THE TRAVEL GOLF GUY

Myrtle Beach remakes and plenty of other Grand Strand musings

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Nov. 15, 2003) -- Myrtle Beach is Las Vegas without the teeth. Here, the gambling takes place on video machines in smoky gas stations. Throngs of babes in thongs slide down polls at gentlemen's clubs, but they lack the panache of their distant western cousins.

Myrtle Beach is Las Vegas with about 60 more golf courses. Then again, if Las Vegas defined its boundaries the way Myrtle Beach does (60 miles long and 15 or so miles wide) it might have 122 golf courses, too. Or is it 117?

Whatever.

• Myrtle Beach: Top 10 scenic courses • The best par 3's of the south strand in Myrtle Beach • Myrtle Beach colf clubs, courses and resorts • Myrtle Beach golf courses

Courses have opened (too long a list to list) and courses have closed (Gator Hole, Robber's Roost, Ocean Harbor and Marsh Harbor), but one thing remains the same along this Grandest of Strands: there are more dive bars named after two guys and Irish pubs with Bud Light on tap but no Guinness than anywhere else in the world.

Myrtle Beach always produces a myriad of musings for the Travel Golf Guy, most of which are formulated somewhere in between putting out on course No. 116 and settling into Mike and Pat's. Or was it Gary and Red's? Doesn't matter.

Myrtle Beach remakes

TGG has to hand it to a few Myrtle Beach area courses working hard to improve their playing surfaces. The Dunes Club, the undisputed patriarch of golf in these parts, is undergoing a makeover by Rees Jones. Jones' father, the legendary Robert Trent Jones, was the original architect of record.

Preliminary word on this circa 1948 layout is that the redo is the real deal and course officials will be gunning for some high caliber amateur and professional events. Jones has established himself not only as one of the preeminent architects of his time, but as arguably the finest golf course restoration man of all time. The course is set to reopen Dec. 1 so it can be broken in gently during the off season.

At the other end of the remodeling spectrum are Crown Park and Blackmoor. Crown Park was designed by a local developer's son and was one of the final installments of the 1980 to 2001 golf course boom. The course's summer Bermuda grass never took hold, and the rambling, 27-hole layout was a little ambitious for a lay-designer. The course recently closed nine holes and reworked the remaining 18.

Blackmoor is a fantastic Gary Player circuit that simply needed some new putting surfaces and got them in the form of new Tif Eagle Bermuda grass greens. This South Strand staple was once the highest priced course on the beach until ubiquitous golf course housing and stiff competition from newer high end daily fee courses got the best of it.

Travel Golf Guy paid both new-look courses a visit and came away impressed. Crown Park was in excellent condition, pace of play was brisk, and the clubhouse is well-conceived and cozy. Design critics will have a field day on the track (bunkers without faces, a par-3 18th hole, lack-luster mounding). Average golfers with average wallets will have a field day, too, since a round of golf with cart costs less than $40 this time of year. Blackmoor was also in pristine condition, coming off its fall overseeding. The new Tif Eagle Bermuda greens were Poa Triv by the time Travel Golf Guy arrived on the scene, but still rolled fast and true.

Also on the mend is the Dan Maples designed course at Sea Trail. The menu of improvements included an upgrade from Bermuda grass to A1/A4 blended bentgrass, the redesign of several greens complexes, modification of five tee boxes, bunker facelifts, and some cart path and landscaping upgrades. The course officially re-opened on Nov. 11.

More Myrtle Beach musings

-- If I had to pick one part of Myrtle Beach and never leave, it would be the South Strand. Great courses and great seafood all in a bucolic, Lowcountry setting. If I could never leave Myrtle Beach, I'd have a 40-inch beer-and-Grouper belly and a cushy ranger gig.

-- If I had to pick one South Strand golf course to play every day, it would be Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island. How does this Jack Nicklaus designed tidewater layout not get more mention as one of the area's best courses?

-- If I had to eat at one restaurant every day in the South Strand seafood capital of Murrells Inlet, it would be Russell's. Ever heard of Hog Snapper? May not sound appetizing, but if there is a filet mignon of the fish world, this is it. Fried, blackened or broiled, it melts in the mouth.

Travel Golf Guy gear guide

Long-time extreme sports gear manufacturer Oakley is getting into the not-so-extreme golf gear market. The So-Cal based company has tapped the young and flamboyant Ricky Barnes to endorse its stylish shades and Gen-X and Y golf apparel.

While Oakley is taking a big chance with Barnes -- the 2002 U.S. Amateur champ turned professional back in Aug., missed seven straight cuts, and will try to make his way through two stages of Q-school -- golfers can rest assured that the purchase of a pair of Half Jacket specs is a good investment decision.

The sleek, flexible frame and removable XYZ optic patented lenses are ideal for golfers playing in a variety of sun-scapes, from cloudy to blinding. The lightest lenses actually filter out excess blue and green, making finding a little white ball in thick, green rough that much easier. The darkest lenses are ideal for Florida or Arizona golf trips that can tear at your retinas.

Travel Golf Guy test drove a pair of HJs while in Myrtle Beach and developed a healthy co-dependency. The tapered lenses eliminate the depth perception problems created by off-the-drug store-shelf shades and the open edge design covers the entire field of vision.

Translation: you can actually wear these babies while you play. The only knock on the HJ's from this camp is that changing the lenses requires a great deal of patience and skill (fresh out, darn it.) The Half Jackets retail for between $130 and $160, depending on the frame. Log on to oakley.com for more info and cool pix.

On Deck

The economy is on the up and up and air travel has transitioned from tolerable, to feasible, to desirable. So what? So, GOLF TRIP! Scotland gets all the ink, Ireland is a close second, and you hear Wales and England are underrated. But what do you really know about these pantheons of the game's roots? Travel Golf Guy talks to the experts and breaks it down for you. Exchange rates, value, hospitality, nightlife -- nothing is off limits next week.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.