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By
BRENT LONG
The
great part about my Myrtle Beach vacations
is that they will be different from yours.
You can go to an island in the Caribbean
for a week, but when all is said and done
you have seen and played everything at least
once. In my books, Myrtle Beach means endless
golf and a great place if you're looking
for a quick getaway that won't kill your
pocket book. I have driven down to see family
a couple of times in the last three-four
years and except for that one nasty $300
speeding ticket in North Carolina on the
way home, we've always had a great time
and arrived home refreshed by the sun, warmer
temperatures, sandy beaches and friendly
atmosphere
While
my wife loves shopping at the Tanger
Factory Outlet Center in North Myrtle
Beach and looking at designer labels or
going to the beach with our little one,
I always find to check out golf's big-name
brands like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus,
Gary Player, Greg Norman, Davis Love, Pete
Dye, Ray Floyd and lesser known designers
for a good time. There are over 100 courses
in the Myrtle Beach area, and while that's
probably too many from an owners' point
of view, it means you can find some great
deals especially with the economy in the
dumper as resorts and courses look to fill
rooms and fairways.
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You
can't go wrong with a stop at Legends
Golf Resort, one of the area's
finest playgrounds just 15 minutes
from Myrtle Beach's handy airstrip
if flying is your thing. The fully
equipped golf villas are great for
family vacations or a guys' getaway.
They have three terrific courses on
site, (Mooreland, Heathland and Parkland)
a terrific academy to help get your
game up to speed and three more courses
just minutes away (TPC of Myrtle Beach,
Oyster Bay and The Heritage Club.
Golf Digest recently published its
Top-50 Toughest Courses in America
and the Moorland course at Legends
Resort was named #37 on the list.
Moorland was the only course from
Myrtle Beach and one of only two from
South Carolina. The other was Kiawah's
Ocean Course which was rated #1. If
you're up for a real challenge, it's
sure to be one of your favorites.
If
there's such a thing as a "Hidden
Gem" in the Myrtle Beach area
you might want to check out Oyster
Bay Links that's actually just
over the border in North Carolina.
It was voted the 1983 Golf Digest
"Resort Course of the Year"
and it hasn't lost any of its luster.
In fact the 6,700-yard, par-70 layout
has only gotten better by all accounts.
You won't soon forget the cavernous
and wicked bunkers architect Dan Maples
if you first get through several tricky
marsh-oriented holes, two island par-3s
and several strategically places freshwater
ponds. Green fees for both courses
range from $70 to $140 depending on
time of year.
If
you're staying right in Myrtle Beach,
don't overlook trying to play 18 holes
at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club that
is continually ranked as the No. 1
course in town. In fact, it's the
only course to be ranked as one of
the one of the "Top 100 Courses
in America" by both Golf Digest
and GOLF Magazine. Public access is
limited, so booking through one of
the golf tour companies may be the
best route. The golf course was built
in 1948 and is recognized as one of
Robert Trent Jones finest designs.
Most recently Jones' son Rees completed
a renovation in 2003 and it's simply
amazing.
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Mooreland
at Legends
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The
Dunes
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World
Tour Golf Links
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Oyster
Bay
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If
you're a fan of Wooden Sticks Golf Club
north of Toronto with its replica holes
from courses around the world, you should
check out International World Tour Golf
Links. I know it has a long name, but
there's nothing wrong with that when you
can play up to 27 holes from layouts like
Pine Valley, Augusta National, St. Andrews,
Bay Hill, Sawgrass, Royal Troon and even
the opening hole of The National Golf Club
of Canada near Toronto. Here's a couple
of interesting facts; to play the courses
which inspired World Tour Golf Links, you'd
have to travel nearly 20,000 miles through
six times zones and five countries and there
are more 2,000 azalea bushes planted around
the four holes inspired by Augusta National.
Green fees range from $100 to $200 depending
on time of day and season.
Interestingly
enough, I heard the news through the grapevine
that the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame
will be unveiled in March in conjunction
with the reopening of Pine Lakes Country
Club that has gone through a major renovation.
I haven't seen the course, but I plan on
checking out both the next time I'm in town.
If
you need some help planning a golf vacation
to the world's most popular golf destination
you can visit www.MBGolfWizard.com,
www.meritgolfvacations.com
or www.GolfHoliday.com
for more information or to book a holiday.
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