This Week at TravelGolf.com: Feb. 5, 2009

Three new golf course openings in Myrtle Beach highlight 2009 golf season

Down in South Carolina, the Grand Strand's golfing buffet will be stocked with a few new items in 2009, thanks to two course re-openings and a brand new golf course coming later this year.

So if your regular Myrtle Beach golf course rotation is in need of some fresh blood, consider checking out one of these fresh new faces on this year's golf trip:

The year's most anticipated unveiling is Pine Lakes Country Club, the area's first golf club, established in 1927. Under the knife for two years now, it will reopen on March 14 with two brand new holes, new Seadwarf Paspallum turf and restorations to it's originally intended green sizes among many other enhancements.

The historic clubhouse is also being entirely renovated and will make for one of the Strand's most memorable 19th holes, full of memorabilia (it will also be the home of the new Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame). Though a little long in the tooth before it closed down, this classic club is now set to reside among the area's premium golf courses.

Ready for play right now is the reopened Eastport Golf Club, now named The Valley Club at Eastport. The golf course closed in Jan. 2007 in favor of real estate, but new ownership chose to instead revamp the course, which had a soft opening in December.

Though the course design hasn't changed much since it's 1988 opening and is a modest 6,200 yards, it's set on some great, rolling property in the heart of Little River. Rates are currently $35 but have not yet been set for the rest of the year.

A brand new golf course is also slated to open this fall at the Ocean Ridge Plantation, Jaguar's Lair, built on the site of the former 36-hole Angels Trace Golf Links. It will be the fifth of the "Big Cats" and is designed by Tim Cate, who also built the resort's acclaimed Tiger's Eye and 2007's Leopard's Chase.

As always, TravelGolf.com welcomes your comments.

Playing Seaside's Bayonet and Black Horse courses? Attractive deals abound

Until Seaside Resort's 275-to-300-room luxury hotel and clubhouse are built, the facility has partnered with upscale Monterey-area hotels to offer stay-and-play packages. The deals allow golfers to enjoy Monterey in style, and take on the famed Bayonet and Black Horse courses, which re-opened in December after a $13 million renovation.

Course review: Bayonet on the Monterey Peninsula

Podcast: Gary Wiren on the PGA Show, cheap clubs online, and golf photo tips

This week, podcast host Dave Berner talks to PGA Hall of Fame member Gary Wiren about the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. 50dollargolf.com helps golfers find great deals on eBay. Plus, WorldGolf.com's Mike Bailey talks about course photography and how to get better shots.

Column: Ted Britschgi's golf revolution

Golfer Supremacy Rankings find a new Monty (Rory McIlroy) and the old Tiger

Here at the Golfer Supremacy Rankings, we have a simple mission statement: always promote golfers. Basically, even if we need to invent things to make the world's greatest golfers stand out, we'll do it. Luckily for us, the world's greatest golfers always give us something to promote. So sit back and allow us to present to you some of the great - and not-so-great - goings on in the world of golf.

Shanks: Rory McIlroy is golf's new superstar