Myrtle Beach: Golf Heaven, Tourist Nightmare

[SiberianDVM]

I just got back from a 3 day trip to Myrtle Beach. I have to get 15 hours of Continuing Education every year, and there is a company that offers CE at sites all over the western hemisphere, including Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach. Lectures are 8AM to 1PM, then: GOLF!!!

The GF and I drove 4 hours and got to the hotel at 7AM Friday, I went to classes, then we went in search of Myrtle Beach National. Thank God for GPS. Traffic on Friday afternoon was unbelievably horrible. MBN West was very nice and cost: $40 per person including cart. The GF lasted 14 holes before pooping out. The heat was not bad but it got to her, as she just isn't used to playing golf.

I was hitting the ball great but putting awful. Four 3-putts!!! That's what 2 hours sleep will do to you. Shot a 85.

Dinner at one of the big seafood places: all you can eat buffet for $27. Good food, too.

Saturday was more of the same except GF really didn't want to play, so I hooked up with one of the instructors and his wife, and we played Possum Trot. Cost was $39, and it wasn't quite as nice as MBN West, but still very enjoyable. The wind had picked up and on some holes we were playing 2 and 3 club winds.

I started par, par, birdie, and thought I was going to have a great round. Then reality set in and I put one in the water and made a triple. A few more good pars, then another bad tee shot and another triple.

Staggering home, I manged to par the last hole, a par 5 into the wind and over a lake. An 87 wasn't too bad, but a few bad tee shots in the wind will ruin a good putting day.

Supposedly Myrtle Beach has a hundred golf courses. I'm looking forward to going again next year.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

I hooked up with one of the instructors and his wife, and we played Possum Trot.

Uhhh . . . is that the one where she plays dead and you and her husband . . . you know what, nevermind.


(Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself. Seriously though, good story.)

 

[usa1950]

Going to MB next June, but we have a timeshare that offers all the golf I can play for sometihng in the neighborhood of $75... can'r remember the course though.

What was the name of the seafood joint?

 

[nixdad]

hmmmmmm...

I'm thinking about going to MB, doing the RT Jones series of courses (in Georgia?) or possibly crossing the pond into Ireland for my fiftieth b-day in 2011. The crossing of the pond would be for the World Police and Fire Games.

 

[clemsonhacker]

doc im glad you got some golf in... one of my friends is an assisant pro at Possom Trot... its a decent course...

 

[lilhellmaker17]

Was the seafood buffet at the place in Barefoot landing with the huge crab on it?

JAden

 

[SiberianDVM]

The seafood place was Brannigans or something like that right there on the main drag, highway 17?: huge model of the Queen Elizabeth II in the entrance and all the fish hanging from the ceiling. About a 100 yards from the Giant Crab.

Every place was crowded with a 30-45 minute wait, but the frozen Marguaritas at the bar helped.

MB is just so congested, traffic can get stagnant due to some long interval traffic lights. Surprisingly, traffic seemed to move faster in North Myrtle Beach.

 

[Calhoun]

Its Myrtle Beach. There is a seafood buffet on every corner.

I agree about the North Myrtle not being quite as congested as Myrtle.

 

[Eracer]

If it's this bad in the middle of summer, I can only imagine it in the spring or fall, when the weather is nicer. At least the golf prices were good.

I think I'd rather do the Bear Trace in Tennessee. Good golf, cheap prices, no congestion.

No CE either...

 

[floggerrushmd]

If you are thinking about myrtle beach but you don't want to spend the insane bucks try the sandhills region of NC, I just got back from my trip three rounds of golf over three days and two nights in a hotel for $189 per person. The golf courses are all amazing in the area, and while they don't have the ocean right next to them they also don't have the crazy winds that come along with the ocean.

But if you are set on myrtle then I highly recommend Tidewater. It is actually north of myrtle a little bit into North Carolina, but it is the best course I have played there. The World Tour Golf Links or something like that where they have an assemblage of the most famous holes from around the world is kind of fun too, but really unless you have seen the holes first hand you don't realize how close some of them actually come. And if you aren't someone who watches the tournaments every week, you probably won't recognize some of the holes anyways. It is not in its own right a terrific course but the fact that it is the only way I know of to play amen corner at Augusta makes it a special course. Just be prepared because this one comes with a big price tag.

 

[SiberianDVM]

Here's a link to the places this company has CE seminars, if anyone wants to take a look.
2008 seminars

Some nice tax deductable vacations, er, learning experiences, there if you have the time and money.

I don't care for the hassle of flying, so I pick the ones within driving distance.

 

[EDSGolf]

Thanks for the trip report, always helpful for others.

 

[Jlaw1987]

Myrtle Beach

MBN is a great course but i would strongly reccommend you play Indigo Creek in Garden City. Its about 20- 30 minutes south of Myrtle but for the price and condition of the course it is worth the drive. We usually go to myrtle twice a year and stay for a week each time and it can get expensive but i would go by Martins golf and tennis and as you walk in go get a paper from the tee time guy and there are a bunch of discounts for all types of courses. The only thing is you have to make you tee time within 48 hours but atleast that way you can see how the weather will be. Another course is Tidewater it is expensive but i strongly reccommend it to anyone who likes golf (at least one time). And then also Rivers Edge its extremely nice but its further north.

 

[jojosasser]

My family is actually going to NMB next month and I just got my brother and I tee times for Possum Trot, Tiger's Eye and Oyster Bay. I've never been to Myrtle Beach so I'm getting pretty excited. I'll take my camera and post some pics on here when I get back.

 

[SiberianDVM]

My family is actually going to NMB next month and I just got my brother and I tee times for Possum Trot, Tiger's Eye and Oyster Bay. I've never been to Myrtle Beach so I'm getting pretty excited. I'll take my camera and post some pics on here when I get back.

Be sure to pack some Imodium. If you eat at one of the pigs-at-a-trough places like we did, you'll need it.



Did I mention that Possum Trot has some pretty tame fox squirrels on the course? If money for eating out runs low, you could probably bag a few with a well struck 5 iron.

Ummmmm, squirrel stew, gravy, and biscuits......good eatin'.