Summer brings free golf for children, family bonding thanks to Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday

I’ve always been a firm believer that cost – not time – is the bigger deterrent in trying to grow the game of golf (difficulty might be No. 1, but that’s for another story to debate).

Let’s face it. The game is just too expensive for most people, let alone families. I’m a father with a 10-year-old son who is ready to take up the game a bit more seriously and even I find it hard to swallow dishing out $50-$70 for a single tee time for the two of us. That’s what makes the “Kid’s Play Free” program in Myrtle Beach, S.C., so valuable. It’s too bad other destinations don’t make the similar commitment to nurturing the game’s future.

There are 46 Myrtle Beach golf courses, including some of the nation’s best, that allow junior golfers (kids 16 and under) to play for free when accompanied by a paying adult in summer, the region’s off-season. Several other facilities permit juniors to play at deeply discounted prices the rest of the year. Some of the top facilities include King’s North at Myrtle Beach National, Grande Dunes, Rivers Edge, Tidewater Golf Club, Heather Glen Golf Links, Glen Dornoch (see photo above), Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club and Tiger’s Eye at Ocean Plantation (see the full list here).

There are also family golf tournaments throughout the summer allowing kids to play for free: click here for more information. Myrtle Beach is a great family vacation spot in summer. The beach will be crowded with tourists, but generally the courses are less busy. If planned properly, a family with younger players can head out onto the course to relax and enjoy the setting without being pushed and pressured too badly by more experienced, faster players.

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday deserves a shout-out for launching this initiative. It’s one of many great programs that gives back to the game.