Acts of vandalism aren’t exactly frequent in the world of golf, but sometimes they can cause real damage. Crow Creek Golf Plantation in Myrtle Beach reopened all 18 holes last week after a disgruntled (former employees who commit vandalism are always described as “disgruntled") employee allegedly dumped an herbicide on the greens. The front nine had been closed for most of the summer. The course opened the front nine in June, but closed them again when it was determined they could not handle the heat and traffic. The course has bentgrass greens, which are generally considered a superior putting surface, but ... full post »

Both of Deer Track Golf Resort’s courses have closed, leaving members who have paid dues with no home course to play. The resort has been plagued by lawsuits and disputes with developers, and in early September, the owners, a group headed by North Carolina developer McCray Smith, closed the North course, known as the Toski Links. Toski Links was considered the better of the resort’s two courses, and had undergone an extensive renovation last summer. Shortly after, the South course closed abruptly Sept. 11, though an official told Myrtle Beach Online the closure may be temporary. Deer Track joins about a dozen other ... full post »

Everybody in the media – at least in the U.S. – is now writing their obligatory “10 ways for America to win back the Ryder Cup” baloney. So here’s mine. Don’t worry, it’s short. 1. Get better players. “Just five out of the top 20 players in the world rankings are Americans,” said NBC analyst Johnny Miller. “That’s unheard of.” That’s bad enough. What is infinitely worse is the way our millionaires rolled over. I’m taking a perverse pleasure in the bashing by the European media. They deserve it. James Lawton, in the Belfast Telegraph, says the recent European romps may even prompt organizers to call ... full post »

It’s time to bring in Jack Nicklaus as the Ryder Cup captain. As much as I dislike the man personally, he alone can make a difference in the defensive, namby-pamby way the Americans play and maybe stop this national embarrassment. Tom Lehman can make the Americans sing all the college fight songs he wants. He can try to manufacture all the phony camaraderie he wants, but team spirit isn’t going to do it. The Europeans grow up playing silly games as schoolboys. They grow up hoisting pints together in pubs from the time they reach the legal drinking age of six. The ... full post »

Tiger Woods is not a team player. I don’t know why. You don’t know why. I doubt even Woods knows why. He’s showing signs of coming around in this 36th Ryder Cup, even though the Euros are kicking our ass again, but he isn’t dominating like he should. Talk all about the cultural differences in the way golf is played on the two continents, but I just think Woods is one of those guys who can only reach total focus when he’s playing by and for himself. That’s not an indictment, because I really believe Woods is taking his leadership seriously. But, ... full post »

I’m a big fan of harbingers and portents, but I’m also superstitious, so I’m a little leery about mentioning this. But… A U.S. media contingent whipped its European counterparts recently in a pre-Ryder Cup event. Whipped them good. Pounded them, in fact. Got them down, put a foot on their throat, and never let up. Sent them home with their tails between their legs. All in good fun, of course. My group was playing against a silent Scot and a huge Swede. The Swede wanted to win so badly he took himself out of the game. We played at the Palmer course at ... full post »

I don’t watch as much late-night television as I used to, but I’m sure Michelle Wie is, or will be soon be, the butt of some nasty jokes. Even Wie fanatics are starting to question the wisdom of “following her dream” of competing on the PGA Tour. Hey, I have dreams, too, but if I were to actually try to get the phone numbers of every Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, I’d be tossed into the parking lot by some beefy security thugs. This is getting to be extremely amusing, in a perverse sort of way. How many shots will she miss the ... full post »

Myrtle Beach has a ton of golf courses, but even more restaurants. Try Martinis in North Myrtle Beach. It’s a piano bar that gets rowdy at night, and the locals love it. Get the filet mignon, with the best sauce I’ve had on the Grand Strand. It’s a local hangout that’s been through a number of changes over the years and keeps coming back. I hope it stays the way it is. Look for a story soon on eateries the locals suggest. These guys have lived here, in some cases, for more than 30 years. They know where to eat. full post »

Golf courses are getting to be dangerous places. I was at The Pearl in the north Grand Strand recently, and saw an ambulance on an adjacent fairway, not something you want to see when you start a round. It turns out there had been a minor injury involving an employee and a lawn mower. In Marsh Landing, Florida, a small plane made an emergency landing recently at the Marsh Landing Golf Course. “I heard something and I came out and he was landed by then,” one witness told News4Jax.com. “It was pretty scary.” No injuries in that incident, but at Sawgrass Country ... full post »

Michelle Wie may break the modern-era record for excuses. Another bogey, another excuse. Another double-bogey, another excuse. Another missed cut against the men, another excuse. This time, it’s homework, of all things. After carving a 78 at the Omega European Masters on Thursday, Wie said she was “stressed” because of the homework she was assigned for her first week in school. She’s obviously going to miss the cut, and will surely come up with another excuse. Maybe she’ll be upset because of the wrong color fingernail polish. Who knows? Wie should follow the advice of those people who gave her $10 million: “Just do it.” full post »

Those planning a visit to Pinehurst this Fall are in for a treat. Most of the courses in and around golf’s hallowed grounds are already in good shape, ready and waiting, the result of cooperating weather. “We’ve had a great growing season,” said Greg Austin, a golf packager, former club pro and life-long resident of Pinehurst. “The courses I’ve played have been in phenomenal shape.” True enough, a late August tour of Pinehurst and area courses showed most of the tracks are already in prime condition. The greens at Pinehurst No. 4 are somewhat beaten up – the result of the U.S. ... full post »

Some good news for Grand Strand golfers, or those who wish they were golfing on the Grand Strand: The Brunswick Plantation in the northernmost part of the Strand, in Calabash, N.C. has re-opened its three nine-hole layouts after renovations. “The look, feel and challenge of Brunswick Plantation are dramatically different now that we’ve completed our renovation,” head pro Shawn Hicken said in a press release.” The club added trees, shrubs and grasses, as well as seven new tee boxes so that any 18-hole combination can play to nearly 7,000 yards. Still, the renovations have improved playability – a golf industry euphemism that ... full post »

Anyone planning to visit Myrtle Beach this weekend to play golf shouldn’t be put off by Ernesto, the tropical storm that never quite reached hurricane status. The storm mostly passed by the Grand Strand, dumping a lot of rain and some wind, but basically left golf courses intact, though soggy. It made landfall near Cape Fear, N.C. near midnight Thursday, packing winds of 70 miles per hour. “Just some rain,” said Myrtle Beach golf packager Carson Courage. “We are checking some courses now, but nothing so far.” The storm did disrupt the World Amateur Handicap Championships being played up and down the ... full post »

Greece? We can’t beat Greece? Forget Argentina or Spain or even Germany. We can’t beat Greece? The U.S. basketball team lost to Greece in the semifinals of the world championships yesterday 101-95. Most of the U.S. team sulked back to the locker room, with only coach Mike Krzyewski and a handful of U.S. players venturing to mid-court to congratulate the Greeks. We lost in diplomacy and good sportsmanship, too. When I first heard the score, my initial embarrassment turned to amusement. I actually think America’s inability to win a world championship in basketball, even with a team loaded with NBA all-stars, is a ... full post »