Posted: January 6, 2010 1:05 PM
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Myrtle Beach golf
Practice in your house during the winter
The winter has rolled into Myrtle Beach like a lion. I have to say, we were pretty lucky all through November and December, but now it is just cold!!! We have stopped going to the range to practice due to the winter winds and low temperatures, but that doesn’t mean my family and I stopped practicing! I went to Martin’s Golf Super Center and found a $32.00 pitching net, a little grass hitting mat and a bag of wiffle balls and have set them up in our bedroom room. My family and I practice our short game for hours and it will prove beneficial in the early months of spring when we get back on the course! I predict that we are going to shave off a lot of shots around the green and boy, does it beat the boredom of having to stay inside!!! I like the pitching nets because you can fold them up and get them out of the way when you are finished playing. You can also buy a putting practice set to practice your putting on. I use the carpet in our house and mainly work on moving around instead of sitting in front of the TV or playing board games.
Posted: November 12, 2009 10:18 AM
| Posted By : Coastal Tee Times
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Myrtle Beach Golf Package
Coastal Tee Times is offering a very reasonably priced golf weekend starting on March 18, 2010 thru April 25, 2010, a three night stay which includes three rounds of golf for $185.00 per person based on four people per condo.
The accommodations are located at the Villas at Aberdeen Country Club. Located on highway 9 just outside North Myrtle Beach, the villas are close to highway 31 giving guests’ easy access to the night life in Myrtle Beach. The Two bedroom condos are nicely furnished and overlook Aberdeen Country Club.
The golf courses included in the package are Carolina Shores, Palmetto Greens and Azalea Sands. Azalea Sands is one of the original golf courses in North Myrtle Beach. The course is refreshingly flat and challenging from the back tees. Small pushed up greens, makes approach shots difficult. Signature Golf Group recently became the management company of Azalea Sands. They closed the course for the month of October while they put course conditions back into shape. Azalea Sands is being reintroduced to Myrtle Beach! For a short time period, Signature lowered the package rate in order to entice players to come and experience this landmark course again. Our second course, Palmetto Greens, used to be Colonial Charters until its redesign last year. This course was designed as a risk and reward layout making the course a lot of fun and a great place to play for the price. Carolina Shore is located in Calabash, North Carolina. 10 minutes from Aberdeen, Carolina Shores is a classic in the area. The course is known for the bunkering around the green complexes. With a nice variety of holes, Carolina Shores is also perfectly priced for this golf package.
A great time does not have to be expensive. Play our Tequila Sunrise package for $185.00 in the spring. Bring friends or family and enjoy the company and golf all at the same time without having to dip into your savings account. Coastal Tee Times offers custom golf packages as well as several other package combinations that can be found in the golf packages section of our website.
Posted: November 9, 2009 12:18 PM
| Posted By : Coastal Tee Times
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Myrtle Beach golf
Cape Fear National, a new golf course in the area is opening. Located in Brunswick County North Carolina, this Tim Cate designed course equals his previous golf courses (Tiger’s Eye, Thistle and Leopard’s Chase) and is another masterful scope of work.
I would describe Tim’s design as visually impressive. His use of bunkering, water features, wetlands and native landscaped beds appeals to my eye. The landscape beds are on the outlaying areas of the hole, but if you hit your ball in one these beds, you will most likely see it for the last time! Numerous water features are placed to catch errant shots. Many of the water features are out of play, but you will notice them and it tends to add pressure to your shot. The bunkers which surround the green are pronounced and deep. They are well placed adding a dramatic back drop to the green.
As any Tim Cate designed golf course, the layout is straight in front of you. It is easier to approach the green from one side of the fairway as opposed to the other side, but most greens have a run up alley. Like the recent Cate golf courses, if you are not hitting your drives straight, remember to bring lots of balls. You may need them. It is also the challenge from the tee that makes Cape Fear National so interesting. The fairways are very generous, but once you leave them, it becomes penal. The fairways are bermuda grass and the greens are bent grass. I Think Cape Fear National will prove to be one of the favorites in the Myrtle Beach area for years to come.
Posted: November 6, 2009 10:19 AM
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Golf
Each time I play a golf course for the first time, I spend a lot of the time noticing the course design. I marvel at the architect’s ability to create something from nothing. In many ways, they are true nature artists. The architect takes a natural piece of land and molds it into a beautiful place. They must strike a balance between playability and difficulty. It is easy to design a course that is unplayable but it takes talent to make a golf course challenging beautiful and a fair test of your golf game. Make it too easy then players feel ripped off. If you make it too difficult, and players will not return tell their friends not to play there.
Much like art, course design is individually judged by every person who plays it. My father loves Picasso, while I do not understand his work. I love Rembrandt but some do not. In fact some people don’t like art at all and the same can be said for golf. Each person evaluates golf courses differently and like art the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
When I was the Head Golf Professional at River Landing, Clyde Johnston designed nine additional holes for the club. I spent time with Clyde walking the land prior to construction and it was a fascinating process. Standing in the woods, he would point into the distance and say “that is where the 22nd green will be located. What a beautiful area.” I looked as instructed and all I could see were trees. Architects use the land as their canvass. It starts out empty. By the time their vision is out on paper and eventually the dirt is moved a magnificent course appears. It is amazing watching the architect work. Like painters, architects change their designs many times during the construction phase of the process. They move from here to there. They move bunkers three feet to the left or right. Many architect reserve the right to come back after a couple of years and make changes to the golf course because for them the work is never finished. At Murfield, Jack Nicklaus makes changes to the course every few years. He sees things he wants to improve upon to make the course better. I spoke with an artist in Paris one day who told me he sold his paintings so that they would be finished, otherwise he would constantly go back and tinker with them.
I believe that golf courses should be appreciated as art. Not all golf courses will be liked by everyone. The next time you play enjoy the creativity of the architect to create something from nothing.
Posted: September 23, 2009 2:00 PM
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Myrtle Beach Golf News
As a PGA professional, I am proud that the organization of which I am a member, the PGA of America, has such a profound influence on the young. The mission statement of the First Tee of Brunswick County is “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf” Thanks to volunteers, donations, fund-raisers and children, the first tee program thrives in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The first tee program exposes kids to the game of golf and more importantly, it teaches them how to be better people. The core values of the First Tee program say volumes about what they stand for: Courtesy, Judgment, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Confidence and Perseverance. The Thistle Golf Club in Calabash, North Carolina, hosted a golf tournament on September 22, 2009 to raise money for The Brunswick County chapter of the First Tee. Wal-Mart was a co-sponsor for the day activities. 34 teams entered and were treated to a golf clinic conducted by Nick Bradley, Justin Rose’s instructor, and a fantastic round of golf. According to the players, the Thistle was in excellent shape as always. The team from Burroughs and Chapin Company won first place. Over $50,000 was raised for the First Tee of Brunswick County from this event. Gene Weldon, Head Golf Professional at the Thistle and a board member for the First Tee of Brunswick County was thrilled with the event. “It was a wonderful day”, Gene told me. “I am looking forward to next year already”.
Posted: September 14, 2009 3:17 PM
| Posted By : Coastal Tee Times
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Myrtle Beach golf,Golf
Blog Recession:
Better days are coming for Myrtle Beach golf visitors. The economy affected the new golf course rates. Due to the downturn of the economy and the reduced number of travelers, Myrtle Beach golf packages are less expensive in the fall 2009 and 2010 compared to last year.
Golf courses are offering lower prices in the fall to help stimulate business to the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach golf package companies are working on smaller margins in order to attract more customers. Like the real estate business, golf during the 90’s and 2000’s saw a tremendous increase in the fees they charged guests. With the outlook for recovery getting better, this the perfect season to get away.
This fall The Legends (Heathland, Moorland, Parkland, Oyster Bay and Heritage Club), Myrtle Beach National (Aberdeen, Waterway Hills, Southcreek and Myrtle Beach West), Sandpiper Bay and others offered a new reduced rate schedule for the fall. The Glens group offered a free round fourth round for the fall. The list of specials goes on and on. It is more affordable to play golf in Myrtle Beach now than it has been in years. This trend is continuing into 2010.
I played Oyster Bay on Saturday and the pricing changes have not affected their course conditions or their service to the customer. I believe that conditions throughout the beach will continue to meet the high standards which regular visitors have always enjoyed. I also believe that customer service will improve as the need for customer satisfaction plays a prominent role in the success of tourism to Myrtle Beach.
The lower rates, the continued great course conditions and the customer service improvements are a recipe to added value. That is why I would consider a golf package with you family or friends to Myrtle Beach. Don’t forget your juniors in the family-they play free!
Posted: September 13, 2009 10:00 PM
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Myrtle Beach Golf News
The U.S. Senate approved travel promotion legislation this week that Grand Strand leaders say could translate into more foreign visitors on local beaches.
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009, now headed to the House, would establish a nonprofit corporation to inform foreigners of American entry policies and promote leisure, business and scholarly travel to the United States.
Promotion funding would come from private sector contributions and a $10 fee for international travelers who do not pay $131 for a visa to enter the United States.
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ONLINE Find more tourism news in the Inside the Industry blog at TheSunNews.com/ business.
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Myrtle Beach area marketers turn eyes to Europeans
Myrtle Beach area marketers turn eyes to Europeans
When it comes to attracting foreign visitors to the Grand Strand, some local tourism leaders are looking to Congress for help.
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which has been introduced in the House and Senate, would create a nonprofit corporation to advertise the U.S. as a travel destination in foreign countries. The campaign would be funded by industry contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who do not have to pay for a visa.
The travel industry, including the U.S. Travel Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, have been lobbying heavily for the bill. One estimate says the bill would attract 1.6 million new foreign visitors a year, create $4 billion in spending and drive $321 million in new federal tax revenue. All told, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could reduce the budget deficit by $425 million.
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The Carolinas want you to come visit
The Carolinas want you to come visit
With the rise of gas prices and the weak economy prompting vacationers to curb their plans, tourism destinations in the Carolinas have started targeting their own residents or those nearby.
"We're going to try to focus as much as we can closer to home," said Scott Schult, the vice president of marketing for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "That is important. The research supports that."
With bus tours, e-mail blasts and Internet advertising, tourism groups are trying to spread a message that staying closer to home is more affordable and more fun.
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International golf tours check out MB
International golf tours check out MB
Chitaranjan Bakhshi had never been to Myrtle Beach before, but not only does he want to come back, he also wants to send many more golfers from India to vacation here.
Bakhshi's company, pashIndia, sells golf packages to Indians who travel around the world with their families to play golf. He's one of more than 50 golf tour operators who visited the Grand Strand last week at the midyear convention of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.
"I want to go back and promote the World Am," he said of one of the major golf events on the Grand Strand. "It's a great destination. ... Good value for money, great golf."
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Myrtle where?
Myrtle where?
Ever talk to a person outside the Carolinas who thought Myrtle Beach was in Florida? Or said, 'Myrtle where?'
Nearly 60 percent of potential travelers in a recent survey were only "slightly familiar" with Myrtle Beach or had never heard of it at all. And those are the folks who live in the states where Myrtle Beach is advertised the most as a vacation destination.
That's bad news for tourism promoters, who spend $2 million a year trying to get the word out about Myrtle Beach.
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Spirit Airlines' addition aims to serve golfers
Spirit Airlines' addition aims to serve golfers
Travelers between Myrtle Beach and Chicago have an easier way to get back and forth starting today with the launch of a daily, nonstop flight on Spirit Airlines.
Grand Strand tourism leaders herald the new flight to Chicago O'Hare International Airport as an opportunity to lure more visitors to the beach, especially golfers from the Chicago area.
"It has huge potential," said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a marketing group that also works to get flights to the beach. "Chicago is the No. 2 golf market east of the Mississippi behind New York. It is a tremendous opportunity for us."
"This important piece of legislation re-establishes our ability to promote our nation as a great travel destination and protects tourism by growing international travel," said Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "The act helps level the playing field for smaller destinations like South Carolina when competing with larger destinations like Florida and California. For the Myrtle Beach area, the measure addresses concerns from our Canadian and European visitors."
Wendy Bernstein, a marketing research manager from the chamber, said the chamber does not keep track of how many international visitors come to the Myrtle Beach area.
In 2007, the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism estimated 80,000 foreign travelers came to South Carolina. That estimate did not include travelers from Canada and Mexico.
About 852,400 Canadians visited South Carolina that year, Nancy Gray, a spokeswoman for the chamber, said, citing statewide statistics.
Visitors from Germany and the United Kingdom made up the two largest groups, Bernstein said.
"We can't compete internationally with Orlando, Las Vegas and New York, but for the size of our destination, we do get a significant number" of foreign travelers, said Bill Golden, president of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a marketing group. "If executed as they say they will, it will only assist that effort."
The area wants to be more aggressive in international promotions, and this act will serve as a supplement, he said.
"Certainly we know golf is popular there, but there's other things, with shopping and the restaurants, that need to be reintroduced so that they can see how we've matured and evolved as a destination," Golden said.
Gary Edwards, managing director of Coastal South Carolina USA, said he will be watching carefully to make sure it's not purely a promotion act to benefit "New York, Disney and California." Coastal South Carolina USA is a consortium of convention and visitors bureaus and private sector firms that promote international travel to Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Hilton Head Island.
"We know all of the players in the Department of Commerce [that are working with the program] and we will be standing there taking advantage of any opportunity that this presents us," he said.
Oxford Economics estimated that if done correctly, the proposed promotion program could attract 1.6 million new international visitors and would generate $4 billion in new economic stimulus and $321 million in new federal tax revenue each year.
The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the program would create nearly 40,000 new American jobs in the first year.
Even if your visiting this country or live near Myrtle Beach along the Grand Strand, Coastal Tee Times as the perfect Myrtle Beach golf packages for you. Check our golf discounts today.
Posted: September 11, 2009 2:55 PM
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Golf
What is the best golf ball for your game? That is the question that each golf ball manufacture is trying to answer for you. Titliest markets their golf balls as being the number one ball on Tour and if it good for the tour player it is great for you. Nike markets their golf ball as the one Tiger likes best. If Nike is good for Tiger it is great for you. Callaway spends a lot of advertising dollars explaining why it is good for their Tour players so it must be great for you. Taylor Made markets their drivers as being number one on Tour so their golf balls are developed by the same engineers that developed the number driver on Tour. What does all this mean to you? Nothing!
Chose a golf ball you can afford that matches your game. Golf balls are so expensive when you consider that most players lose at least two balls per round. So what is the answer? The longest ball in golf goes further off line because it is the longest ball. Inexpensive golf balls are designed to go longer but they generally don’t spin much making chipping and putting more difficult. Try a golf ball that has a moderate spin rate. That ball will give you feel but also promotes distance.
I recommend that you take golf lessons from a PGA professional if you want to improve your abilities. Equipment and golf balls are marketed to make us all believe that switching will create dramatic improvement, but it won’t unless what you use today is poor matched to your golf swing. Once again a properly trained instructor will help you evaluate your equipment and golf balls to asses if they are right for you. I buy a lot of golf balls and my preference is the Nike One but I would not recommend that ball for my wife. My game has improved not because Tiger and I use the same type of golf ball, but because I started taking golf lessons from Justin Rose’s teacher, Nick Bradley. The improvement in my game is amazing.
Posted: September 10, 2009 10:51 AM
| Posted By : Coastal Tee Times
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Golf
The cost of building a new golf course has skyrocketed during the past 10 years. Renovating an existing golf course if completed to meet today’s standard can be equally expensive. Myrtle Beach reopened the Granddaddy this spring and I had the opportunity to play the remodeled PineLakes this past Sunday.
I have supervised two reconstructions before and built two golf courses as a Head Golf Professional. I was interested to see the changes made. It was everything but a disappointment. Adding several new water features and accenting the already existing water features elevated the updated PineLakes’ appeal. The course has the feel of an older course due to the hole layouts, but complimented by the appearance of a modern design. The architect masterfully combined the new with the old, giving the guest a sense of being in the past while presenting the challenges of the present.
The golf course condition was perfect. The greens have Seashore Paspalum grass. The fairways, roughs and tee boxes are bermuda grass. A nice variety of native grasses surrounds water features and defines areas out of play. Detailed manicuring and maintenance heighten to the overall experience of playing the Granddaddy. PineLakes is a wonderful golf course to play on any Myrtle Beach golf package you chose for your next visit to the Grand Strand.
Posted: September 2, 2009 2:30 PM
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Golf
The FedEx playoffs are about to start on the PGA Tour. I get so excited this time of year because of the start of the NFL and college football seasons. I find it hard to get invested in the end of year golf playoffs. I forgot to mention the US Open in Flushing Meadows begins next Monday.
I already know who the best player in world is. I know who the best player was this year, once again. So what is the point of the playoff system? In other sports, if you lose you go home. In golf, you beat enough players, you continue. The past three playoffs did not create the excitement that the PGA was hoping for.
I would love to see different formats in the final four weeks of the year and eliminate the playoffs. I would love to see the players divided into two teams. Maybe the teams would be determined by players who finish even numbered on one team and those odd numbered players on another. Play a two man better ball match play event over four days.The winning team continues the following week and the loser goes home. On the second week play a stableford format. The third week and fourth week find formats that are most commonly played by amateurs with their friends on the weekends.
After the PGA championship what really remains as relevant to the tour players. I wonder what kind of ratings the playoffs brings for the networks. A shortened golf season would allow the players to play more golf outside the United States and help grow the sport in new countries. It is on to football, baseball and tennis for me.
