I am just home from the US this morning after another unforgettable golf trip. I first travelled to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina in 2002 and I was blown away by the amount of golf courses it has to offer. Currently Myrtle Beach boasts over ninety golf courses along its highways giving the golfer a huge variety of choice. Green Fees range anything from $79 – $179 but if you call into the PGA Golf Superstore, they have a golf green fee counter before you enter the store for last minute offers for golf that day or for the following two days. There is such a variety of golf courses we have always been able to secure golf even in a last-minute scenario. The green fee rate also includes your buggy fee, range balls and sometimes it includes a free lunch.
The PGA Golf Superstore itself is an enormous golf store with the biggest array of choices for golf equipment. I would guess it is roughly 75,000 square feet of golf equipment of all types. In fact, it was standing in this store in 2002 is where I got the idea of opening my own P&M Golf Superstore that I managed to open in 2004 after my first visit to Myrtle Beach. The PGA store has a huge putting green with over 500+ putters to choose from. It boasts twelve indoor simulators where you can practice your golf or even get custom fitted. It has the largest clothing and shoe area I have ever seen with a huge array of brands to choose from. When I first travelled here prices were about 20% cheaper but when you go to the till 11% tax gets added so it was about 10% or less cheap. This time around though the prices were identical or even slightly higher than here in Ireland and that is even before they have to add on the 11% tax at the till. So be aware when in the US the prices advertised does not include the local tax sometimes.
The weather in South Carolina is slightly cool in the morning about 18° where you might need a long sleeve light layer however from 11am it rises to 24° and by 3pm it ranges from 26° – 30°. We have always travelled there in October or November and I was informed the weather stays warm right up to December with January being their coolest month. The steakhouses in the US are definitely some of the bests in the world and I would highly recommend the Outback or Longhorn Steakhouses in particular. The variety and choice of steaks on offer is mind blowing and they are always cooked to perfection. I would say in the US their medium steak is closer to a medium rare here but they give you a perfect description on the menu on how each steak will look from blue to well done. Anyone that has every travelled to the US also know everything over there is big especially the food portions. Be careful ordering starters because sometimes these are bigger than what we receive as a main course here. Also, the service charge is now 20% throughout the US so you have to factor this charge into the prices you see on the menu. The only positive is the service is usually exceptionally good but it does add up at the end of your trip and they won’t be shy in letting you know anything under 20% is insulting their service.
My current top courses to play in Myrtle Beach in order are True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach, Caledonia, Kings North and Prestwich. The manicure of the courses are in pristine condition and the greens are usually lightning fast especially if you have a downhill putt. In fact, my tip is to always try and leave yourself an uphill putt. A thirty-foot uphill putt is often easier than a five-foot downhill putt because you could possibly have that thirty-foot uphill putt if you miss the five-footer downhill some of the greens are insanely quick but super fun to putt on.
You have to be careful around ponds and lakes because alligators are pretty much in all of them and they come in all sizes from 2ft up to 16ft or on some rare occasions even bigger. They generally keep to themselves and can be seen basking in the hot midday sunshine lining the fairways beside and ponds that surround the course. Also, if you ball enters the trees beware large spiders and snakes are sometimes visible but again it is rare and we did not see any at all in our most recent trip but that doesn’t mean they didn’t see us. They can be very well hidden.
So, if you need some winter sun and golf, I highly recommend ten days to two weeks in Myrtle Beach. It will roughly cost anything from $2,500 to $4,000 I would guess between flights, accommodation, car hire and all your food. The golf $1,200 x 8 rounds, $1,000 flights (Shannon to Newark to Myrtle), $400 Car Hire, $100 a day food roughly. As usual it depends on what level of courses you choose and also what restaurants you pick. But it will be a golfing trip you will remember.
