Money. It is the only possible reason for the powers-that-be to have selected Sunningdale Golf Club as the site of the Ricoh Women’s British Open. By staying relatively close to London they figure to draw the largest crowd possible. But I think it’s shortsighted and a big mistake. The very phrase “Open Championship” in Great Britain is synonymous with links golf. Why on earth would the event be hosted on an inland course? British golf fans are arguably the most knowledgeable in the world and will make a small trek to watch a major championship contested over a great site. Look, ... full post »

The final golf course I played during vacation was Aberdeen Country Club in Longs, S.C., about 10 minutes drive west out of North Myrtle Beach. Once called Buck Creek back in the day, this course has seen improvement since I last played it years ago. I suppose being included in the Masters Collection group of courses has done it much good. Everything about it is slightly smaller in stature than Long Bay Club, it’s more famous neighbor across Hwy 9, including the houses you drive past to get to the unassuming, single-level clubhouse. I don’t say that as a bad ... full post »

The second course I played during my recent family vacation was Long Bay Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus, located on Hwy 9 about ten minutes drive west out of North Myrtle Beach. A neat little trick by the Golden Bear was to route the drive from the main entrance to the clubhouse right past the most fearsome hole on the course, just to put it into the back of your mind, but more on that later. There is a handsome, two story, all-brick clubhouse with all of the amenities you would expect. Pulling into the bag drop area you’ll notice ... full post »

The first course I played during my recent family vacation was the King’s North Course, designed by Arnold Palmer, at the Myrtle Beach National golf complex located on Hwy 501 just a few miles out of central Myrtle Beach. There are two other courses on the property also, West and South Creek, but King’s North is the easily the best of the three. Upon arrival, I got the full country club greeting from the friendly guys running the bag drop. After checking in a good 45 minutes ahead of my starting time in the amply-sized and well-stocked clubhouse, I was ... full post »

Just got back from a week-long family vacation in Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina. To be precise, we stayed in the city of North Myrtle Beach. We hadn’t been there for quite a while and some things have changed over the past 4 to 5 years. The area itself appears undergoing a gradual transformation. Some of the old family-owned and operated Mom n’ Pop stores are closing in favor of modern, slicker and better-marketed offerings. Perhaps the slowing economy will drag out the change even further. Another thing I noticed was the closure of a few of the less ... full post »