Myrtle Beach 2011 Golf Trip Dates

 I will be posting the price, the courses and accommodations sometime today or next week (Will be in Nags Head for New Years)

The Dates for the 2011 Myrtle Beach Trip are June 2nd (leaving Wednesday Night after work) through June 26th (leaving Sunday Morning) We will be playing the usual, Thursday afternoon, Friday morning, and two back to back Saturday, but stay in the cart.

Look forward to all the old friends of trips past, the people from last year, and new faces this year, joining us in Golfer's Paradise, Myrtle Beach!

Thanks Chris For The Use Of Our Trip Photo!!!

Top 5 Myrtle Beach Golf Trip Tips

By

Chris King

  on December 22, 2010 3:52 PM | Comments (0)

Planning a Myrtle Beach golf trip in advance helps guarantee a good time.

As the winter months descend, harsh weather has arrived around much of the country, a development that heightens the anticipation of a Myrtle Beach golf trip. While golfers try to stay warm, dreams of spring in Myrtle Beach offer the promise of better days. With that in mind, we have five tips that will help make planning your next golf trip a little easier.

1. Book Early – Increasingly, people wait for the last minute to book travel figuring a better deal awaits. That’s not the preferred tactic with a golf trip. As the economy has gradually improved so has the demand for tee times. Package providers are offering their best deals early, and, most importantly, if you want the most desired tee times, it’s best to book in advance.

2. Use a Packager – Golf directors make their living by knowing everything about the Myrtle Beach golf scene. Course conditions, value, aerification schedules and even where to go after golf. A good golf director – and the Grand Strand has a lot of them – is an invaluable resource. Book with a package provider and take advantage of their expertise.

3. Do Your Homework – Know what your group likes. If your friends like to party, take a later tee time. If you are traveling with serious golfers, book early and get your replay setup in advance. If the group leader understands his or her group, it’s much easier to satisfy everyone’s expectations. 

4. Schedule Smart – If your group likes to play on the day of arrival and/or departure, schedule a tee time at a course you will drive by. Route 9 offers several appealing alternatives – Black Bear, Long Bay, Crown Park  – and if you are coming in on Route 17 or 501 the options are endless. There is no reason to drive by 30 courses on the way to your room.

5. Plan Ahead – If your group likes to compete, be it a Ryder Cup format or individual stroke play, figure out what you are going to do and determine handicaps in advance. Speaking of handicaps, once everyone has theirs, use the USGA’s Course Handicap Calculator to figure out how many strokes each player will get on different courses (the layout’s slope and rating can impact the number of strokes).

Merry Christmass To One And All, See You On The Course In 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from myself and the staff here at the Golfer's Trip (just me) to, and your families!!

Heritage Club Is One Of The Nation's Best Public Courses

Heritage Club is One of America's Best

By

Chris King

  on December 20, 2010 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

Heritage Club is one of seven Myrtle Beach golf courses ranked among America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.

A stretch of sprawling oak trees line both sides of the road, a centuries old welcome to Heritage Club. The majesty of the trees immediately sets the tone for one of Myrtle Beach’s most memorable rounds of golf, tying players to the property’s rich history.

There are hundreds of oak trees at Heritage but the line that guides players to the clubhouse is the most impressive, and they aren’t there by happenstance.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the rows of trees were planted to divide the road leading to the original plantation home from the rest of the property.  There is another row of trees between the fourth and fifth holes, a road that once led to the home of Mr. Pawley (you know, the guy Pawleys Island was named for).


As much as the picturesque views of the marsh and the freshwater lakes, the oak trees help create visuals at Heritage that players bring home with them.  From the entrance through the peninsula green on No. 18, Heritage is one of the Myrtle Beach area’s prettiest layouts and it has an abundance of character.

The property used to be home to one of the world’s most productive rice and indigo plantations, Mr. Pawley is buried just off the fourth hole, and there is a slave cemetery, now a historical landmark, by the eighth tee. 

But a course doesn’t rise to No. 33 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, the highest of the seven Myrtle Beach layouts included in the rankings, on the strength of beauty and character alone. Heritage Club is one of Dan Maples finest works.

The course has length at 7,118 yards from the gold tees (6,656 yards blue tees/6,310 yards white tees), but it’s a layout that favors shot makers over raw power.

“You need to get the bomb-away mentality out of your head,” first assistant head pro Sean Pearson said. “If you don’t pay attention to your yardage book (which comes complimentary), you can find yourself in trouble. You have to be precise off the tee.”

Precision off the tee is vital because Heritage is a second shot golf course, due in large part to some of the Grand Strand’s largest and most undulating greens. The South Strand gem has three greens that are more than 50 yards deep, so merely hitting the putting surface often isn’t enough. Players need to be in the right spot.

The par 3 13th hole appears to have, in the words of Pearson, a Volkswagen buried in the middle of it.  Players on the wrong side of a 50-yard green or even those facing a shorter putt above the hole will be delighted to escape with a two-putt.

The greens at Heritage, which opened in 1986, are typically bunkered but the approaches are open, giving the players the option to play the bump-and-run, a lost art on many modern courses. The open approach areas also provide high handicappers more margin for error.

Water comes into play on 11 holes, most memorably No. 13 and No. 18, the layout’s two peninsula greens.

Maples’ work at Heritage is creative throughout, presenting choices and opportunity. But along with the freedom comes risk. For example, the dual fairway is a relatively common architectural trait, but at Heritage, Maples gives players two distinct choices on the par 5 second hole.

After the drive, which shouldn’t go more than 260 yards, players must make a choice. The shorter, left fairway requires an approach over four par-killing bunkers and a green that runs from front to back.

The right fairway plays a little longer and the approach requires a carry over the lake that separates the fairways, but the bunkers don’t come into play and players have more green to work with.

“Most people don’t go to the right,” Pearson said. “It’s a little longer and it can be intimidating going over water, but it takes the bunker complexes out of play and if you go long it doesn’t kill you. If you go to the left (fairway), it’s a tougher shot.”

After golf, Heritage’s plantation style clubhouse is an ideal setting to enjoy lunch or a drink. The clubhouse deck overlooks the Waccamaw Neck marsh, an appropriate way to conclude a memorable round.

“It’s about more than golf, it’s an experience here,” Pearson said.

The Verdict: Heritage is a great golf course. No matter how you are playing, it’s impossible not to enjoy the course’s lowcountry setting. The Oak trees draped in Spanish moss and the marsh have helped created a natural environment that is a stunning home for a golf course. Heritage Club is the highest-ranked Myrtle Beach course on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, and it has earned its lofty reputation.

Myrtle Beach Passing Golfer's Tests

Golfers say Strand grand market

Area receives impressive marks for quality, value in online survey

By Alan Blondin - ablondin@thesunnews.com

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Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday commissioned the National Golf Foundation to conduct a pair of studies over the past two years, and the results give the Grand Strand golf market reason to boast.
In a 2010 study of golf travelers in the United States, Myrtle Beach has been determined as the nation's best destination for quality of golf and value.

The online survey polled more than 5,000 people who inquired about a vacation with Golf Holiday, according to the marketing cooperative's president Bill Golden. Seventy-one percent said the Myrtle Beach area offered a better quality and selection of golf than any other destination, and 60 percent ranked the Strand market better in price and affordability.

"One of the major themes of the research coming through is Myrtle Beach is very well positioned for quality and value," said NGF Senior Vice President Greg Nathan. "We found Myrtle Beach with few areas of vulnerability in terms of attitudes and perceptions among golf travelers. There's really nothing that sticks out in terms of negative attitudes and perceptions keeping people from going."
Nathan planned to present the findings to the Golf Holiday membership Thursday, but his flight was canceled because of inclement weather. The presentation has been rescheduled Tuesday morning at The Breakers hotel.

Last November, NGF President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joe Beditz presented results of a study of 2,058 golfers who traveled in the previous two years or intended to travel in 2010. It suggested Myrtle Beach is as popular as any other destination among golfers in the eastern two-thirds of the United States and manages to retain its customers better than any other location.

"A lot of the [2010] results reinforce and further verify and authenticate the things we found last year," said Nathan, whose organization is a pre-eminent national source for golf data.
The online survey of more than 5,000 golfers in 2010 got respondents through an e-mail that had a link to the survey.

"Our job is to provide unvarnished guidance," Nathan said. "Nobody gains by trying to present the information in a better or worse light than the customer feedback shows. We don't favor any destination in terms of the way the research is done, it just tries to arrive at the most reliable data."

Golden said Golf Holiday has contracted NGF for the studies to learn the market's strengths and weaknesses, and to better understand the habits, tendencies, perceptions and desires of golf travelers.
"The research has been very helpful," Golden said. "It's the second year in a row and the numbers are the same: Myrtle Beach golf is at the top of every category. ... That's all gratifying.
"We're very well branded and our marketing resonates, but we need to do a better job of converting new Myrtle Beach golf vacations."

Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/17/1873866/golfers-strand-grand.html#ixzz18kwQPcbN

Pinehurst, Closer Than We Think

The Sandhills Area of North Carolina has the deepest roots in American golf history.  Famed architect Donald Ross first put the area on the map with his distinctive and natural designs. Other legends have since followed...Dan Maples, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Rees Jones, Robert Trent Jones, Davis Love III, Mike Strantz and Peter Tufts. All leaving in their wake a multitude of grand golfing experiences. So much in fact, a 2002 survey by Golf Digest also ranked the Village of Pinehurst area as having "The World¹s Best Quality Courses".

Pinehurst No. 1 Step back in time to a classic layout that’s stood the test of time. Even though Dr. Leroy Culver built the first rudimentary nine holes and John Dunn Tucker added the next nine, it is clearly Donald Ross’ touch that can be seen on this first golf course. Don’t let the short 6,093-yard par 70 fool you - it’s more of a course than it first appears. Wild drives or a sloppy short game can make for a long day. As with any course bearing Ross’ name, it is ultimately very playable without losing its challenge - and a favorite for a great starting round. Pinehurst No. 1 reopened in 2008 after a nine-month renovation, making this member and guest favorite even better than before.
Pinehurst No. 3 Test your game on the rolling terrain of this classic Donald Ross short course. Its greens were recently renovated with Penn G-2 bent grass, making putting accuracy even more at a premium. Ben Crenshaw said it best in the 1970s, when No. 3 made an impression. “I just don’t think people understand how good those holes are. They’re filled with interest. They’re shorter, but there’s plenty of character to them.” A great course to start your stay at Pinehurst, No. 3 is the perfect warm-up for your next championship round.
Pinehurst No. 5 Pinehurst and the Maples family are indelibly intertwined, and more so with this Ellis Maples design. Opened in 1961, No. 5 holds true to a key Ross feature - Mother Nature as the best guide in golf architecture. The course has more water hazards to negotiate than any other course at Pinehurst. What you’ll see is a lot of variety in the layout - uphill and downhill, left-to-right and right-to-left, long and short par fours. Overall, it is a very playable, enjoyable 18 holes that will not disappoint.
Pinehurst No. 8 Pinehurst No. 8 opened in 1996 to commemorate Pinehurst’s centennial year. Fazio incorporated signature Ross features into the design of No. 8, including dips and swales around the greens, sloping greens and false fronts. The greens and tees are close together, making it a pleasure to walk. As the site of the PGA Club Pro Championship in 1997 and 1998, it is a proven championship course that daunts and delights all who play it. Located approximately 2 miles from the Main Clubhouse, it is a celebration of a century of great golf.

New Acer XDS React Irons For 2011

 Heirko Golf brings Out New irons For 2011:

This one of the most underrated companies out there, making their own product and marketing it themselves. Take some time to look at the site, they have lots of great clubs and sets are great prices, just not the Major Name Brand, but real golfers know.

 

Acer XDS React Irons

Sniper Accuracy.
Behemoth Distance.

NEW FOR 2011!

“Worth Their Weight In Gold” - Read review by WorldGolf.com

“Excellent distance and accuracy on my first try.” – Read review by GolfGearReview.com
Finally an iron that reacts positively to the way you hit the ball by putting the kibosh on off-center shots. Shrouded within the ultra-deep, asymmetrical multi-tiered cavity area is a monstrous assemblage of weight ingeniously dispersed to ultimately provide that unbelievably solid feel, and precision accuracy you have always dreamed about. The clean, unobtrusively appearance includes a well-rounded sole, thin tapered top line and moderate offset that will be sure to please a wide array of players. And remember, every assembled Acer XDS React Iron is custom made to order!



DOWNLOAD THE ACER XDS REACT IRONS SPECIFICATION SHEET HERE.
Acer XDS React Irons Custom Assembled $25.95 each
Acer XDS React Irons Component Clubhead $9.95 each

Item#	Club	Loft	Lie	Offset	Weight	Bounce	Hand
I3660-003	3	20	59.25	5.8 mm	243 g	0 d	RH/LH
I3660-004	4	23	60	5.5 mm	250 g	1 d	RH/LH
I3660-005	5	26	60.75	5 mm	257 g	2 d	RH/LH
I3660-006	6	29	61.5	4 mm	263 g	3 d	RH/LH
I3660-007	7	33	62.75	3 mm	271 g	4 d	RH/LH
I3660-008	8	37	63	3 mm	278 g	5 d	RH/LH
I3660-009	9	41	63.75	2 mm	285 g	6 d	RH/LH
I3660-010	PW	45	64.5	2 mm	291 g	8 d	RH/LH
I3660-015	AW	50	64.5	2 mm	291 g	9 d	RH
I3660-020	SW	55	64.5	1 mm	298 g	12 d	RH/LH

NEW FOR 2011!

Completed Carolinba National Review,By Chris King

Carolina National Golf Club: A Hidden Gem

By

Chris King

  on December 8, 2010 9:29 AM | Comments (0)

Carolina National Golf Club has six holes that play along the Lockwood Folly River.

Carolina National Golf Club has a high profile architect, is set on a stunning piece of property, and was awarded 4.5 stars by Golf Digest’s prestigious “Best Places to Play” guide. The 27-hole facility has nearly everything, except the widespread recognition a course of its quality generally receives.

Even for long-time Myrtle Beach golfers, Carolina National is likely on the short list of the best Grand Strand courses you’ve never played. But one the area’s best kept secrets is beginning to emerge.

Located on the north end of the Grand Strand, Carolina National Golf Club’s low profile has nothing to do with the quality of golf. Playing along the Lockwood Folly River, Carolina National is one of the area’s most scenic and environmentally friendly tracks.

The Fred Couples design is home to three nines – the Heron, Egret and Ibis, all named for birds native to the sprawling coastal property – that offer different experiences. Couples, who has 20+ designs to his credit, doesn’t force his vision on a piece of land, choosing instead to craft a golf course that plays to the strengths of the property he is working on.

The result at Carolina National is three nine-hole tracks that offer different experiences. The one thing they have in common: the courses rarely cross paths.

“It’s not a back and forth golf course,” general manager Steve Beecroft said. “If I’m out on the golf course, I don’t want to see someone two holes over yelling ‘fore’ and I’m ducking. Only one or two times on a particular nine will you see someone on another hole.”

What players do see a lot of is wildlife. Carolina National Golf Club is an Audubon Certified Sanctuary Golf Course and its commitment to preserving the natural environment surrounding the layout is obvious.

Nature’s primary gift to players at Carolina National is the Lockwood Folly River. The facility has six holes that play along the river on the Heron and Egret nines and the visuals are stunning.

The Heron is the most scenic track, particularly the par 3, fifth hole, which features a green that is almost completely surrounded by the river. Beyond the scenery, the Heron offers a good test, placing a premium on the mid-to-long iron game.

The longest nine at Carolina National, the Heron has three par 4s that play 400 yards or more and the par 5 ninth measures 587 yards.

The Egret is a driver’s course, rewarding players that can pound the ball off the tee while featuring the beauty of the Lockwood Folly River.

Players that can find the fairway will have the opportunity to make up strokes on the Ibis nine, which isn’t quite as long. If you are rolling it well on the greens, a good score potentially awaits on the Ibis.

The bentgrass greens at Carolina National are among the area’s best. In most instances, the challenge of the greens complement the design of the hole. Carolina National’s longer holes tend to have bigger greens, while Couples provides a smaller putting surface on the shorter holes.

While the three nines at Carolina National, which opened in 1999, vary, quality golf and creative design are the common bonds.

“He is a great visualizer,” Beecroft said of Couples’ work. “You can see some of his fondness for Augusta (National) the way certain holes setup … He has an innovative design and makes the course playable for everyone.”

The clubhouse at Carolina National is equally inviting. The course has a membership base, and as a result, the clubhouse food, prepared by an executive chef, is very good, and there is ample room for large groups.

The Verdict: Carolina National has flown under the radar for too long. It’s an outstanding facility, earning the 4.5 stars it was accorded by Golf Digest.

Conditions, scenery, challenge, playability. Carolina National Golf Club has it all in abundance. If your group hasn’t played the course, move Carolina National to the top of the list. It’s a decision you will enjoy.

Giant Of Golf To Be Sold Off

Titleist/FootJoy To Be Sold Or Spun Off!

Back in March of this year…we got two pieces of information that were somewhat hard to believe at first glance…although our source was rock solid and we had already heard something might have been brewing.  The two pieces of info he gave us was that Cobra Golf was going to be sold to Puma and that Titleist/FootJoy/Cameron was going to be splitting up.  The first of which was confirmed only days later (Cobra/Puma).  Although the later was still up in the air at the time.

But over the following months more and more info surfaced that made us believe that this was also a real possibility.  Well today that sources info was confirmed...Fortune Brands owner of the Acushnet brand has announced that they WILL be splitting the company into possibly 3 separate businesses. In addition to their golf brands…they also own brands in the liquor sector and Home/Security sector as well.  Golf (Acushnet) being the smallest portion of their portfolio.

“Potential strategic buyers linked in the past have included Callaway (ELY: NYSE), Nike (NKE: NYSE), Adidas, Bridgestone and Sumitomo Rubber. However, all of these potential suitors present significant antitrust issues. Adidas and Nike, for example, are #2 and #3 respectively in golf footwear and acquiring FootJoy in the #1 position would imply a major advantage to the successful buyer. Callaway and Bridgestone are #2 and #3 respectively in golf balls and acquiring Titleist and its dominate #1 position in market share would equally set off a series of complaints from those that lost out in a potential deal. Similarly Callaway, Bridgestone and Sumitomo represent golf ball product category intellectual property right antitrust issues.
An alignment between Titleist and anyone of those three would give the combined entity 40+% of the golf ball Intellectual Property Rights landscape. Navigating through antitrust issues would slow up any sale process and could require divestitures. Although there would be some financial synergies with any strategic buyer, the antitrust risks and delay coupled with the integration costs could outweigh those benefits along with the tax consequences that may influence the final sales price.”  says Terry McAndrew of GolfBiz.net.

Carolina National, Fred Couple's Gem of The Carolinas

The 3 Best Holes at Carolina National Golf Club

By

Chris King

  on December 6, 2010 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

Carolina National Golf Club has 27 holes, many of them memorable.

Carolina National Golf Club is home to 27 holes, many of them genuinely memorable.  We quizzed general manager/head pro Steve Beecroft about the facility’s best and after much angst (it’s not a course with just one or two standout holes, he pleaded), we got our answers.

The three best holes at Carolina National Golf Club in the eyes of the general manager are:

Heron, No. 5, 203-yard, par 3: Carolina National’s most photographed hole, the green on the Heron’s fifth hole is almost completely enveloped by Lockwood Folly River marshland. The hole features two sets of tees and both require a forced carry, though the carry is much less substantial from the blue and teal tees.

“The two sets of tees have totally different angles into the green,” Beecroft said. “You are going to want to A) make sure you take enough club and B) going right is your friend, no matter which tee you are playing from.”

To Beecroft’s point, there is bailout room to the right, but shots that are hooked will be wet.

Ibis, No. 4, 417-yard, par 4: Talk about a thinking man’s hole. The fourth hole on the Ibis has a split fairway with a big maple tree in the middle. The hole isn’t exceedingly long but the tee shot is uphill and the approach plays back down into one the course’s smaller greens.

“I would probably recommend (hitting to) the left side.” Beecroft said. “That’s the tighter side but that’s the shorter side. The right side opens things up and it’s easier to hit, but you’ve got a longer shot coming in.”

Egret, No. 4, 384-yard, par 4: Length isn’t a significant factor on the Egret’s fourth hole, but a large lake the runs from tee to green on the right side is. The green is well bunkered and large. A 200-yard tee shot positions players to succeed but the approach is vital.

The drive should be hit with the idea of putting your favorite short iron in your hands for the second shot.

 

Carolina National Golf Club: 5 Things You Need To Know

By

Chris King

  on December 6, 2010 10:16 AM | Comments (0)

Carolina National Golf Club features beautiful scenery.

If you are looking for an under-the-radar Myrtle Beach gem, Carolina National Golf Club is a good place to start. The Fred Couples design has been a quiet standout on the north end of the Grand Strand and it’s worth getting acquainted with. Before you take your group to the 27-hole facility, here are five things you need to know:

1. Stunning Scenery Awaits: Carolina National is a beautiful layout, highlighted by six holes that play along the Lockwood Folly River. Couples’ use of the property’s natural elevation change and imaginative bunkering give Carolina National a unique look beyond the river holes as well.

2. Say Goodbye: When your group tees off, say goodbye to your friends. Carolina National Golf Club doesn’t feature an abundance of parallel fairways and you won’t need to worry about yelling “fore” after an errant shot. Each nine goes back out and comes back in on its own.

3. How the Nines Got Their Names: Carolina National is an Audubon-Certified Sanctuary Golf Course, making it one of the Grand Strand’s most environmentally friendly layouts. With an abundance of wildlife on the property, the three nines – Egret, Heron and Ibis – were named after indigenous birds.

4. First or Last: Located on Highway 17, Carolina National is an ideal course to play for players driving in from in the north or even the Raleigh-Durham area. It is a memorable way to begin or end a golf trip.

5. One of a Kind: Carolina National is the only Fred Couples design in the area, and the former Masters champion’s work has been very well received. Some architects force their vision on a piece of property, but Couples wisely takes the opposite tact, adapting his creativity to the land. Couples’ vision and the quality of the property were perfect complements.

Golf, Black And Gold Style

 Just a few pictures for those faithful out there who bleed Black and Gold. The bag and shoes would make a great gift idea, and Big Ben can hit the heck out of a ball. Enjoy, haters!

SubSeventy Pants Sale

Limited Edition >>

 

Claude Tartans >>

 

Rossen Piping >>

 

Classique >>

 

SubSeventy Pants on sale, buy 2 get 1 free!!!

Winter Get Aways To Myrtle Beach

Brian Noblin of The Golf Desk put together a couple Winter packages for me if anyone is considering a trip to Myrtle Beach. This would make a nice Christmas Present..hint hint!@!

Myrtlewood/Golden Treasures - 3 nights/3 rounds/4 people

Arcadian Shores, Myrtlewood and PineLakes

$208 until Jan 19th
$233 from Jan 20 to Feb 16th

World Tour and Magical Three - 3 nights/3 rounds/4 people

$222 until Jan 19th
$234 from Jan 20 to Feb 16th

Legends - 3 nights/3 rounds/4 people

$258 until Jan 19th

$252 from Jan 20 to Feb 16th

Barefoot  - 3 nights/3 rounds/4 people

$379 until Jan 19th
$389 from Jan 20 to Feb 16th

If none of them "float your boat" then give me a little more direction!

!

Thank You,

Brian Noblin
Golf Director
The Myrtle Beach Golf Desk
3721 Wesley Street, Suite 131
Myrtle Beach. SC 29579
Office - 800-642-3108
Fax - 843-236-3601
Email – brian@golfdesk.com

Burning Ridge Myrtle Beach, Great Location, Great Play

 

Burning Ridge Golf Club Gets Better With Age

By

Chris King

  on November 30, 2010 2:54 PM | Comments (0)

The 17th hole at Burning Ridge Golf Club is one of the course's best.

The 30th birthday is a milestone most don’t look forward to because it’s a reminder that time and the accoutrements of youth are passing. But at Burning Ridge Golf Club, which opened in 1980, the completion of the course’s third decade has caused no gnashing of teeth.

As a matter of fact, the Gene Hamm design is better at 30 than it was at 20.  Spurred by an extensive renovation project in 2005, Burning Ridge, a traditional course, was named the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association and South Carolina Golf Course of the Year in 2006, and the facility has gotten better since.

Located on Highway 501, the primary artery into Myrtle Beach, Burning Ridge Golf Club promises good conditions, value and customer service, and delivers on all accounts.

Burning Ridge Golf Club features mounded fairways that are lined by scores of pine trees, yawning bunkers and elevated greens.

The course measures 6,780 yards from the black tees, but most people play from 6,216 yards on the white tees, so the layout isn’t exceedingly long.  Burning Ridge doesn’t take the driver out of the bag for most players, but accuracy off the tee is paramount to success.

The course’s fairways offer ample room and the mounding helps keep balls out of the woods, but players that spray drives into the abundant pine trees will have trouble. Burning Ridge’s greens are all elevated and well-bunkered, making it very difficult to get on in regulation from the trees.

“You definitely want to hit the ball in the fairway,” Burning Ridge’s head pro, Derek Aptt, said. “If you get in the trees, you are going to have a hard time making par.”

Players that manage the course, playing percentage golf, are rewarded.

The greens at Burning Ridge are sneaky fast and require careful reading because subtle undulation rules the day.

Above all, Burning Ridge is a fun course to play. A pair of par 5s – No. 7 and No. 15 – play less than 485 yards from the tips so the opportunity for an eagle is there.  The second shot on 15 can be a dicey because water runs in front of the green, but if you hit the fairway off the tee, it’s worth a charge. 

Burning Ridge opens and closes with par 5s, and both holes are generally regarded as among the layout’s toughest holes. The first hole is a true three-shotter at 571 yards, and it’s ranked as the course’s toughest, according to the scorecard. The 18th, playing 529 yards, is slightly more accessible for low-handicappers, but it’s a three-shot hole.

The par 3s at Burning Ridge offer some of the facility’s most scenic holes. The back nine par 3s – No. 12 and No. 17 – have greens surrounded on three sides by water, and Aptt regards the 12th, which plays 247 yards from the tips and 200 yards from the white tees, as the course’s most difficult hole.

The front nine par 3s are more docile, particularly the 185-yard second hole that gives players a breather after the demanding first hole.

As a group, the par 4s require precision off the tee, particularly the 355-yard, fourth hole that has sand on the left and water on the right.

Keep this in mind: the front nine at Burning Ridge Golf Club is the easier side. The front-side is approximately 240 yards shorter than then back, a number that increases when No. 1, the course’s longest hole by more than 40 yards, is factored out.

“If you’ve never given it a try, come on out,” Aptt said of the course. “It’s one of the best courses on the beach for the value.”

The Verdict: Aptt’s assessment of Burning Ridge Golf Club is accurate. The course is blessed with an outstanding location on Highway 501, and it delivers good golf, outstanding conditions and a staff that goes out of its way to make everyone feel welcome. The renovation project in 2005 reinvigorated the facility and golfers continue to reap the benefits.

Burning Ridge Golf Club: 5 Things You Need To Know

By

Chris King

  on November 30, 2010 2:48 PM | Comments (0)

Burning Ridge Golf Club has been a Myrtle Beach golf institution since it opened in 1980.

Burning Ridge Golf Club, a Gene Hamm design, opened 30 years ago and has played more than 1 million rounds in the interim. While many have enjoyed a round at Burning Ridge Golf Club, there is still much to learn. With that in mind, here are five things you need to know about the course:

1. Course of the Year: Burning Ridge Golf Club won Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association and South Carolina course of the year honors in 2006. Burning Ridge earned the award based on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game.

2. On the Way in or Out: Located on Highway 501, the primary artery into Myrtle Beach, Burning Ridge Golf Club is an ideal course to play on your way into or out of town. That being said, if you play it during the middle of your trip, that’s fine, too. Burning Ridge is 10 minutes from the Atlantic and the heart of town.

3. Make Sure it Flies: The greens at Burning Ridge are well bunkered – all of them – and most are elevated. It’s not a course to play the bump-and-run. Make sure you are hitting your short irons well.

4. Plenty of Room But …: The landing areas at Burning Ridge are sufficiently wide, but there isn’t a lot of room outside of the short grass. The fairways are tree-lined and with the elevated greens, it’s not easy to make par from the pine straw.

5. Come Ready to Play: If you want to score well at Burning Ridge, the front nine is considerably shorter from both the black and white tees, so players have a chance to enjoy a fast start. If it takes you a little while to find your groove, get there in time to hit the range and be ready to go from the outset.

The 3 Best Holes At Burning Ridge Golf Club

By

Chris King

  on November 30, 2010 2:06 PM | Comments (0)

Burning Ridge Golf Club celebrated its 30th birthday in 2010.

Burning Ridge Golf Club has earned a comfortable and popular niche on the Myrtle Beach golf scene, catering to players looking for value and good conditions. With that in mind, we ask head pro Derek Aptt to name Burning Ridge Golf Club’s three best holes.

No. 4, 355-yard, par 4: One of Burning Ridge’s most memorable holes, No. 4 is a short par 4 with danger lurking everywhere. The landing area off the tee narrows to about 30 yards with water on the right and a large trap on the left. An elevated green fronted by a bunker awaits your approach.

“You definitely want to hit a three-wood or a long iron off the tee,” Aptt said. “The green slopes towards the bunker and water. Most people can’t feel the wind, but once they get the ball up in the air, the wind picks up and they will land it short. You need to be looking at the trees and the clouds (to gauge the wind).”

Is that all?!

No. 12, 247-yard, par 3: Word to the wise – don’t play this monster from the back tees. The signature hole at Burning Ridge, No. 12, which plays 200 yards from the white tees, has a green surrounded by water on three sides. The green is fairly small though there is bailout room to the left.

“Par is a great score,” Aptt said of No. 12. “Ninety percent of the time you are going into the wind. If you are going to miss, miss it left because you still have a chance to get up-and-down for par.”

The 12th hole is Burning Ridge’s toughest.

No. 17, 187-yard, par 3: Another par 3 surrounded by water on three sides, No. 17, while no less scenic, is shorter and easier than 12. The green is surrounded by four bunkers, creating a buffer between the green and the water.

That being said, the front of the green is squeezed between two bunkers and when the pin is in the front, it’s a perilous shot.