Rod Anderson and his group of 20 golfers enjoyed ocean view accommodations on Oak Island and played 4 fabulous rounds of Golf at the Oak Island Golf Club and St. James Plantation.
Rod and company previously played golf in Santee, but found Myrtle Beach to offer better golf for the same money. He indicated it was well worth the additional drive!
Rod and company plan to do it again next spring!
Golfers, Golf Nuts, Players and Hackers, This is Golfmaster Buddy,
In case you do not already know, the Golfmasters try to play and test the courses we recommend a couple of times a week. It is a requirement of our employment. We are constantly trying to keep up with the condition of the local courses. With around 100 courses along the Grand Strand it takes close to a year playing a couple of times a week to play all the courses. It is difficult but someone has to do it. This past Wednesday we had the opportunity to play Lockwood Folly, this semi-private Willard Byrd design course is truly a hidden gem, located on the Intracoastal Waterway and Lockwood Folly River it has some of the best views that you will ever see on a golf course. Golf Magazine nominated Lockwood Folly as the most picturesque course in 2002. It is located between Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Wilmington, N.C., just a few minutes from Shallotte, N.C.
It had rained very hard the night before and we didn’t know what to expect and while it was cart path only it was very playable. The greens were a little slow but they were wet and had not been cut that morning due to all the rain. Playing the gold tees because of the wetness it gave some of us the opportunity to reach a couple of the par 5s in two. The par 3s are very challenging, Golfmaster Hal made a Hole In One on the par 3 Number 11 the last time we played the course in the Spring. Twelve of the holes are water holes. The course plays around 6100 yards from the white tees and has a slope rating of 128. I highly recommend this course as one of the must play courses. You can check out the facility and some of the holes on our website http://www.yourgolfpackage.com/myrtle-beach-golf-courses/lockwood-folly-19.html
Hit them long, straight and often, Golfmaster Buddy Buddy@yourgolfpackage.com
Golf Nuts, don’t forget to check out the specifics of the newest Jack Nicklaus course at the beach. We have pictures from our time out there. It just opened July 1st. Be sure to ask us about it, next time you are planning a golf trip.
For Pictures and details of the course click on this link. Reserve Club
Due to the heat of this summer and having little root base on the front 9 holes. Crow Creek will only have the back 9 holes open for play. The tee sheets are set up for playing the back 9- 2 times for an 18 hole round, or 9 hole rounds. We plan to have the front 9 open on september 22nd. This will allow us to have all 18 holes open for fall play and be back to our normal playing conditions.
Golfmaster Parker
Your Golfmasters here at Golf Trek, had a wonderful afternoon experiencing this wonderfull course. Thistle is definitely a course to ask for when planning your next trip to Myrtle Beach. Despite hot and dry conditions of late, this course is one of the best conditioned courses we have seen. The bent grass greens were in perfect condition, and very receptive to all types of shots. Soft and fast would be the best way to describe them. Golfmaster Jim particularly, enjoyed the greens as he rolled in a 66 foot putt for birdie. The rest of us had many putts of this length or longer, but not the fortune or the skill to knock one in.
With 27 holes to play, in a relaxed environment, this course will continue to be sought after for a long time to come. Many of our Golfmasters commented that they rated Thistle as the best Links course at the beach. Things will only get better at Thistle as they are in the process of building an impressive clubhouse, complete with 7 indoor and 2 outdoor fireplaces. They are even having the bar for their authentic pub, shipped directly from Scotland.
In addition, a bird sanctuary will be able to be viewed from the porch of the clubhouse. Gene Weldon, the head pro, even commented that we don’t charge extra for wildlife. Earlier in the day, we witnessed a large gator mosey his way across the driving range while we were warming up. He also indicated that Bald Eagles are also seen on a frequent basis. Not quite Scotland with this kind of wildlife, but pretty close.
The round at Thistle was a great culmination to our spring golf season. There quite possibly might not be a more unique, and distinctive course to end our season. After the round we made our way back to North Myrtle Beach to commemorate at Overtime’s Sports Bar. Trophies were handed out for this Spring’s Putting Champion, and overall Champion. Unfortunately, I did not win either…
Golfmaster Parker
The Grand Strand courses stretch over 120 miles North to South..Brunswick County, NC to Georgetown, SC. We have varying topography over this area. The south part of our island…yes…Myrtle Beach is an island with bays to the north and south..the ocean to the east and the ‘big ditch” the intercoastal waterway to the west…we are surrounded by water.
Oh yes..I started out ..the south part of our island is very historical with former rice and indigo plantations from the Revolutionary War. The ‘Swamp Fox’ Francis Marion and his second in command..Peter Horry..ran the British all over the lowlands of South Carolina. The area from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown is called the Waccamaw Neck as it is formed by a peninsula. The old plantations have been revived as golf resorts with their marshes, salt water tidal bays, Tall oaks with dripping moss and thousand year old cypress trees surrounding the fairways…these courses are known as the Carolina low country courses.
The center beach area is in Horry County..as you guessed from Peter Horry. Much of the area is sandy flat country with pine trees. This area in the 1900’s produced naval stores of tar, pitch and wood boards. As you move north into North Myrtle you start to see some rolling hills with varying elevations. Brunswick County, NC courses are 25 miles north of Myrtle Beach. The widest variety of courses can be found here. Many courses are on salt water bays, rivers, on or near the Atlantic Ocean or as in Bald Head Island’s case in and surrounded by the ocean.
GMJ
After 300 rounds per day from mid February thru mid May, our beach courses need some R & R. The winter rye is dying out and the bermuda is beginning to grow in. It really depends upon the weather…cooler and wet means later…hot and dry means earlier. Aeriation of the greens can either be big tines..nickel to quarter size holes with heavy sanding or smaller holes with light sanding. Most courses set their maintenance schedules months in advance and then have to modify the schedule to match the Spring weather encountered. The majority of the courses perform maintenance between May 5th and June 15th.
With big punced holes, it may take two weeks for the greens to heal. Some courses with 27 holes..punch 9 holes..let it heal and then punch 9 more holes..thne 9 more holes until finished. This allows for 18 holes to be open at all times. Your GOLFMASTERS observed that at Carolina National yesterday 6/12/06. Grande Dunes punches 1/2 of each green and leaves the other 1/2 open to play. If your ball lands in the punched 1/2..you get to move the ball to the smooth playing surface to putt….a nice local rule. I am telling you this as each course does their own thing and as GOLFMASTERS…WE TRY to keep up with the current conditions. As these conditions change and we beome aware, we’ll be on the phone to our customers letting them know of what they might encounter during their outing. We then let them make a decision to keep monitoring the situation, keep the same course or change to another course.
The majority of the courses DO NOT tell us of their maintenance schedules…that’s why we are out testing the product over 1,000 rounds each year. We ask for feed back from our ‘golf nuts’ when they return home. If they let us know…then we send up the smoke signals ASAP to fellow future GOLF TREKKERS know. Your golf package just begins when book with GOLF TREK..your GOLFMASTERS try to be as interactive as possible. Our competitors…UH ???? AS the old saying goes…IT DOESN’T COST ANYMORE TO USE THE VERY BEST. We’ve been at it since 1979 and know what it takes to work with satisfied repeat customers.
PLAY WELL AND OFTEN….on well maintained courses
GMJ
Nicklaus best course on the Strand. Lots of environmentally sensitive areas to hit over and around. Huge greens..never had so many 40-50 foot putts in one round…actually got good in lagging these monster putts to the hole. Plenty of bunkers with good granular sand…consistent. This course will only be open until the end of December 2007 when it will go private. For those players playing the absolute best courses at the beach..you should consider playing the RESERVE CLUB in 2007 before it goes private. Pay attention to each hole off the tee..as you can get in trouble..quickly. Had 3 penalty shots when some excellent tee shots and arrival shots found hidden watery graves..my 73 would have been better if my attention span improved. Playing the mens tees…# 9 plays 260 yards for a bump and run onto the green…super betting hole..actually my 3 wood hit the green and rolled onto the collar..where I rim jobed and missed my eagle.
Special afternoon and replay rates are available…ask your GOLFMASTER.
GMJ
The long awaited web blog is now available for use by our customers. We hope this blog will provide a mechanism for our customers to share course conditions, ratings, dining, nightlife, and pretty much anything else that pertains to golf in Myrtle Beach.
Our Golfmasters will constantly be reviewing and commenting when a golfmasters expertise is needed.
Enjoy, we welcome comments as the blog get’s off the ground!