honorary Chairperson of the 2007 PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship and will be on hand during the week to meet golfers.
“The PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship is considered the ‘Every Day Golfers' U.S. Open,’” said Steve Mays, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday's tournament director. “Any amateur golfer with a United States Golf Association handicap index, or foreign equivalent, can register for the World Am and has a legitimate chance to be crowned as the ‘World Golf Champion.’ In addition, we’ve added a few special events in 2007 and look forward to the most exciting tournament in the 23-year history of the World Am.”
The PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship is played on more than 65 Grand Strand courses and is open to any amateur golfer with a verified United States Golf Association handicap or the foreign equivalent for international players. Players are flighted according to their handicap. The 24th annual tournament is expected to draw 4,000 participants, including players from all 50 states and more than 23 foreign countries. Nearly 100 golfers play in each of the approximately 50 flights, with the flight winners advancing to compete in the 18-hole world championship playoff hosted at the renowned Dunes Golf and Beach Club.
For more information, call 1-800-833-8798 or visit WorldAmGolf.com.
About PGA TOUR Superstores
PGA TOUR Superstores are owned and operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc. (GTPS), headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Each Superstore is dedicated to providing consumers with exceptional selection, services and prices within an entertaining, interactive store environment. GTPS is the PGA TOUR’s exclusive PGA TOUR partner for off-course/off-airport golf retailing. Two Superstores operate as Martin’s PGA TOUR Superstore in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Four Superstores operate in the Atlanta area (Roswell, Kennesaw, Duluth, Buckhead) and two stores operate in the Dallas, Texas area as PGA TOUR Superstore. Future expansion plans also include locations in Orlando, Fla.; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; and the Southern California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego in the near future. All Superstores are focused on game improvement in golf and tennis, as well as growing the games. Each store offers swing analysis, golf instruction by professional instructors, club fittings, indoor practice greens, and hitting nets, as well as golf and tennis apparel, golf-themed home furnishings, and a vast selection of golf and tennis equipment. The PGA TOUR Superstore’s Web site address is PGAToursuperstore.com.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Golf Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship, Golf Holiday also manages the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798, or visit GolfHoliday.com.
King’s North Honored By “Good Sam Club”
06/04/2007
The Good Sam Club recently recognized King’s North at Myrtle Beach National as the 2006 “Golf Course Welcome Mat” award winner, as selected by their members. King’s North, one of three Arnold Palmer signature courses at the Myrtle Beach National Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, was one of only 22 U.S. “Welcome Mat” award winners. Recipients of this prestigious award will be honored during the July 19th awards ceremony in Redmond, Oregon.
The Good Sam Club is the world’s largest RV owners’ organization that was founded 40 years ago and now boasts more than 1,000,000 members. Each year, the members vote on the United States businesses that roll out the “red carpet” of good customer service. King’s North was honored for treating RV owners well in 2006 and defeated 2005 winner, Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, California.
“Customer service is an important part of running a successful golf course operation,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for Myrtle Beach National. “The national golf market is exceptionally competitive, so to be singled out as the best is quite the honor.”
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, attracts prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Karen Ferree Of Hilton Head Island, S.C., Captures 2007 Women’s South Carolina Golf Association Senior Championship
06/01/2007
June 1, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Karen Ferree, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., captured the 2007 Women’s South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA) Senior Championship with a two-day score of 152 (77-75). The annual 36-hole stroke play tournament was held May 22 – 23 at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with a full field of 100 amateur golfers from across the state competing. This was the second WSCGA Senior Championship to be held at The Dunes Club (also in 1962).
With the victory, Ferree, a 1-handicap golfer, recorded her fourth WSCGA Senior Championships since 2001. Helen Aitken, of Hilton Head Island, and former Dunes Club member Susan Harden, now a resident of Beaufort, tied for second place with Aitken capturing the runner-up honors in a one-hole playoff.
“Crowning our Senior Champion at a golf course as prestigious as The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, made the 2007 Tournament one of our most special,” said Inez Long, WSCGA tournament director. “The ladies enjoyed playing The Dunes Club, even thought the difficulty of the course led to higher-than-normal scores. The WSCGA would like to thank the staff of The Dunes Club for hosting such a well-organized tournament.”
”It was a fantastic tournament,” said Ferree. “We battled adverse conditions as an unexpected nor’easter made it an extremely windy day. I’m honored to have won the 2007 Senior Championship at a great ‘Top 100’ course like The Dunes Club.”
The Dunes Club had several members compete in the Senior Championship, including Barbara Williams, Mary Campbell and Betty Christopher who finished second, third and fourth in the fifth flight, respectively.
“Congratulations to Karen Ferre and all of the flight winners who participated in the 2007 Women’s South Carolina Golf Association Senior Championship,” said Dennis Nicholl, Dunes Club head golf professional. “It was an honor to host the event and watch such fierce competition among the golfers. It was great to see our members do well in their flights and to see former Dunes Club member Susan Harden battle for the title.”
The Senior Championship is a two-day stroke play tournament for WSCGA members aged 50 years and older. A non-profit organization founded in 1949, the WSCGA is made up of local Women's Golf Associations throughout the state. Membership has grown from the original 10 clubs to over 150 member associations with more than 14,000 women golfers receiving WSCGA handicaps. Recognized throughout the United States as one of the premiere Women's Golf Associations in the country, WSCGA acts as an arm of the USGA in upholding traditions, policies, and high values in regard to the game of golf.
About The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
The idea to build the Dunes Golf and Beach Club was formed in 1947 by the area’s local businessmen. Since its inception, it has proved to be a world class course, offering the best in golf and service. It was the host to the prestigious Energizer Senior Tour Championship for 1994-1999. The Robert Trent Jones course has been named one of the nation’s “Top 100 Courses” by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek, and the famed 13th hole, known as “Waterloo”, has been selected by Golf Digest as one of the “Best 18 Holes in America.” The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, the premier golf course in Myrtle Beach, is located at 9000 North Ocean Boulevard. For more information, visit TheDunesClub.net.
The Long Bay Golf Club Welcomes The Champions Golf Academy
05/30/2007
Former PGA TOUR Player Hugh Royer, III to Serve as Director of Instruction
May 30, 2007, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Long Bay Golf Club recently announced the opening of the Champions Golf Academy and that former PGA Tour player, Hugh Royer, III, will serve as the Director of Instruction.
The Champions Golf Academy opened in March of 2007 and provides instruction and training to touring professionals, post-graduate students and amateurs of all ages.
The Champions Golf Academy Gap-Year Program is designed to help golfers prepare both physically and mentally to succeed at the collegiate level. Golfers join the Champions’ Gap-Year Program for nine months to work on their game, five days a week. The golfers concentrate on specific areas of the game during the morning and then practice their newly-refined skills on the course in the afternoon. For golfers needing additional academic work before college, classes are offered at Coastal Carolina University or Horry-Georgetown Technical College. The Gap-Year Program classes do not interfere with college eligibility. The Champions Golf Academy also provides accommodations supervised by house parents for students enrolled in the program.
The Tour Players Program is comprised of professional players from all professional tours and provides an intense training program specifically designed for each individual player to maximize their talent. The Program also includes a specific session in the fall to assist players in preparing for the rigors of Tour School. The Champions Golf Academy features sports psychologist, Stephen A. Russo, Ph.D., to work with all Gap-Year and Tour Players Program golfers in addition to a fitness program for maximum competitive results.
The Adult Program includes one, two, and three-day golf schools where players will receive instruction in all aspects of the game, including on-course instruction and assistance with course management. Private hourly lessons and playing lessons are also available. In addition, the Champions Golf Academy also offers weekly summer programs for juniors from 12 to 17 years of age.
Currently located on the Long Bay Driving Range, construction begins next month on the permanent Long Bay headquarters for the Champions Golf Academy. The facility will feature an 8,000 square-foot short game area with chipping, putting and bunker practice sites, a 3,000 square-foot building for the offices and golf-specific fitness facility, three private hitting bays for inclement weather and state-of the-art video equipment.
“Teaching has always been an integral component of my golf career and I look forward to continuing help golfers improve,” said Royer. “The Gap-Year Program is a great opportunity for the talented young golfer who isn’t quite ready for college golf. We put them in competitive golf situations during the year where they would be sitting through a redshirt-year if they were to have jumped right to college.”
Royer comes to Long Bay from a four-year stint at the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island, S.C., where he helped gap-year golfers and juniors prepare for collegiate and professional careers. One of his pupils, In-Kyung Kim, shared co-medalist honors at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament and earned her LPGA card on her first attempt in 2007.
Royer attended Mississippi State University for two years before finishing his collegiate career at Columbus State University. After turning professional in 1987, Royer spent three years on the PGA Tour, captured four wins on the Nationwide Tour, and six years on the South African Tour that included one victory. The native of Columbus, Georgia retired in 2000, and returned to his hometown to open The Columbus Golf Academy in 2001.
“We’re excited to open The Champions Golf Academy at Long Bay Golf Club,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “Royer brings a wealth of experience in instructing golfers of all ages and the Gap Program and Tour Players Program are innovative ideas in the Grand Strand area. We also look forward to Royer contributing monthly video instruction tips for our MBN.com Web site.”
For more information on The Champions Golf Academy, call (843) 399-1551 or visit championsgolfacademylbc.com/.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, attracts prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Thirty-Five Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Courses Named To “Carolina’s 100 Must-Play Courses” By Golfstyles Carolina Magazine
05/30/2007
More Grand Strand Courses Selected Than Any Other Area in the Carolina’s
May 30, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Thirty-five Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday member courses were named to the third annual “Carolina’s 100 Must-Play Courses” list which was published in the May issue of GolfStyles Carolina, currently on newsstands. The magazine’s editorial staff selected 100 public-access courses in South and North Carolina that they felt golfers should experience during their lifetime. The Grand Strand area tallied the most courses followed by the Hilton Head area with 16, the Charleston area with 15 and the Pinehurst area with 10.
The Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday courses honored included Bald Head Golf Club, the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort, the Fazio Course at Barefoot Resort, the Love Course at Barefoot Resort, the Norman Course at Barefoot Resort, Blackmoor Golf Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Carolina National Club, Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Farmstead Golf Links, Glen Dornoch Golf Links, Grande Dunes Resort Course, Heather Glen Golf Links, Heritage Club, Parkland at Legends Resort, Moorlands at Legends Resorts, Litchfield Country Club, Long Bay Club, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Oyster Bay Golf Links, Panther’s Run Golf Links, Pawleys Plantation, Prestwick Country Club, River Club, River’s Edge, Sea Trail Resort, The Pearl, The Thistle, Tidewater Golf Club, Tiger’s Golf Links, TPC of Myrtle Beach, True Blue Plantation, Wild Wing Avocet, Willbrook Plantation and World Tour Golf Links.
“To have 35 Grand Strand courses named to GolfStyles Carolina’s list of the ‘100 Must-Play Courses” demonstrates the quality golf experience that Myrtle Beach golf courses provide,” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “We congratulate our members who were selected for the ‘Must-Play List’ and applaud their commitment to take care of the golfers who visit the Grand Strand.”.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 78 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package” and the “Ultimate Buddy Trip,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year.
In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
Willbrook Plantation Hosts Pawleys Island Youth Cup
05/24/2007
Fundraising Golf Tournament to be Held Saturday, June 2ndMay 24, 2007, Pawleys Island, S.C. – The 11th annual Pawleys Island Youth Cup Golf Tournament will be hosted at Willbrook Plantation Golf Club, June 2nd. The event benefits Teach My People, a local organization that helps provide educational support for hundreds of children, youth and families of the Waccamaw school district to overcome academic, economic and social challenges. Through Teach My People’s Youth Camp, the community’s young people find structure and support through after-school and summer programs. The 2006 event raised more than $12,000 for the charitable organization. Registration for the tournament begins at 1:00 p.m. with a shotgun start at 2:30 p.m. Deadline for registration is June 1. Entry fee is $100 per player with a captain’s choice format. The golf will be followed by a barbeque dinner. Spouses and guests are invited for an additional $10 per person. Golfers who sign up before May 28th will receive a free round of golf. For more information and registration, call (843) 237-8737.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, attracts prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort Selected as One of Top Family Golf Resort
05/23/2007
May 23, 2007, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort was recently honored as one of the “25 Best Family Golf Resorts” by Golf for Women. Published in the current May/June issue, South Carolina and Arizona led the way in Golf for Women's inaugural family-friendly ranking with four resorts each. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort was the lone Grand Strand facility selected.
The resorts were chosen for their willingness to encourage families to play golf together, whether with family tee times or in kids-play-fee programs, and for the amenities that families expected including spas, waterslides, theme parks, kids’ camps and beaches. Each resort was also rated on its junior tees, junior club rentals, junior instruction, kids’ activities and cost.
Golf for Women described Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort as “a laid-back, affordable vacation spot on the Grand Strand, with three easy-playing courses across the road from the resort.” The magazine further featured Litchfield’s three golf courses, the Direct Approach Golf School’s Kids Golf Camp, the variety of lodging at the Resort and the kids programs at the golf course and resort.
“We’re honored to have been recognized by Golf for Women as one of the top family-friendly resorts in the United States,” said Ray Crabb, general manager of Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. “We put a lot of effort into our family and youth-oriented programs each year so it’s nice for Golf for Women to acknowledge all we offer and include us in this prestigious ranking. We work hard to make all guests feel like a member of the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort family.”
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities with more than 17 tennis courts, a full-service health club, and more. Recently, the resort was rated one of the top ten greatest tennis resorts in America by both Tennis Magazine and the Robb Report. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit www.litchfieldbeach.com.
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Announces Summer Family Golf Touranments
05/23/2007
May 21, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has announced its Summer Family Golf Tournaments schedule for the 2007 summer season. The single-day events are designed for all ages and ability levels in a family-friendly environment. The Summer Family Golf Tournament series runs Wednesday through Friday, June 7 – August 24 at the 20 participating Grand Strand are courses. Sponsored by PGA TOUR Superstores, the single-day events are ideal for the beginner or scratch golfer, young and old alike with no minimum age limit, or handicap needed to participate.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, all junior golfers, 16 years of age and younger, play for free with a paying adult this summer. Participation in a tournament costs $37 for adults (unless otherwise noted on the schedule) with the fee including a cart and the chance to win one of many contests. Each Summer Family Golf Tournament features a closest-to-the-pin and long-drive contest with prizes awarded to the winners. The Summer Family Golf Tournaments have three divisions – open, couples and adult/youth –and feature a captain’s choice format.
“We're excited to host the 20th season of the Summer Family Golf Tournaments," said Kimberly Belk, director of the Summer Family Golf Tournaments. “In the 19-year history of the Summer Family Tournament, more than 68,000 golfers have participated in our family tournaments during their visits to the Grand Strand. The Summer Family Golf Tournaments are a great way for families and friends to spend a day on the course whether they are here on their summer vacation or they are residents of the Grand Strand.”
To register or to find out more information on the Summer Family Tournaments, call 1-800-833-8798, or visit www.summerfamilygolf.com. Golfers are advised to call or email in advance to check on availability.
About PGA TOUR Superstores
PGA TOUR Superstores are owned and operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc. (GTPS), headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Each Superstore is dedicated to providing consumers with exceptional selection, services and prices within an entertaining, interactive store environment. GTPS is the PGA TOUR’s exclusive PGA TOUR partner for off-course/off-airport golf retailing. Two Superstores operate as Martin’s PGA TOUR Superstore in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Four Superstores operate in the Atlanta area (Roswell, Kennesaw, Duluth, Buckhead) and two stores operate in the Dallas, Texas area as PGA TOUR Superstore. Future expansion plans also include locations in Orlando, Fla.; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; and the Southern California cities of Los Angeles and San Diego in the near future. All Superstores are focused on game improvement in golf and tennis, as well as growing the games. Each store offers swing analysis, golf instruction by professional instructors, club fittings, indoor practice greens, and hitting nets, as well as golf and tennis apparel, golf-themed home furnishings, and a vast selection of golf and tennis equipment. The PGA TOUR Superstore’s Web site address is www.pgatoursuperstore.com.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Golf Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship, Golf Holiday also manages the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798, or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
2007 Summer Family Golf Schedule
Date Course Time
Thursday, June 7 Wedgefield Plantation Country Club 8:30 a.m.
Friday, June 8 Crown Park Golf Club 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 14 Crown Park Golf Club 2:00 p.m.
Friday, June 15 Heron Point Golf Club 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 20 Myrtlewood Golf Club- Palmetto Course 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, June 21 International Club 2:00 p.m.
Friday, June 22 Farmstead Golf Links 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 27 Wedgefield Golf Club 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 28 Long Bay Club *** 2:00 p.m.
Friday, June 29 Blackmoor Golf Club 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 4 True Blue Plantation 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 5 Litchfield Country Club 2:00 p.m.
Friday, July 6 Wachesaw Plantation East 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, July 11 Quail Creek Golf Club 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 12 The Dye Club Barefoot Resort and Golf*** 2:00 p.m.
Friday, July 13 Wachesaw Plantation East 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, July 18 Arrowhead Country Club*** 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 19 Crown Park Golf Club 2:00 p.m.
Friday, July 20 Sea Trail- Maples Course 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25 Wachesaw Plantation East 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 26 International Club 2:00 p.m.
Friday, July 27 River Oaks Golf Plantation 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 1 Wedgefield Golf Club 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 2 Meadowlands Golf Club 8:30 a.m.
Friday, August 3 Arrowhead Country Club*** 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 9 Wachesaw Plantation East 8:30 a.m.
Friday, August 10 River Oaks Golf Plantation 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 15 Glen Dornoch*** 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 16 The Dye Club Barefoot Resort and Golf*** 2:00 p.m.
Friday, August 17 International Club 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 23 Myrtlewood Golf Club- Pinehills 8:30 a.m.
Friday, August 24 Black Bear Golf Club8:30 a.m.
*** Courses are $57 per Adult
Five Myrtle Beach National Company Courses Honored By GolfStyles Carolina
05/22/2007
May 22, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Five Myrtle Beach National Company courses were named to the “Carolina’s 100 Must-Play Courses” list which is currently featured in the May issue of GolfStyles Carolina. The magazine’s editorial staff selected 100 public-access courses in South and North Carolina that they felt all golfers should experience during their lifetime.
The five Myrtle Beach National Company courses honored included King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Litchfield Country Club, Long Bay Club, River Club and Willbrook Plantation.
“Having five of our courses named in GolfStyles Carolina’s list of the Top 100 recognizes the quality of golf that we offer,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National. “Selecting the Top 100 golf courses in South and North Carolina is a daunting task and we are proud to have been included on this list. Golfers enjoy playing our courses for their scenic beauty, conditioning, playability and our service with southern hospitality.”
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, attracts prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Ten Grand Strand Courses Named To Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” List
04/23/2007
Grand Strand Places More Public Golf Courses on List Than Any Other Golf Destination In The United States
Ten Grand Strand courses were named to the 2007-2008 “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” list in the May issue of Golf Digest. The Grand Strand placed more public golf courses on Golf Digest's list than any other golf destination or state in the country. Michigan was second with nine public courses while Hawaii came in third with seven courses.
At number 28, the Dunes Golf & Beach Club was the highest-ranking Myrtle Beach area course on the list. Tidewater Golf Club & Plantation was 41st followed by the Heritage Club at number 46. Barefoot Resort & Golf's Davis Love III course was ranked at number 53 while Rivers Edge Golf Club finished 62nd. Tiger’s Eye Golf Links was 73rd while King’s North at Myrtle Beach National returned to the “Top 100” list at number 76. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club was 86th while sister course, True Blue, finished 87th. Barefoot Resort & Golf’s Fazio course was listed at number 92.
“Placing 10 Grand Strand courses on Golf Digest's list of “Top 100 Public Golf Courses” reinforces our saying that ‘It Can Only Happen Here,’” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “No other golf destination in the world has the quality and quantity of public golf courses that Myrtle Beach has to offer.”
Established in 1966, Golf Digest's survey of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses remains the oldest and most respected golf course ranking. The rankings are based on extensive play and scrutiny of thousands of courses every two years by a panel of over 800 low handicap golfers. The 2007 – 2008 ranking is the 22nd edition of the ultimate honor paid to American golf course architecture. The courses were judged on various criteria: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience. After the panelists submitted their evaluations, Golf Digest averages the scores of the categories and totals the averages to determine the overall rankings. A course must be two years old to be considered for “America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.”
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 80 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package” and the “Ultimate Buddy Trip,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
South Carolina And Myrtle Beach Area Selected As Top United States Golf Vacation Destinations
04/18/2007
Inaugural Golf Datatech Study Reveals Serious Golfers’ Preferences in Destinations
The state of South Carolina and the Myrtle Beach, S.C. area were selected as the most desired golf vacation sites in the “Serious Golfer Travel & Resort Study” by Golf Datatech, LLC, one of the world’s leading golf consumer research groups. With a database of 35,000 avid golfers who play more than 60 rounds per year, Golf Datatech conducts more than one dozen studies each year with the focus on equipment purchases, equipment usage, golf apparel preferences and golf destination travel. The objective of Golf Datatech’s annual “Serious Golfer” survey is to develop an understanding of serious golfers’ travel habits, particularly when they are booking “golf specific” travel and vacations.
“The avid golfers drive the golf travel business,” said Tom Stine, partner, Golf Datatech LLC. “They tend to be more knowledge about golf travel destinations and in particular, the quality courses, and that’s why we polled this group of avid golfers in our study. Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that South Carolina and Myrtle Beach were chosen by the golfers because of the larger number of great courses in the state, and in particular, the Myrtle Beach area.”
The “Serious Golfer Travel & Resort Study” was conducted via the Internet in the summer of 2006 with responses received from more than 3,000 avid golfers from across the U.S. Among the questions asked on the survey:
• “If you were interested in a ‘golf specific’ vacation, where would be the TOP state destination in the United States that you’d like to visit?” With all 50 states listed on the survey, South Carolina was the most popular state selected with 21 percent of the votes. Florida was second at 16 percent.
• “Which of the three cities in South Carolina would you most like to visit?” Myrtle Beach received 75 percent of the votes, followed by Hilton Head at 19 percent and Charleston, finishing third with 6 percent of the ballots.
• Of the survey respondents who selected South Carolina for their vacation, 27 percent reside in the North Mid-Central (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin), 25 percent are from the Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont) while 24 percent hail from the Southeast (Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia).
“The Golf Datatech Study validates our belief that the Myrtle Beach area offers the world’s best golf experience,” said Bill Golden, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s vice president and director of marketing. “Golfers know that when they visit Myrtle Beach, they have more than 100 courses to choose from, have the opportunity to play “Top 100” courses, can bring their families with a diverse list of activities or come with friends and enjoy the camaraderie. When you combine the quality and quantity of Myrtle Beach golf with the new non-stop flights into the area, there’s never been a better time to visit the Grand Strand.”
About Golf Datatech
Established in 1995, Golf Datatech conducts national consumer surveys that provide golf marketers with an in-depth understanding of the attitude and usage preferences of serious golfers throughout the country. Respondents to the survey were randomly selected from the Golf Datatech Database of Serious Golfers and represent the views of the “hardcore” golf enthusiast. Golf Datatech defines a “hardcore” golfer as one who plays more than 60 rounds per year. The average Golf Datatech study respondent played more than 62 rounds of golf per year, has a handicap of 15, an annual income just over $100k, with 69% having played golf for more than 10 years.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package” and the “Ultimate Buddy Trip,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Partners With Bridgestone Golf, Inc.
04/05/2007
Bridgestone Becomes the “Official Golf Ball of Myrtle Beach”
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday today announced that the world’s premier golf destination has partnered with Bridgestone Golf, Inc., to become the “Official Golf Ball of Myrtle Beach.” Bridgestone becomes the second company in the last year to partner with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, joining Nature Valley Energy Bars, the Official Energy Bar of Myrtle Beach Golf.
A dominant force in the premium performance golf ball market, Bridgestone will promote two new performance golf balls in the golf-crazy Grand Strand market. Debuted in early 2007, the Tour B330 and Tour B330-S feature a softer cover formulation, reengineered core and a slightly deeper 330 dimple pattern. Both golf balls deliver increased durability and feel on wedge shots and greater distance off the tee.
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and Bridgestone will kick-off an April campaign to reach the thousands of golfers that visit the Grand Strand each spring. Some of the events planned include:
• Two Bridgestone Tour Vans will be headquartered at various Myrtle Beach golf courses for two weeks to provide golfers with custom ball fittings
• Golfers will have the opportunity to sample thousands of Bridgestone Golf balls
• Bridgestone will serve as a presenting sponsor of the Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championship over Easter weekend
• Bridgestone promotional teams will visit Grand Strand golf courses, hotels and restaurants to distribute Bridgestone promotional items and golf balls
• Bridgestone will team up with Driving4Life, Tom Watson’s and Bruce Edwards’ ALS charity foundation, to host closest-to-the-pin contests each Friday at Grand Strand golf courses. The contests will help raise an estimated $90,000 contribution to the national ALS charity.
“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and become the official ball of golf's most popular travel destination,” said Dan Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing - Bridgestone Golf, Inc. “By having the opportunity to reach Myrtle Beach visitors, and allowing them to experience Bridgestone's superior technological advantage, we can do our part in helping to ensure that this great area remains as one of the most sought after spots for buddy golf vacations.”
Bridgestone Golf, Inc. manufactures and markets golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone Golf and Precept brand names in the United States. Headquartered in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf began producing golf balls for the U.S. market in 1985 under the Precept brand name. As the number one golf manufacturer in Japan for many years, the Bridgestone Golf brand debuted in the United States in January of 2005.
Bridgestone’s flagship products include GC.Mid and GC.OS irons, GC Hybrids, WC Design Wedges, J33R 460cc Drivers, J33 Forged Cavity-Back Irons, New Tour B330 and Tour B330-S golf balls and e5 and e6 golf balls.
“We look forward to a long relationship with Bridgestone Golf,” said Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “The Grand Strand is known universally as a ‘must-play’ for serious golfers seeking quality golf courses and our golfers are precisely the target market for a premium golf ball and equipment manufacturer like Bridgestone. Every golfer wants to add 10 yards to their drive and thanks to Bridgestone and their technology, golfers can test out the New Tour 330 and Tour B330-S balls in Myrtle Beach in April.”
For more information on the Bridgestone Golf appearance schedule in Myrtle Beach, visit GolfHoliday.com.
About Bridgestone Golf
Bridgestone Golf, Inc., based in Covington, GA, manufactures and markets premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brand names. Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed golfers including, Stuart Appleby, Fred Couples, Shigeki Maruyama and Nick Price. Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in Tokyo. For more information visit http://www.bridgestonegolf.com
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 78 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package” and the “Ultimate Buddy Trip,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
ESPN Commentator Charlie Rymer To Serve As 2007 Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday National Spokesperson
03/12/2007
South Carolina Native Will Pen Monthly Column on GolfHoliday.com
March 8, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C.–Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday announced today that former PGA Tour player and ESPN commentator Charlie Rymer will be the national spokesperson for the “Golf Capital of the World” in 2007. As part of the agreement, Rymer will serve as the guest host of “Links Illustrated”, the syndicated golf instruction television show hosted in Myrtle Beach, contribute custom video content for the GolfHoliday.com site, conduct interviews at events such as the Monday After the Masters Tournament and author a monthly column called “The Rymer Report” which will appear exclusively on the Golf Holiday Web site. Rymer might also be featured in Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s fall broadcast media campaign and other television programming.
“We’re excited to have Charlie Rymer as our Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Spokesperson in 2007,” said Bill Golden, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday vice president and director of marketing. “His experience playing on Tour and working as a commentator on ESPN will be an asset for us. After meeting with Charlie several times, the first word that comes to mind is fun. Charlie will do a great job projecting what the Myrtle Beach golf experience is all about.”
The 39-year old Rymer is currently in his 10th year as a golf analyst with ESPN and also partners with well-known golf course architect Mike Young in the Athens, Georgia-based Young Rymer Designs. The full-service design firm has constructed, designed or renovated more than 20 golf courses in the United States with five more currently in different stages of development, including one in Columbia, South Carolina.
“I am looking forward to my association with Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and plan to bring as much energy and fun as possible to everything we do together,” said Rymer. “I’ve enjoyed some great golf memories here from my junior golf and collegiate days and have played many of the Grand Strand courses. Growing up in Fort Mill, South Carolina, we referred to Myrtle Beach as just ‘the Beach,’ and now I have the opportunity to represent the world’s most popular golf destination.”
Rymer joined the PGA Tour in 1995 and competed in 73 events during his three years on Tour. His best professional finish came at the 1995 Shell Houston Open where he finished third, one stroke behind Payne Stewart and Scott Hoch. Rymer was a member of the Buy.com Tour, now known as the Nationwide Tour, in 1994 and 1998 and captured the 1994 South Carolina Classic. Rymer graduated from Georgia Tech in 1991 where he was a two-time College All-American. He and wife, Carol, have two sons, Charlie Duke and Hayden, 10 and 8 years of age, respectively.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 80 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Golf Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
Hootie & The Blowfish and Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday To Host Monday After the Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament
03/02/2007
March 1, 2007, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Hootie & the Blowfish and Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday announced earlier today that the 2007 Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament will be held Monday, April 9 at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This is the fifth year that the Grand Strand has played host to the event with all ticket proceeds benefiting the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation and the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children in South Carolina.
The tournament announced that Intel Corporation has joined Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday as a co-presenting sponsor of the event. Golf Holiday has been involved in all four of the Monday After the Masters tournaments held on the Grand Strand. In their inaugural year of sponsorship, Intel will not only contribute generous financial support but will also air an edited version of this year’s “Hootie and Friends” concert on www.intelentertainment.com and www.intel.com, and also on the official tournament site, www.hootiegolf.com, all at a later date. Monday’s post-golf concert from the House of Blues has featured legendary performances from Hootie & the Blowfish and their musical guests. The concert has enjoyed tremendous popularity over the past 13 years with the list of past performers including Meatloaf, Branford Marsalis, Jason Mraz, Josh Kelley, Sister Hazel and Edwin McCain. The concert has drawn many other celebrities to the stage including John Daly, Samuel L. Jackson and ESPN's Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick. Ticket sales have been limited in the past but with the assistance of Intel, the web cast will bring the once-in-a-lifetime concert to a much larger audience.
Intel Corporation’s technology developments in recent years has made it much easier for consumers to enjoy entertainment on their preferred computing devices. Intel® Viiv™ technology, for example, connects the PC to the TV, and enables consumers to simplify, share and control their sports, games, music and movies with the energy-efficient performance delivered by the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor. The technology is widely supported by a number of PC and consumer electronics manufacturers, as well as content and service providers. Intel Centrino mobile technology is a set of integrated computing technologies, also featuring the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor, is designed to power wireless laptops and make it simple for people to enjoy mobile computing and entertainment. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
“Intel has worked very hard in recent years to deliver consumers worldwide a great, high-quality entertainment experience via the PC,” said CJ Bruno, Intel’s Director of Americas Marketing. “The web cast of a great concert such as the “Hootie and Friends” event is an awesome example of the type of high-definition entertainment PC users today can enjoy on PC, laptop or TV.”
Band members Darius Rucker and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, tournament director Paul Graham, Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday and Pat Weis from Intel Corporation were present at today’s press conference at the House of Blues to announce details about the 2007 Tournament, disclose the celebrities and professional golfers scheduled to participate and answer questions from the media.
“We are looking forward to the 2007 Monday After the Masters Tournament and our fifth anniversary of hosting the tournament in Myrtle Beach,” said Rucker. “We’re pleased to announce a deal with Intel Corporation to be a co-presenting sponsor of the 2007 tournament. Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. I'm looking forward to having new celebrities Jason Sehorn, Lucas Black, two-time US Open Champion, Andy North and Bob Hope champion, Charley Hoffman join us along with seeing old friends John Daly, Edwin McCain, J.B. Holmes–who helped our team win the title in 2006, Josh Kelley and USC's head coach Steve Spurrier.”
“The tournament started back in 1994 as an opportunity for our friends and fans to get together but the tournament is really about helping raise more money for South Carolina educational charities,” said Sonefeld. “Last year, we set a record with $450,000 in donations and that’s why we’re all here today. We would like to thank Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday for their support and help during these four years. They've helped take our tournament to a new level and we feel like we’ve found a permanent home for the event here on the Grand Strand.”
The field for the 13th annual Monday After the Masters also includes musicians from many different genres including jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis; R&B singer Javier; pop rock performer Edwin McCain; Alter Bridge drummer Scott Phillips and country singers Steve Azar, Johnny Lee and Jake Owen; Other celebrities participating in the 2007 Tournament include ESPN host Stuart Scott, Gary Valentine of “King of Queens”, Kevin Sorbo of TV’s “Hercules” and “Andromeda”, actor Anthony Anderson from “The Departed”, Lucas Black of “Friday Night Lights” and “Jarhead” and TV personality Mitch Laurance.
From the sports world, former NFL stars Dwight Clark, Jim McMahon, Sterling Sharpe, and George Rogers will participate. Former New York Met Kevin Elster and 1992 National League Rookie of the Year Eric Karros will represent Major League Baseball.
The professional golf field is once again loaded with talent including Woody Austin, Ricky Barnes, Rich Breem, Lee Elder, Robert Gamez, Charlie Hoffman, Billy Kratzert, Mark Lye, Troy Matteson, Jim McGovern and LPGA golfer Erica Blasberg. Many golfers with South Carolina connections like Kyle Thompson and D.J. Trahan will join the band as well. More celebrities and athletes will be announced as the April 9th date draws closer.
“We are excited to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Monday after the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament in Myrtle Beach,” said Golden. “The Monday after the Masters Tournament has meant so much to the Grand Strand and we are proud to partner with an event that helps fund the state's junior golf program and bring national media attention to the Myrtle Beach area.”
Monday After the Masters tickets go on sale Saturday, March 3rd at 10:00 a.m. at the House of Blues, the Barefoot Resort & Golf pro shops and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets are $10 with children 12 years of age and younger admitted free.
Last year, the tournament recorded its first sell-out with more than 6,000 tickets sold to fans who packed The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf to see their favorite celebrities, athletes and musicians compete in the 12th annual Monday After the Masters Tournament in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Over the past 12 years, the tournament has donated more than $3 million to the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation and the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of South Carolina. A record $450,000 was raised at the 12th annual Monday After the Masters and those donations were distributed in December to the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, the Special Olympics of South Carolina, the First Tee Program of Myrtle Beach and Spartanburg, Junior Achievement of Coastal South Carolina and Fairway Outreach.
About the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament
Widely considered as one of the most popular celebrity pro-ams in the country, the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament attracts thousands of people who enjoy the music of the two-time Grammy award winners as well as the friendly competition betwee
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Debuts New 2007 Magazine
02/12/2007
World’s Premier Golf Destination Marketing Cooperative Launches Magazine to Celebrate 40th Anniversary in 2007
February 12, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C – To celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday recently debuted the inaugural 2007 Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Magazine which will serve as the ultimate source for both golfers new to the Grand Strand area and longtime guests.
Keeping information about Myrtle Beach golf courses, golf package providers and golf schools formerly found in the Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday Planning Guide, the size of the Magazine increased significantly as 10 golf and travel writers contributed an additional 28 pages of articles on golf tips, golf etiquette, area events and tournaments, area restaurants and attractions to enjoy and the history of Myrtle Beach. In 2007, 34 photographs of Grand Strand area courses were also added to help golfers picture the site of their next round. For the first time, market advertisers appear in the Magazine to reach Myrtle Beach’s avid golf audience.
For those who want to view the Magazine immediately, an online version is available on the Golf Holiday Web site, GolfHoliday.com, and golfers can navigate by turning pages as a reader would do with a book. Pages can be examined at full size or as thumb-nail sketches for quicker review. Golfers can utilize the zoom feature to better view the information and photographs as well as bookmark pages for later reference and to email friends.
“The Internet is clearly the driving force for consumers researching destination information,” said Bill Golden, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s vice president and director of marketing. “However we still feel that there is a need for a printed magazine which will serve as an effective sales tool to educate golfers about the experience that awaits them along the Grand Strand.
“Golf Holiday is considered the predominant golf destination marketer in the world but we can’t be satisfied with our accomplishments. Almost four million rounds of golf are recorded along the Grand Strand each year and we are constantly striving for more effective methods to reach more golfers. With an unparallel nine “Top 100” golf courses located along the Grand Strand, no other golf destination in the United States can match the quality of golf found in Myrtle Beach.”
Golf Holiday was founded in 1967 and published its first guide that year with eight golf courses and 10 hotels featured and a distribution list of 20,000 golfers. Forty years later, the 2007 Magazine has grown to 128 pages with 77 golf courses and 72 golf package providers featured and 250,000 copies to be mailed to golfers around the world.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Stay and Play Package” and the “Ultimate Buddy Trip,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit GolfHoliday.com.
Myrtle Beach National And Patricia Resorts To Host 24th Annual National Retired Military Golf Classic
02/08/2007
February 8, 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach National and Patricia Resorts will host the 24th Annual National Retired Military Golf Classic, May 29 through June 2, 2007. The men’s competition will be held at the three Myrtle Beach National courses and The Long Bay Club, while the women’s competition will be conducted at Aberdeen Country Club. Starting times and courses will be announced at the registration to be held at Myrtle Beach National on May 29.
The men’s tournament will consist of 72 holes while the women will utilize a 54-hole competition with the courses and foursomes rotated each day. The registration fee runs $255 for men and $210 for women and includes the rounds of golf, cart fees, awards, special drawings, a Classic golf shirt, a man’s hat or a women’s visor. Also included are tickets to the Tuesday evening cocktail reception at Bay Watch Resort and a Wednesday night show at the Alabama Theater. Only 880 men and 128 women will be accepted with 2006 participants receiving priority registration.
Team and individual prizes will be awarded and include golf clubs, Bose radios, Seiko watches, U Neek Putters, Canon cameras, gift certificates and golf vacations for two. A closest-to-the-pin contest will be held each day and golfers can win a Chrysler car with a hole-in-one. More than $160,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.
The National Retired Military Golf Classic will again contribute $5,000 to the Fisher House Foundation, a national not-for-profit organization that provides housing for military family members while their loved ones are hospitalized for illness, disease or injury. The Fisher House Foundation has served more than 8,500 families and has made available more than two million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. The Classic has donated over $35,000 to the Fisher House in recent years.
“This is the largest military golf tournament in the world and we are completely comprised of members of the military forces and their spouses,” said General John B. Blount, chairman of the National Retired Military Classic. “Many of our golfers plan their vacation around the tournament and we have quite a few that have participated every year since the inaugural 1983 event. No doubt that the camaraderie is a motivating factor but it’s also a serious competition.”
For more information on the tournament and Patricia Resorts, call 1-866-469-7853 or visit www.patricia.com/NRMGC.htm.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
2006 Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament Sets Record With $450,000 In Donations
01/09/2007
The 13th Annual Monday After the Masters Tournament to be Held April 9th at The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
January 9, 2007, Columbia, S.C. – Monday After the Masters tournament organizers announced today that proceeds from the 2006 Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament totaled $450,000, breaking the previous high from 2005 of $425,000. The 2006 Monday After the Masters also recorded the first sell-out in the 12-year history of the tournament as more than 6,000 fans packed The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach on April 10th to see their favorite celebrities, athletes and musicians compete in the annual charity golf tournament.
Donations from the 2006 Monday After the Masters were distributed to the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation ($219,000), the South Carolina Junior Golf Association ($129,000), the Special Olympics of South Carolina ($50,000), the First Tee Program of Spartanburg ($30,000), Junior Achievement of Coastal South Carolina ($12,000) and Fairway Outreach ($10,000).
Raising more than $3 million for South Carolina charities during the 12-year history of the Monday After the Masters event, The Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation is an endowment created to support the educational needs of children in South Carolina. The South Carolina Junior Golf Association was established in 1990 by leaders possessing a love for the game and a commitment to passing on golf's heritage to the youth of South Carolina that might not otherwise have the chance to experience golf and its many benefits. The Special Olympics of South Carolina provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with mental retardation, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts skills and friendships with their families, and other Special Olympics Athletes and the community. The First Tee Program of Spartanburg was created in 1997 to provide young people of all ethnic and economic backgrounds an opportunity to develop through golf, character education, and life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. The Junior Achievement of Coastal Carolina is the local division of the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Since 1987, Fairway Outreach has provided a Christian-oriented program centered on faith, golf, and life skills for deserving youngsters in the Midlands.
“2006 will always be an unforgettable year with Arnold Palmer’s first appearance at the Monday After the Masters tournament,” said Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish. “I know that it was memorable for the band to golf with him and since the tournament sold-out so quickly, I’d say that the fans were excited to see Mr. Palmer as well. We are grateful to everyone who helped us set a new donations record in 2006 and we look forward to an even bigger and better Monday After the Masters in 2007.”
Sponsored by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the 2007 Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament will once again be held at The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf on Monday, April 9th. This will be the fifth year that Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has hosted the event and the 13th year of the Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament. In the five years that Myrtle Beach served as the tournament site, the Monday After the Masters has raised more than $1,623,000 for golf and educational charities in South Carolina.
About the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament
Widely considered as one of the most popular celebrity pro-ams in the country, the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament attracts thousands of people who enjoy the music of the two-time Grammy award winners as well as the friendly competition between the band and their celebrity and PGA professional friends. Over the past 12 years, the Monday After the Masters has donated more than three million dollars to the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation and the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of South Carolina. In the past, the tournament has attracted many big-name PGA professionals including Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, David Duval, Craig Stadler, Fred Couples and John Daly, as well as several with South Carolina connections – Jay Haas, Jonathan Byrd, Charles Warren, Brett Quigley, D.J. Trahan and Kyle Thompson. Past celebrities include Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Sorbo, Anthony Anderson, Meat Loaf, Branford Marsalis, Sister Hazel, Edwin McCain, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Grant Fuhr, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges, members of Creed, Bernie Kosar, ESPN’s Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott and Mike Tirico.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and five golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. The originator of the “Golf Package,” Golf Holiday provides non-biased information about the area accommodations and golf courses to assist golfers in making the most informed decisions when planning for their next vacation. Golf Holiday also hosts seven events and tournaments annually to help grow the game of golf and attract golfers to the Grand Strand during slower times of year. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.GolfHoliday.com.
Twelve Southern Myrtle Beach Area Courses From New Waccamaw Golf Trail
01/03/2007
Golf Trail Offers First-Class Golf Experience, Lodging and Dining on the South Strand
January 3, 2007, Pawleys Island, S.C. – One of the true hidden gems of golf lies 20 minutes south of Myrtle Beach and less than one hour north of Charleston, South Carolina, with premier courses, beautiful beaches, award-winning restaurants and shops along with one of the Southeast’s top resorts for the most discriminating of guests. Known as the Waccamaw Golf Trail, this serene area encompasses a twenty-mile stretch of coastline between historic Georgetown and Myrtle Beach with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the scenic Waccamaw River to the west. Comprised of the townships of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island in an area locally known as the Waccamaw Neck, the Waccamaw Golf Trail offers a noticeably quiet, less crowded and more relaxed vacation for those who want to enjoy their downtime.
The collection of 12 golf courses that make up the Waccamaw Golf Trail includes Blackmoor Golf Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Heritage Club, Litchfield Country Club, Pawleys Plantation, River Club, Tournament Players Club, Tradition Club, True Blue Plantation, Wachesaw Plantation East, Willbrook Plantation and Founders Club at Pawleys Island, which will open in September of 2007.
Most of the courses on the Waccamaw Golf Trail were built upon the sites of 18th and 19th century rice and indigo plantations, set amid ancient moss-draped oaks and tidal rivers. The list of accolades for these courses includes GOLF Magazine’s “America’s Top 100”, Golf for Women’s “Top 25 in America”, six 4½ -star courses and one of only three 5-star courses in the southeast as rated by Golf Digest.
“While we are just 20 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, the Waccamaw Trail offers a different golf trip than you enjoy in Myrtle Beach or North Myrtle Beach,” remarked Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations at Myrtle Beach National, which has three courses represented on the Trail. “A visit to the Waccamaw Golf Trail is a relaxed, less crowded escape from the real world, which is what many seek during vacation. Golfing along the Trail is a unique experience and all 12 courses are committed to working together to promote this distinctive segment of the Myrtle Beach golf market.”
Accommodations along the Waccamaw Golf Trail range from quaint bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resorts, like Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. Recognized as one of the premier golf resorts in America by Conde Naste Traveller, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is a 4,500-acre resort that offers a wide choice of amenities and accommodations overlooking the beach, lakes and fairways.
Off the course, the Waccamaw Golf Trail offers award-winning restaurants, a treasure trove of unique shops, historic points of interest, tranquil beaches and a wide assortment of resort amenities and accommodations. Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park are two of the region’s many year-round natural attractions available to golfers and non-golfers alike.
About the Waccamaw Golf Trail
The Waccamaw Golf Trail Cooperative is a partnership between 12 south strand golf courses and the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. The non-profit organization was created to provide more information on golf and vacation packages. The collection of 12 golf courses that make up the Waccamaw Golf Trail includes Blackmoor, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Heritage Club, Litchfield Country Club, Pawleys Plantation, River Club, Tournament Players Club, Tradition Club, True Blue Plantation, Wachesaw Plantation East, Willbrook Plantation and Founders Club at Pawleys Island, which will open in September of 2007. Preferred tee times for the Waccamaw Trail courses and accommodations packages are available by visiting www.waccamawgolftrail.com or calling 1-800-354-0862.
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort Honored by Tennis Magazine
12/05/2006
December 5, 2006, Pawleys Island, S.C. — Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort has been named one of Tennis Magazine’s “50 Best Tennis Resorts” in 2006. The sixth annual Tennis Magazine rankings were based upon reader surveys that examined the abilities and amenities of various tennis resorts and their staff. Criteria used in the ranking include the range and caliber of the teaching program, the condition of the clubhouse and courts, the game-matching, tournaments and round robins, quality of the lodging and restaurants, children’s programs and monetary value.
The Litchfield Racquet club is one of the many outstanding recreational amenities at the Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. The largest tennis complex in the area, The Litchfield Racquet Club featured 17 superbly maintained Har-Tru clay courts, including three which are lighted. The club is run by a staff of USPTA/USPTR certified tennis professionals who are on hand for assistance and instruction, both private and group. Daily round robins and “Stroke of the Day” clinics are available year round. The club also offers a fully stocked pro shop with the latest in tennis equipment, as well as equipment repair and analysis.
“To be named one of the ‘Best 50 Tennis Resorts’ by Tennis Magazine is an honor,” said Litchfield Racquet Club director Kristin Prunier. “We put tremendous effort into making sure our tennis programs are great learning experiences for our guests and this award is a testament to the dedication by our staff.”
About Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is one of the leading vacation and golf resorts on the east coast. The Resort features a variety of amenities including luxurious accommodations, three championship golf courses, one of America’s top tennis facilities, a full-service health club, and more. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort is located on U.S. Highway 17 South in Pawleys Island, just twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach and one hour north of Charleston. For more information, call 1-888-766-4633 or visit www.litchfieldbeach.com.
Palmetto High School Golf Championship Accepting Entries
11/21/2006
November 21, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Team entries are now being accepted for the 10th annual Spring Palmetto High School Golf Championships, to be held April 5–7, 2007, with teams from 20 states expected to compete in the 54-hole tournament at Black Bear Golf Club, Blackmoor Golf Club, Indigo Creek Golf Club, International Club, Meadowlands Golf Club, River Hills Golf Club, True Blue Plantation, Tradition Golf Club, Wachesaw Plantation and Crown Park Golf Club
Open to all high school teams, the Palmetto High School Golf Championships consist of two seasonal tournaments, a 54-hole event in the spring and a 36-hole tournament in the fall, and provides prep teams with a college-style event to help tune-up prior to conference, sectional and state tournaments. Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the Palmetto’s qualifying method ensures teams of all skill levels enjoy a competitive experience. Medals are awarded to top finishing teams and individuals in each flight and the Palmetto also features a two-person coaches’ tournament.
The Palmetto High School Golf Championships will once again team up with the National High School Golf Coaches Association (NHSGCA) for the annual spring championship, and the third annual fall championship, to be held September 14 – 15, 2007. The NHSGCA is the only national association for high school golf coaches and through the partnership, the Palmetto High School Golf Championships reaches high school golf coaches across the country seeking tournaments for their teams. The NHSGCA also sponsors the Palmetto All-Tournament Team.
“The Palmetto High School Golf Championships have emerged as one of the most competitive high school team tournaments in the nation,” said Dave Macpherson, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday tournament coordinator. “The tournament hosted more than 120 teams from 20 states in 2006 and with the assistance of the National High School Golf Coaches Association, we expect one of the deepest fields in tournament history.”
The cost for the three-day tournament is $920 per five-person team and registration ends March 23, 2007. Teams that register by February 19 will have the $50 application fee waived. For more information about the 2007 Palmetto High School Golf Championships, call Dave Macpherson at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.PalmettoGolfChampionship.com.
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 77 championship golf courses, 72 golf package providers and four golf schools in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. In addition to hosting the Palmetto High School Golf Championships, Golf Holiday also manages the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament and Golfapalooza each spring, the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, please call Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday at 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.golfholiday.com.
Brookgreen Gardens Hosts Holiday Festivals
11/13/2006
Beautiful landscaping, amazing sculptures and exotic wildlife are featured at Brookgreen Gardens this fall. Located between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown in the coastal community of Murrells Inlet on U.S. Highway 17, Brookgreen Gardens boasts 9,200 acres of preserved natural surroundings, with an amazing display of gardens, forested swamps and sandy ridges.
Brookgreen Gardens is a magical place to visit during the holidays with events and festivities for everyone, regardless of age. On Saturday and Sunday, November 4th and 5th, Brookgreen Gardens will host the Camellia Festival, presented by the Grand Strand Camellia Society, with 250 to 300 of the finest camellias in the area on display. The camellias will be shown each day during exhibits scheduled at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, guests can stay for the new garden tour of the beautiful Arcadia Plantation at 3 p.m.
Brookgreen Gardens is also pleased to present Floral Inspirations: Bringing the Holidays Home, which will open on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. This holiday-themed horticulture exhibit will be held in the Jennewein and Noble galleries and gives guests with a variety of inspirational ideas on how to decorate for the holidays. Be sure to bring a camera to take photos of the vast displays of holiday plants and other natural materials, from wreaths and trees to poinsettias and amaryllis.
From November 18th to January 1st, visitors can vote for their favorites in the People’s Choice Award’s Gingerbread House Competition. Guests are welcome to enter their own gingerbread house with the winner to receive a certificate and a Brookgreen medal. This is fun for all ages and gives everyone the opportunity to test their creative while displaying their holiday spirit.
Brookgreen Garden’s most popular holiday event, Night of 1,000 Candles, has become an annual tradition for locals and visitors to the Grand Strand area. The gardens come alive each December as the thousands of sparkling lights from the live oak trees illuminate the breathtaking garden paths, as the musicians and carolers perform. This year’s performers include pianist and composer Rocky Fretz; Bill Oberst, Jr. who performs a one-man rendition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; and Joey Schumann and Gina Starr, playing the uillean pipes and the keyboard. Some of the other performers include Walt Polenski and Edward Robinson, on soprano saxophone and keyboards.
Make a visit to Brookgreen Gardens a holiday tradition in your family and experience the magnificent holiday-themed foliage and festive celebrations that has made visitors smile year after year.
For ticket information call (843) 235-6000 or 800-849-1931 (Toll Free) or log onto http://www.brookgreen.org
Bringing the Old South to Life at Dixie Stampede
11/10/2006
North, south, east or west, it doesn’t matter where you come from because Dixie Stampede is sure to bring everyone together for a good ole southern meal and live entertainment. Owned and operated by country legend Dolly Parton, Dixie Stampede is located on 82nd Avenue in Myrtle Beach. With three other locations, in Orlando, Fla.; Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; and Branson, Mo., Dixie Stampede is always a crowd favorite.
With a cast of talented actors, dancers and stunt riders, Dixie Stampede amazes its audience with American-themed songs and dances, special effects, beautiful costumes, magnificent horses and stampeding buffalo. Visitors from all over the world come to enjoy the fun-filled adventure at the Dixie Stampede.
From the moment the doors open, guests feel as if they have stepped back in time to the 1860’s. Ladies dressed in beautifully-detailed period dresses escort guests to their seats and direct their attention to the large southern mansion that serves as the focal point of the arena. Once seated, the server, dressed in either a Union or Confederate uniform, details the feast about to be served.
A truly southern meal, guests of Dixie Stampede are served a juicy Cornish hen, creamy vegetable soup, roasted pork and a steaming potato wedges as well as piping hot scratch-made biscuits and sweet apple turnovers. Vegetarians need not worry as Dixie Stampede is happy to offer a vegetarian meal at your request.
When preparing to dine, guests will notice something is missing from the table - the silverware! When you come to Dixie Stampede, it is okay to eat with your hands and get a little messy!
After dinner, the Dixie Stampede show goes back in time to the days when southern gents courted their southern belles. The story unfolds during 90 minutes of dancing, singing, trick riders, a ring of fire and friendly competition between the North and the South. People really get into the spirit of the holidays and that’s what makes the show so exciting.
Beginning in November, Dixie Stampede changes pace and offers one of the Grand Strand’s finest Christmas shows. The whole arena is transformed into a winter wonderland with twinkling lights, falling snow and a dreamy fog. The nativity scene and ice skating performances are sure to take your breath away as every aspect of Christmas is captured, from the singing angels in the sky to Santa Claus on a sleigh. Donning elf costumes, the servers compete in a friendly rivalry between the North and South Pole and guests are invited to cheer for their favorite elf.
Participants may be pulled right out of the audience to take part in some friendly competition with a guest on the rival side. Dixie Stampede is full of surprises from ostrich races to chicken chases, to the grand finale flag pass.
Many people return to Dixie Stampede each year because they enjoy it so much.
“We’ve been bringing our kids here since they were babies,” said Carol from Virginia. “They love the Christmas show and get excited each time they know that we are coming to Myrtle Beach. The Dixie Stampede Christmas Show has become a family tradition for us.”
Dixie Stampede truly has something for everyone so gather friends and family to enjoy tasty food, a great show with talented performers, magnificent horses and a lot of laugher. Make it a family tradition like so many others have, and truly feel the spirit of America. Just sit back, relax, and have a foot stompin’ good time!
For more information, call 1-800-433-4401 or (843) 497-9700 or visit www.dixiestampede.com.
Myrtle Beach National to Host 38th Annual George Holliday
10/02/2006
Annual South Carolina Junior Golf Association-Sanctioned Tournament Hosts Boys and Girls up to 18 years of age
September 27, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Myrtle Beach National will host the 38th annual George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament November 23-26, 2006. The George Holliday Memorial Tournament was recently named one of the top junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation and consists of three rounds of golf at Myrtle Beach National’s SouthCreek, West Course and King’s North courses. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start each day at 9:00 a.m.
More than 400 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 18 from throughout the United States and Puerto Rico will participate in the three-day tournament, which is sanctioned by the South Carolina Junior Golf Association. In addition, college golf coaches from around the country will be in attendance, scouting prospective players for college golf teams.
In the Boys’ Division, there will be three different age levels; 10-11, 12-13 and 14-18 years of age. The Girls’ Division will consist of four different age levels; 10-11, 12-13, 14-15 and 16-18 years of age. All junior golfers 18 years of age must still be enrolled in high school. There will also be an Under-9 Division in which the younger golfers will only play nine holes each day.
The junior championship is held in memory of George Judson Holliday, III, of Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, who won many junior level tournaments while attending Mullins High School in South Carolina and later at the Asheville School for Boys in North Carolina. At the college level, Holliday had a 69 stroke average for 40 matches and a +1 handicap. He died tragically in November 1967.
“Myrtle Beach National Company has always encouraged events to get junior golfers involved in the game of golf; a game they can enjoy for a lifetime,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for the Myrtle Beach National Company. The George Holliday Memorial Golf Tournament is the highlight of our tournament schedule and we look forward to welcoming the 400 golfers to Myrtle Beach over the Thanksgiving holiday.”
The entry fee for the George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament is $125 with the Under 9-Division $95. The entry fee includes the three tournament rounds, a welcome gift and a hot dog lunch each day.
To register, contact the Myrtle Beach National Company at 1-800-344-5590 or visit www.mbn.com.
About Myrtle Beach National
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses..
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Just added to the Myrtle Beach National event schedule is the inaugural Glory Days Alumni Classic, a 54-hole tournament for college alumni. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit www.MBN.com.
7 Myrtle Beach National Courses Receive 4 or More Stars
09/23/2006
October 2, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Seven Myrtle Beach National Company golf courses have recently been awarded four or more stars in the 2006 Golf Digest “Best Places to Play Guide.” The “Best Places to Play Guide” is a biannual publication by Golf Digest that reviews public and private golf courses throughout the United States. Readers submit ballots based on their visits to golf courses over a two-year period. Each course must receive at least 10 ballots to be considered and the rating takes into account the golfer’s overall experience at the course, the services provided to the golfer, the course’s perceived value and the pace of play.
The ballots are then converted into a one-to-five star ranking system for the “Places to Play Guide.” One star indicates “Basic golf.” Two stars means “Good but not great.” Three stars indicates that a course is “Very good. Tell a friend it’s worth getting off the highway to play.” Four stars tells golfers that the course is “Outstanding. Plan your next vacation around it.” The rare five star ranking indicates that the course is “Superb. Golf at its absolute best. Pay any price to play at least once in your life.”
Five Myrtle Beach National courses received four-and-a-half stars; Long Bay Club, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, the West Course at Myrtle Beach National, River Club and Willbrook Plantation. Aberdeen Country Club and Litchfield Country Club were both awarded four stars.
“Having seven of our courses receive four stars or more in Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play Guide” is a testament to the outstanding design, condition and service that Myrtle Beach National Company offers,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations. “Golfers enjoy playing our courses for their scenic beauty, conditioning, playability and our service with southern hospitality.”
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
Litchfield Country Club Celebrates 40th Anniversary
09/07/2006
LITCHFIELD COUNTRY CLUB CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Pawleys Island Course to Offer Special Greens Fee During the Month of September
September 5, 2006, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Litchfield Country Club will celebrate its 40th anniversary in September and to commemorate turning the big 4-0, Litchfield will offer $40 greens fees per foursome for late afternoon tee times in September. All foursomes who call Tee Time Central, (843) 235-6065, and book late afternoon September tee times will receive a $40 rate for the group, or $10 per person.
“Litchfield Country Club was one of the first eight golf courses in Myrtle Beach area and the first in Pawleys Island,” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for Myrtle Beach National. “Since opening in 1966, Litchfield has always been a favorite on the Grand Strand and we look forward to 40 more successful years.”
Ranked one of the “world's 50 best courses” by Conde Nast Traveler, the gracious charms of the Litchfield Country Club has maintained its original features, including player friendly greenside pathways for bump and run approach shots. The mature tree-lined fairways wind amid giant oaks and shimmering lakes of a former Carolina rice plantation, creating an extraordinarily challenging “country club” experience. This traditionally-styled layout is considered the flagship of the historic plantation courses. The par 4, 18th hole is featured in the book “The 100 Greatest Holes Along the Grand Strand” published by The Sun News.
Litchfield Country Club is one of nine courses owned and operated by the Myrtle Beach National Company. For more information, visit Litchfield’s website at www.mbn.com.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 500 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 500 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for the Girls Love to Golf Clinic and The Carolina Couples Classic. For more information, visit www.MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
College Rivalries Renewed at Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic
08/22/2006
August 22, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Golfers hungering for the taste of intercollegiate competition can revisit their “glory days” with the inaugural “Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic” May 16-20, 2007. Created by Myrtle Beach National and hosted by the Litchfield-Pawleys Island area, the 54-hole event will be held on four of Myrtle Beach’s premier South Strand courses; Willbrook Plantation Golf Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Plantation and TPC of Myrtle Beach. Each team will consist of four graduates of the same college with each possessing an established USGA handicap.
“We’re very excited to host the inaugural Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic and welcome the participants to beautiful Georgetown County,” said Laura Rippy, general manger of Pawleys Plantation. “This tournament will give us the opportunity to show off our outstanding South Strand golf courses during a wonderful time of the year.”
“Few things stir up emotion and pride more than a good college rivalry” said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for Myrtle Beach National. “This event will give diehard alumni a chance to put their pride on the line, relive their college glory days and partake in some old-fashioned trash-talking with their college rivals. I expect each school will enter a team loaded with scratch golfers in order to win the gross team category for the honor of their college, plus another foursome of everyday golfers who want to compete in the net division just for fun and a little competition.”
Each four-person squad will be split into two two-person teams and paired with other two-person teams to compete in a four-ball (better ball) competition against the field. The two-person team score will be combined with the other half of their four-person team to determine their total score. There is no limit to how many teams each school can enter and prizes will be awarded for the following:
• Four-Person Team: Low Net and Low Gross (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
• Individual: Low Gross (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
• Two-Person Team: Low Gross and Low Net (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
The weekend begins with Wednesday night’s Welcome Reception and Pairings Party to learn course assignments. The tournament’s three rounds will be held Thursday through Saturday with an awards reception following the final round to crown the winning college and present the inaugural “Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic” trophy.
Todd Welden, head golf professional at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club added, “I’ve bounced the idea for this event off several friends and every one of them plans to enter a team. It’s really interesting to see how competitive these guys get when you pit their college against the others. Based on their enthusiasm, I think the Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic promises to be a really special event.”
More information is available at www.GloryDaysGolf.com or by calling 1-800-882-0684.
About Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is ranked among the “Top 100 You Can Play” by Golf Magazine, “Top 25 Courses in South Carolina” and “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, “Top 100 Modern Courses” by Golfweek and South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel's list of “50 Best Courses.” Designed by Mike Strantz, Caledonia is built upon the site of a historic 18th century rice plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C. The 6,526-yard, par-70 course has been described as having “18 signature holes,” with holes routed around majestic oaks and meandering streams. The picturesque 18th hole borders the Plantation's old rice field, and requires a precise tee shot that sets up a difficult second shot: a forced carry onto a green that is watched closely by the beautiful antebellum style clubhouse.
About Pawleys Plantation
Pawleys Plantation, a 582-acre resort and golf course community in Pawleys Island, S.C., is nestled among moss-draped oaks, natural wetlands and salt marshes, bordered on the south by a 600-acre nature preserve. This Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is a rare design where extraordinary beauty combined with his masterful architecture delivers an exceptional golf experience. Wide green fairways lead to subtle greens guarded by natural hazards like the Pawleys Island salt marsh and the barrier island beyond. Golf Magazine named the Phil Ritson-Mel Sole Golf School at Pawleys Plantation as one of only 12 academies to remain on their prestigious “Top 25 USA Golf Schools” since their ratings began in 1999. Men's Journal Magazine topped that by choosing it as one of the “Six Premier Schools in the Country.” Headquartered at Pawleys Plantation since 1991, this school helps golfers of all ages and skill levels to improve every facet of their game. Mel Sole, renowned South African PGA Tour player conducts 3 day schools year-round with a low student/teacher ratio of 4:1 or fewer. Progress is monitored with computerized video analysis and a take home tape is provided. More information is also available online at www.PawleysPlantation.com or by calling Pawleys Plantation at (800) 367-9959.
About TPC of Myrtle Beach
Since opening in February of 1999, the Tournament Players Club of Myrtle Beach has earned a reputation as one of the most scenic and outstanding courses in the area. The TPC design features a surprising amount of elevation changes and dense forests. The course features Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways which are speckled with several bunkers and five sets of tees which pose challenges for players of all skill levels. TPC of Myrtle Beach was selected as the “2005 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year” by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association and was also a finalist at the national level. TPC became the first Myrtle Beach area course to be honored as a five-star golf facility in Golf Digest’s 2006 “Best Places to Play” ranking in the May issue. Golf Digest also named TPC as one of “Myrtle Beach's Top 50 Golf Courses.” In 2004, Golfweek named TPC as one of its “Top 10 South Carolina Public Golf Courses” and in December of 2004, TPC become only the second Grand Strand golf course, and the 13th South Carolina golf course, to be designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. For information, visit www.TPC-MB.com.
About Willbrook Plantation Golf Club
One of nine courses owned and operated by The Myrtle Beach National Company, Willbrook Plantation Golf Club is a course that noted architect Dan Maples has often called “One of my best.” Carved from the site of two Carolina plantations, Willbrook winds its way amid a centuries-old oak forest where nature abounds. The course was featured on the award-winning television show "Nature Scene" for its peaceful coexistence of golf and nature. Willbrook was just recognized by Golf for Women as one of the “Top 25 Golf Courses for Women.” The 1st and 15th holes were selected for inclusion in the “The 100 Greatest Holes Along the Grand Strand” book, published by The Myrtle Beach Sun News. Willbrook is home of the Direct Approach Golf School which features personal instruction and the latest in computer swing analysis from a staff of LPGA and PGA professionals with more than 50 years of combined experience. Courtney Cauthen, the Director of Instruction at the Direct Approach Golf School, was honored by Golf for Women as one of their “Top 25 Instructors.” Willbrook has recently undergone extensive renovations with more than one million dollars in upgrades to the golf course and clubhouse. For more information, visit www.MBN.com.
About Litchfield-Pawleys Island
The Litchfield-Pawleys Island area is located just south of Myrtle Beach in northern Georgetown County. The region is well known for its natural beauty and history. As a port city, the town of Georgetown played a significant role in both the Revolutionary and the Civil Wars
Myrtle Beach, S.C. Named As The Number One Golf-Home Community In The United States By Golf Digest
05/18/2006
National Ranking Based on Golf and Non-Golf Criteria Such as Highly-Ranked Courses, Off-Course Diversions, Cost of Living and More
May 18, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. –Golf Digest announced its ranking of “America’s Greatest Golf-Home Towns” and Myrtle Beach was selected as America’s No. 1 golf-home community.
The Golf Digest article is featured in the June issue and stated that “the Grand Strand is literally jammed with great courses. Seven made Golf Digest’s Best in State ranking and an incredible 28 carry player ratings of 4 ½ stars or more in the 2006 Best Places to Play guide. This, plus the area’s reasonable cost of living and its many playable days, gave Myrtle Beach the highest point total of all the communities we rated nationwide.”
Golf Digest used data from the Longitudes Research Group to identify the leading cities to buy golf-course property in the United States. The ranking was based on golf and nongolf criteria such as the number and quality of courses, golfable days per year, course congestion, crime rates, airport access, cost of living, off-course diversions, home prices, taxes and other variables. After dividing the United States into eight regions, Golf Digest ranked the top 10 in each region and selected Myrtle Beach as America’s best golf-home community. The top cities in each region include: Scottsdale, Ariz., West Region; Austin, Tex., Southwest Region; Denver, Colo., Mountain West Region; Sheboygan, Wisc, Midwest Region; Myrtle Beach, S.C, Southeast Region; North Atlanta, Ga, South; and North of Tampa, Florida Region.
Myrtle Beach earned the list’s highest Golf Score ranking, which calculated the number and quality of courses, golf days per year and course congestion, with 47.1 points out of a total of 50, with Pinehurst, North Carolina, second at 38.3. In the May 2005 issue of Golf Digest, nine Grand Strand courses were named to the 2005 – 2006 “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” list, more than any other golf destination in the United States.
"The quantity and quality of golf along the Grand Strand is unsurpassed by any other destination in the United States," said Bill Golden, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday’s vice president and director of marketing. "People come to Myrtle Beach to play golf and like it so much that they decide to purchase a vacation home or relocate here. The entire Grand Strand area is enjoying an unprecedented period of real estate growth and when more golfers read Golf Digest’s pronouncement that Myrtle Beach is the best place to buy a golf course home, I expect that the growth will continue."
About Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 60 accommodations and 90 championship golf courses in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization has been and continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. In addition to hosting the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament and Golfapalooza each spring, Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship – the world's largest on-site golf tournament, the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the Spring and Fall Palmetto High School Golf Championships, the Veterans Golf Classic and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, call 1-800-833-8798 or visit www.golfholiday.com.