We overestimated this Boston area golfer.  Making the assumption that playing golf in November was his last round of the year.  To our surprise he’s sneaking away to Florida over Thanksgiving to get some extra rounds in.  He’s got to love his new in laws and their dedication to his craft.

None the less, this dedicated golfer was able to cram in 36 holes a day for 4 straight days…being the 1st on the tee and last to leave the course.  Talk about a die hard golfer…

He’s planning on another spring or summer golf package to Myrtle Beach to satisfy his golf cravings.

Tags: Golf Group Pictures and Stories by admin
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One of your Golfmasters came across this recently and we can’t help put laugh.  Reminds me of a couple of Myrtle Beach Golf Courses…as you can easily hit some houses on a few courses down here.

If there are any other funny golf course signs out there, we would love to share them with our golf nuts.  I’m sure there are hundreds…if you happen to see this, please comment and we can share them with the rest of the golf world.

Periodically we’ll share some of the best golf course signs in Myrtle Beach.

Tags: Golf Humor by admin
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The GOLFMASTERS traveled to the Oak Island Country Club on the scenic North Carolina coast today.   For November the 75 degree sunny day was welcome.

We all look forward to playing this superb track as it has topography that is not found at any other course on the Grand Strand.  The course as the name indicates is on an island…Oak Island.  From the mainland, you go over a long bridge over the intercoastal waterway onto Oak Island.  The course is on the blue Atlantic with the waterway 1 mile to the west and the Cape Fear River 1 mile to the north. Oak Island Country Club was built in 1962 by the renowned golf architect George Cobb, who remodeled Augusta National, and it winds through oak and pine forests. Some of the fairways seem to be three football fields wide, but it does not matter how wide the fairways are for your game…as you must play the shifting winds to make shots.

Truly, on many holes, it’s like playing a Scottish links course with the open topography and winds.  Coupled with huge undulating greens, many with multiple tiers, the course is a putters dream.

The clubhouse sits on a hill with panoramic views of the ocean from the second-story, glass-enclosed pub and restaurant. The 2^nd floor open-air deck provides excellent views of the 9^th and 18^th holes. The course is over-seeded from tree line to tree line with winter rye, making a pretty carpet of lush green grass for the winter months.

We played at TEXAS 2 ball regressive tee game today.  Captains choice for the first 2 shots on par 4’s & par 5’s and 1 shot on par 3’s.  If anyone made a birdie, the foursome had to go back one tee and stay on that tee until another birdie was made…then you went back another tee.  When you got to the tips, the next birdie put you on a forward tee.

It made for a real challenging match, especially for our senior GOLFMASTERS as they started on the senior tees at 5,973 yds. and then moved back to the tips at 6,720 yds. Boston native GOLFMASTER John called the match.  Par is a good score.

The Oak Island Country Club has superior food service; we had lunch in the pub. After the round we quenched our thirst with pitchers of Yeungling lager and watched the sunset.

Oak Island offers one of GOLF TREK’s best “stay ‘n play” packages. In addition to superlative golf, lodging is offered in condos on Oak Island or at nearby St. James Plantation.  This area of the beach has the finest array of courses including many 4.5 star gems, including the private, luxurious Bald Head Island Club. Oak Island is a must play in this package.  Many pro tournaments are played at the course, and it is a fixture of the mini pro tours.  A pro and GOLFMASTER Jim  hold the course records with a 63, the pro from the tips and Jim from the 6,400 yd. mens tees.  Ah, another great day of testing the product!

Tags: Myrtle Beach Golf Course Info, Myrtle Beach Golf Course Reviews by admin
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Shirt sleeve and shorts weather returned today the 16th of November with temps in the mid 70’s.  Bright blue skies, warm sun and a slight ocean breeze at the Pearl West today.  The Pearl is about 2 miles from the ocean and intercoastal waterway and you normally get a good breeze from the East.   The fairways and tees have been overseeded with light green winter rye.  The Pearl West has very good coverage throughout their 18 holes.  Some more oyster shells have been added to the dreaded oyster shell bunkers and the traps are full of fluffy white sand.   The greens were smooth and fast today while holding incoming shots well.

GOLFMASTER GARY chose for the group to play a TEXAS Lone Star tournament…. with each player deciding to either play their own ball down or with a Texas best drive and each player then playing their own ball in.  You could choose what was best for your game.   Afterward a Calloway adjustment was made for each player.  The Commissioner’s team (AKA Golfmaster Drew)had a net 65.3 and won todays tournament.  Pearl West has varied different holes with wide open Scottish links style holes,  rolling hills surrounded by deep pine forests and the tough 4 finishing holes on the salt marsh bay.  The par 5 sixteenth hole was the toughest of the day.  Measuring 578 yards into the wind from the mens tees, only 3 players got on in regulation.

Tags: Myrtle Beach Golf Course Info, Myrtle Beach Golf Course Reviews by admin
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Myrtle Beach Golf Courses (Thistle) Par 5

The GOLFMASTERS  took on the challenge of The Thistle on Friday the 13th of November.   We were to play the toughest Scottish links course under Scottish conditions with wind chill in the low 40’s, a stiff 25 - 35 mph wind with mist, then drizzle and finally rain.  Truly miserable Scottish conditions at the beach.  Hurricane Ida had just cleared the area and was headed north.   6 inches of rain over the preceding 48 hours had us on the cart paths with lots of walking thru some unplayable lies.

The  Thistle is a 27 hole gem with lots of Scottish grasses, large waste bunkers, some pot bunkers and some huge undulating greens where you can easily have putts over 100 feet.  We started out in the Scottish pub with a roaring fireplace and a sumptuous lunch and brew.  We watched the plentiful large screen tv’s…looking for the weather channel updates.  Tee times are 12 minutes apart and you never see the group that teed off in front of you.  The large Scottish bar in the pub was brought over from the old country and is quite a sight.   To help with the rigid conditions we played a Texas 2 ball tournament with only one player beating par…GOLFMASTER JIM  with a 66.

The Thistle is a semi private club with the clubhouse being split in half for the members on one side and the resort players on the other.   You come thru a private gate to get into this prestigous neighborhood and the stone Scottish clubhouse.  The main hall has the history of Scottish golf with clubs and balls going back into the 1700’s… what a history lesson.  The day was finished off in front of a roaring fire on the veranda outside porch overlooking the finishing 18 th hole.  The story of the day was that we survived….

Tags: Myrtle Beach Golf Course Info, Myrtle Beach Golf Course Reviews by admin
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Off the seventh tee in Myrtle Beach, Joe sliced his shot deep into a wooded ravine. He took His eight iron and clambered down the embankment in search of his lost ball.

After many long minutes of hacking at the underbrush, he spotted something Glistening in the leaves. As he drew nearer, he discovered that it was an Eight iron in the hands of a skeleton!

Joe immediately called out to his friend, “Jack, I’ve got trouble down here!”

“What’s the matter?” Jack asked from the edge of the ravine.

“Bring me my wedge,” Joe shouted. “You can’t get out of here with
An eight iron.

Which Myrtle Beach Golf Course could this be?

Tags: Golf Humor by admin
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Willie love at the fins and skins tournament

Name: Willie Love

Position: Head Golf Professional, Woodland Valley Country Club

1. What is new and exciting at your course?

We offer free golf clinics, monthly scrambles, and recently we hosted a combined fishing/golf tournament.

2. What is your best round on your course?  Best round ever?

My best round at Woodland Valley was a 77; my best round ever, a 68 at Beachwood Golf Club.

3. Hobbies, other than golf?

Other than golf, I have many interests. I enjoy fishing, watching all sports, cooking, and gardening.

4. Dream golf 4-some?

Oh, my dream 4-some would be myself, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, and Michelle Wie.

5. How many years have you been in the golf business?

20 years.

6. Where are you from originally?

Although I was born on Okinawa, I consider myself a native of the Conway/Myrtle Beach area. I’ve lived here since 1971.

7. What is the strangest thing that happened on your course recently?

It was so strange. Recently a fisherman caught an alligator, but previously we had absolutely no sightings of any gators on the course!

8. What makes your course stand out compared to the other 100 MB golf courses?

Woodland Valley Country Club stands out because of the value it offers, the quality of service provided to all our golfers, and the superb manner in which the course is maintained and groomed.

9. How long have you worked at your golf club?

I’ve been here one and a half years.

10. What is the biggest challenge your course faces this year?

This year, it’s the slumping economy. It hurts us and all the courses.

12. Have you played competitively?

I have not played competitively recently, but my best Carolinas PGA sanctioned tournament score was 74.

13. What course improvements have you undergone in the past year or what improvements are you considering?

We have added a practice chipping green and are considering the addition of a practice sand bunker.

14. What general trends are you seeing in the golf industry in Myrtle Beach?

With some courses closing, displaced golfers must play elsewhere and are looking for a good value. Woodland Valley offers that value; we are very competitive.

Tags: Uncategorized by Glynda
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Springmaid Beach Resort has undergone a number of improvements over the past year.  We think the improvement make it that much more attractive to the Myrtle Beach Golfer.

Room improvements—during 2009, 95% of the rooms have received fresh paint and flat screen televisions, as well as the installation of free wireless in all rooms.

Hospitality Suites—Springmaid offers extra large rooms that can be used for small meetings or gatherings. Groups of 15+ rooms will automatically get one upgrade to a suite, based on availability.

Larger Units—we have a limited number of two-bedroom (three beds) and three-bedroom units (5 beds), as well as a Beach House (five beds) that offers five bedrooms, living/dining area, full kitchen, two baths, and an enclosed patio with a gas grill. All of these units are priced and sold based on availability and occupancy.

Bar Area—A small bar/lounge area has been added to Springmaid Pier Café. Beer, wine & liquor are available as well as two flat screen TVs. Continued improvements to the Cafe are planned.

Tags: Myrtle Beach Lodging Info by admin
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Tidewater has always been known as one of the most scenic golf courses in all of Myrtle Beach. They just announced they will be closing for 4-6 weeks to make some much needed improvements to the course. This past spring the course struggled with some of it’s conditioning, especially on it’s tee boxes. They plan to completely renovate the tee boxes to bring the course back up to the reputation and splendor it deserves. In addition to the tee boxes, drainage and some erosion control work is planned.

We are excited to see that Tidewater is taking the big step of closing to make all the necessary changes. It’s a short term loss, but definitely a long term gain. Tidewater has always been one of the top courses in Myrtle Beach and perenially on Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses you can play.  The course should be back open by August 1st.

Tags: Myrtle Beach Golf Course Info by admin
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Arcadian Shores golf course in Myrtle Beach is now under new management with a local company expanding the number of courses they manage.  Burroughs & Chapin which manages a handful of other local courses has taken over the day to day operations of Arcadian Shores.

Previously Arcadian Shores was managed by the Hilton hotel, which is adjacent to the property.

Arcadian Shores is a Rees Jones design.  Burroughs & Chapin indicated they are in the process of formulating a short term and long term plan for the course.  Planned upgrades are part of the decision making process.  Arcadian shores is conveniently located just off the ocean in Myrtle Beach.

Stay Tuned for more developments on this and other course information.

Tags: Myrtle Beach Golf Course Info by admin
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