“Meet the Pro” Jamie Roderick International Club of Myrtle Beach
This is the 1st in a series where we plan to help the Myrtle Beach Golfer get to better know the local golf pros.
Name: Jamie Roderick
Position: Head Golf Professional International Club of Myrtle Beach
What new and exciting has been going on at your course?
-I wouldn’t say we are doing anything new at this time. Right now we are trying to survive the “summer heat”. During the summer months you have to take what you can get….while preparing for the fall season. However, we are hosting our Thursday Night Shootout. The shootout consists of a 9 hole scramble, BBQ style dinner, tons of prizes and most of all… FUN!! Our shootout has been extremely successful over the past couple years.
What is your best round on your course? Best round ever?
-I shot 69 at International Club in 2007. My best round ever was 67 at Montaup Country Club in Rhode Island back in 2004.
Hobbies, other than golf?
-I love to play basketball. I play whenever the time allows. But most of all….I love to travel with my wife and daughter. When I’m not working, there’s no where I’d rather be than with them.
Dream golf 4some?
-This one is easy…..Tiger, Jordan, Barkley (need to witness the swing in person) and myself.
How many years have you been in the golf business?
-I moved to the beach in 2001 and had my first assistant position in 2002 at Wicked Stick (been at International Club since 2004)…so 7 years now. I have a Criminal Justice degree and worked as a Private Investigator in Boston before I moved here.
Where are you originally from?
-I was born in Bristol, Rhode Island. Attend college at Northeastern University in Boston.
What is the strangest thing that happened on your course this spring?
-We actually had three Hole-In-Ones on the same day…..all different holes…..CRAZY!! Tough enough to have one in a month…..we had three in one day.
What makes your course stand out compared to the other 100 MB golf courses?
-If I had to pick one aspect that stands out from the rest…it would be our greens. Jim Knaffle, Superintendant, strives on making our greens roll fast and true. In season our greens roll about a 12 on the stimp. We have some of, if not the, fastest greens on the Grand Strand. I would put our greens right up there with the best around. Other than that, we are constantly trying to improve the golf course in every aspect.
How much does GPS speed up play?
-Funny you should ask that. Honestly, I think it slows play down a little. Golfers wait for there partner to drive over to them so they can get an exact yardage before they’ll swing. Sounds a little crazy, but it’s true. We put GPS on the carts 3 years ago. We put it on as a luxury for the golfer. Our intent wasn’t to speed up play with the device………GOOD THING!!
What is the biggest challenge your course faces this year?
-This is an obvious answer….PLAY!! In this economy, we are trying to get as many rounds as we can. We have been lucky over the first half of the year…thanks to our members and local community. Our package play is down but that seems to be the norm around the beach.
Describe your signature holes, and how to play them?
-Our signature hole is #11 – a par three surrounded by water and bunkers measuring 80 yards (senior ladies / junior tee), 110 yards (ladies tee), 135 yards (senior tee), 156 yards (mens tee) and 178 yards (back tee). The way I play it from the back tee….CLOSE MY EYES AND SWING…..hope to get lucky!!
Have you played competitively?
-I have not played competitive golf as of yet. Am working hard at my game and with the weights. Hope to play competitve in the future.
What course improvements have you undergone in the past year, or what improvements are you considering?
-We are ALWAYS trying to improve. We’ve been under new ownership since 2006. In the past 3 years, the golf course has made tremendous changes all around. We are extremely fortunate that our owner, Jack Davis, wants the International Club to be one of the top places to play on the Grand Strand. No improvement has gone unnoticed. We received a Four Star rating by Golf Digest in 2008.
Currently, we are re-mulching all flower beds, adding drainage where necessary, repainting the pro shop and restaurant area and upgrading our driving range to name a few. We have also added the Joe Bernat Golf Academy to the International Club. Joe and his team are extremely knowledgable instructors. A true asset to our club.
#14. What general trends are you seeing in the golf industry in Myrtle Beach?
-Tough question. This year has been tougher to “forecast” than any other I can remember. It’s no secret, we are a tourist town, striving on package play. Package play is down considerably this year.
