Twenty Years at Myrtle

Twenty Years at Myrtle

King's North

Looking back at the annual pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach, I thought I would throw out a few memories, then look at my favorite courses played.

This year will mark the twenty-first year of the golf trip, but the 20th at Myrtle.  If you look at older posts, prior to last year's trip, I talked about how the trip got started.  In the 20 years in Myrtle there are several memories that stand out.

In no particular order.....
-Greyhounds with gas
-The old guy getting pissed at Kyle for grilling
-Charlie sleeping off a bad back in a 100 degree condo
-Chicken wings and hiccups
-$2 pitchers at the bowling alley after getting rained out of golf
-Ezekiel at Wicked Stick
-Tornado and hail storm at Angel's Trace
-Mayday miniature golf
-Dishwasher sudfest
-Four hour nine hole round at Sandpiper Bay in a monsoon
-Lightening at Diamond Back
-The hot tub shoot down
-Thinking it was a good idea to try to go swimming at 1am
-"Can I get a bag of ginger ale?"
-Golf cart in the pond
-and many more

My Favorite Courses over the Years

While we haven't played most of the upscale courses at Myrtle Beach, with all the choices there is just tremendous quality on the Grand Strand.  Over the 20 years we have been able to get out on 58 different courses.

In alphabetical order, here are a "baker's dozen" of my favorites.

Heritage Club

Heritage Club - gators, lakes, great conditions in an upscale development
King's North - designed by the King (Arnold Palmer)
Legend's Heathland and Legend's Moorland - On a landscape of native grasses, scrub brush and a great variety of holes, you get a links feel and some great individual holes on these two courses.
Pearl East -  One of the best collection of finishing holes on the Strand
Prestwick Country Club - Originally a private club with members such as the Gatlin Brothers, Prestwick is a tamer Pete Dye course than Moorland, but still has some memorable holes and traditional Dye design features.  We get to see this one again in 2013.

Players Club at St. James Plantation

St. James Plantation Member's Club and Player's Club - Way up north, these courses were isolated and provided a private club feel.
TPC of Myrtle Beach - once the host of the Senior Tour finale, just a great layout.
Tiger's Eye - a Tim Cate design as part of the Big Cats.  Was at one time listed in the top 100 in America.
Witch - Another course in this year's line-up.  An isolated layout that features nine holes through a swamp.  Bring your cameras this year.

Two courses deserve mention.  Oyster Bay could be in this list also, but after a superintendent let the place burn out, it didn't play to our expectation.  Heather Glen could be on the list.  It looked great, but I didn't get to play it for some reason.