“We relate Myrtle Beach to golf, and it’s been that way for a long time. It’s time the PGA Tour came here.’’ The question now becomes, Will the PGA Tour and Myrtle Beach both benefit from the new relationship? Myrtle Beach also hosts the largest amateur tournament in the world. The 41st World Amateur Handicap Championship has been a huge annual attraction and over 3,000 amateur golfers will compete in the event, August 26-30. The Myrtle Beach golf community are continually upgrading area courses. Grande Dunes recently underwent a lengthy renovation and it will once again be the host course for the Flight Winner’s Playoff, the climax to the World Amateur. We not only visited Grand Dunes on our most recent trip to Myrtle Beach, but we also played Myrtlewood, a 36-hole facility that offers the Pinehills and Palmetto courses. We played Pinehills, a layout in the final stages of a bunker renovation, but rains limited our play to just ten holes. It was a fun day and we look forward to a return visit in the near future. Finally, we hit the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, arguably Myrtle Beach’s most popular course and our favorite course in the area. Along with Caledonia’s neighbor, True Blue, they make for a challenging double-round day. We can also attest to the quality of several other area courses. Pine Lakes, River Club, Pawleys Plantation, TPC Myrtle Beach, Founders Club, Barefoot Resort’s, Fazio, Dye and Love courses, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Oyster Bay and Thistle are all wonderful tracks and make picking the courses you want to play in Myrtle Beach a difficult task. Bottom Line: The key to Myrtle Beach’s success isn’t due to the PGA Tour holding an event there. It’s because the quality and quantity of Myrtle Beach golf courses allow golfers to play a variety of excellent courses, enjoy a multitude of dining options, plus spend off-course time on their beautiful beaches. That’s why Myrtle Beach has maintained its prominent position as “The Golf Capitol of the World” for over 50 years. Ohio Golf Journal
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