Conference 7.286::golf

      I'm going to Mrytle Beach March 16-20 for the first time.  Can
    anyone give me info about the following courses?  We have tee times
    booked at each of these:
    
    River Oaks
    Sandpiper
    Brickland
    Gator Hole
    Dunes
    Longbay
    
    Rick (alias curious george)

    I played Ricer Oaks and Sandpiper Bay. I don't remember River Oaks
    too much. Must be a mental block from working hard :-).
    
    Sandpiper Bay was new last year. It is fairly wide open and a good
    scoring course. Because it is somewhat wide open, I had a very good
    score there. It is not a distance-buster course but don't be afraid
    to use a driver since the course is wide open.
    
    Here's a warning about the 10th hole at Sandpiper: don't hit a driver!
    There is water lurking out in the fairway about 230 yards out. I
    hit a driver and got lucky that it stayed right. The water comes
    in from the left side very much into play.
    
    Mike

    
    Re .0:
    
>      What impressed me was that one can play a variety of venues, not
>      pay a weeks salary for fees and not travel far from the "fine
>      housing" at Island Green.

    Could you give me an idea of what greens fees are at these courses?
    
    Thanks,
    Mike    
    

    C'MON FOLKS,

    Surely someone has played a course or two that I listed a reply
    back or two.  Help me out here, I can change reservations if any
    of them aren't nice.
    
    Rick

    I've played the Dunes, but it was a few years ago.  Built by Robert
    Trent Jones, its a typical Jones layout.  Lots of bunkers.  They
    play the golf writers torunament here every year, the week before
    the Masters.  The 13th hole is the most famous.  Its a par 5 that
    travels around a lake.  Its a 3 shot hole.  Again, the thing I remember
    most was the bunkers.  Also, most of the par 4's are doglegs with
    fairway bunkers at the corners.  I can bring in the yardage book
    and put in some detail if you want.
    
    Chuck_who_is_going_to_MB_March 31st_which_is_50_days_but_whose_counting
    

      Thanks for the input.  I'll take all I can get!  I can plan my
    attack to help while away the time.  (I probably won't follow it
    anyway...)
    
    Rick

    	I'd suggest Myrtle Beach National, if you have a chance. It
    was in good shape when I was there in 11/87, while others were just
    okay. They have 3 - 18 hole courses. Play either the North or West.
    I wouldn't bother with Deer Track, I wasn't impressed, but it would
    have been better if the Bermuda grass wasn't dormant. Wish I'd played
    Heather Glen while down there, maybe next time. And don't bring
    the wife unless it's summertime or she plays golf. Nothing to do
    for them in the fall/spring.

    Hi,
    Read NOTE 159.7 for all you need to know about that area/courses.
    
    Don has done a great job of putting it together and will no doubt
    update it as he plays/gets info on the newer venues.
    Tom

    
    
    Well I cant comment on "your" list of courses...  But I went to 
    Mirtle Beach the last week of January and played five courses..
    
    Heritage Plantation - nice course, classy, nice shape..
    
    Pawley's Plantation - the nicest course I played all week. Designed
                          by Jack Nicklas.  Huge traps..  Try to fit
                          fit this one in...                        
    
    Oyster Bay		- North Mirtle beach..  Another nice course,
    			  lots of water..  the best Island green I played
    			  all week..
    
    Mirtle Beach 	- Played both the North and West courses.. 
    			  both are nice courses..  You can carry your
    			  clubs on these ones..  Nice shape..
                           
    Colonial Charters	- Make it a point to "not" play this one.. 
    			  lots of construction going on..  drainage
    			  ditches cut back and forth across all of the
    			  fairways...  This course has a long way to
    			  go..  Its also in the North Mirtle beach area..
    
    So, if your playing in the Southern Mirtle Beach area, Pawley's is
    a must..  Heritage if you get a chance...                                                                  
                                                                  
    
    
    Jim O.
    
    
    
    
    

    Rick,
    
          I played Gator Hole and Brick Landing in November.  Gator
    Hole is pretty simple, nothing special. I thought it was an 
    average course.
          But Brick Landing is another story! I fell in love with that
    course. It's a beautiful track, and you'll be testing thoroughly.
    Not to mention a great driving range area to warm up. It's only
    a year or so old. You'll love holes 3 and 4, at least I did. Have
    fun.
         BTW, I have literature (layout and scorecard) if you'd like,
    I'll send it to you.
         Let me know.
    
                                          Art Mansor

    
    
      I'll be sure to post the thoughts I have about the 6 courses we
    play here when I return.  (In 159 also.)  Maybe we can get all the
    new courses scoped out in this conference.
    
    Rick
   

    I just returned from a 3 day trip to MB. Stayed at the Hilton and
    was generally disappointed in the accomodations but played some great
    courses. If your traveling down here's some guidance.
    
    Waterway Hills - Short but well maintained. Good layout. A good
    course to play the first day. Not a lot of trouble but enough to
    keep you honest.
    
    Arcadian Shores - The Hiltons course. Good fairways but poor greens.
    The worst putting greens of the trip. Plenty of doglegs. A little
    tight but not unfair. Good length for your second round.
    
    Gator Hole - Tight little course with 6 par threes. The threes are
    very tricky. Slow play. Average shape but the greens putted well.
    Short in length with well protected greens.
    
    Palm Bay - Silver Course - The nicest facility of the trip. Great
    conditioned course. Longer than the 3 listed above but not a killer.
    Large well protected greens. Highly recommended. Theres also the
    Gold (site of the LPGA Champ.) and the Green. Golf pack. from $60
    per person per night incl. cart. Plenty of water.
    
    Beechwood - Great layout. Plenty of water. Huge greens but very
    slow when we played them. Nice shape. Good length. Many doglegs.
    Good par threes and fives. Highly recommended if the greens are
    cut down.
    
    
    All 5 courses are in the North MB area. The weather had been rainy
    for the week before we got there. Very wet conditions. All carts
    on the path kind of thing. That means you carry half the bag to
    the ball. Twice as much walking than just carrying the bag. Temps
    in the 60's and 70's but overcast. Some sun on Sunday. If I were
    to do it again I would look into the Palm Bay Villas and play all
    three courses. A very nice facility. All the courses are overseeded
    with rye because the bermuda is still dormant.
    
    Hope this helps those that are heading south.
    Ken  

    O.K.  Now for the entertainment.
    
    Where do 4 guys with no wives to nag them and golf stories to tell
    go for refreshment and entertainment?  Where can we get in the most
    trouble most easily?
    
    P.S. I promise reviews on courses and places of interest upon return. 

    	I had noticed a few strip joints while I was down there. Not
    a bad way to kill an evening. We didn't go to any though, the wives
    wanted us to be with them at least some of the time.  Have a good
    time down there, hit 'em straight!

    According to a few peeple I know that went down last year, the place
    to go is "The Doll House".
    I'm going down in 3 weeks, and am pretty sure this is one place
    our group will end up at, a lot.
    
    Chuck
    

    If you go to the Doll House ask for Sabrina...
    
    Mike

    If you want a couple of places of the non exotic dance type.
    
    	FAT HAROLDS  ON N. MYRTLE IS A GOOD PLACE TO HANG OUT DURING
    THE DAY, IT IS RIGHT ON THE BEACH.
    
    	CRAZY ZACKS  IS ALSO ON N. MYRTLE AN STAYS OPEN UNTIL 5:00 A.M.
    THE CROWD TENDS TOWARD THE COLLEGE AGE.
    
    	THE AFTERDECK.
    
    	THE  BOWERY ON MYRTLE.  
    
    
    THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES DON'T WORRY.  I HAVE BEEN GOLFING AND
    DRINK'N MYRTLE FOR SOME 7 YEARS NOW.  IN FACT I USUALLY GO THE LAST
    WEEK IN MAY FOR WHAT MY FRIENDS AND I CALL THE POWER WEEKEND.
    
    SWING EM SWEET  

    O.K. here's one hack's opinion.......
    
    
    River Oaks...  Nice Course, sharpen your iron play before you go.
    	The fairways were as nice as I've played anywhere!  Not a long
    	course but long enough to be interesting.  The greens have alot
    	of undulations and are fun to putt.  This course blends accuracy
    	with distance very well.  I recommend it highly.
    
    Sandpiper Bay...  Might be my favorite of the courses listed here.
    	Open, moderate difficulty.  The course rating is below 70 but
    	it plays to about that.  Let the shaft out and have fun.  Great
    	first day course.
    
    Brick Landing...  Mixed emotions about this one.  I scored alright
    	but it is fairly short and is more of a target course.  More
    	water than I've ever seen, and ridiculously tight.  I could
    	only chance a driver once, and hit that one through the landing
    	area anyhow.  I see this course more like a golf amusement park
    	than a legitimate course.  The more I type the more I realize
    	I won't play it again.
    
    Gator Hole...  Also a target course, but reasonable.  Enjoyed it
    	quite a bit.  Real nice fairways.  Nice par 3's and a few
    	hitters holes.  This is the only course we didn't pay premium
    	for.  Tune up the 8 iron.
    
    The Dunes...  Super course!  Well protected greens.  Beautiful
    	putting surface and meticulously cared for.  You got to pound
    	it to score here.  Sign me up again!
                                          
    Longbay...  Still under construction.  Jack Nicklaus design with
    	waste bunkers everywhere.  This course will be outstanding in
    	a year or two.  This is a tough, tough course and you need an
    	accurate driver.  Add about 12 strokes to your home course
    	scores to get an idea how you would score here!
    
    Island Green... Only played the Dogwood 9, but wasn't particularly
    	thrilled.  The operators were the friendliest I found anywhere.
    	The fairways are the failure here. 
                                 
    
    Rick

    A comment about scoring...
    
    I played between 93 and 102 this past weekend on 6 courses.  I never
    saw any of them before.  I guess I shouldn't feel dissapointed,
    but on the home course, hitting the ball with the same consistency
    I think I'd of played about 88!  The course ratings were lower than
    my home course for all of the 6 but I found them all a scoring
    struggle.  
    
    
    Anyone find this sounding familiar?
    
    Rick 

    Need some help.  Finally found out what courses we're playing on
    our trip which starts this Friday.  One course we're playing I've
    never heard of.  Something like "Pearl East"?  Anybody have any
    info on this course?  
    
    Chuck

    Chuck,
    
            The Pearl has 36 holes and is broken into East and West.
    I'm at home typing this information and not sure which side we played
    this past October, but is was nice. We played 27 that day and the
    most memorable hole was the par-5 18th surrounded by tons of sea
    shells. If you attempt to reach it in two, you will probably end
    up in the shells, and spend the next 20 minutes going blind looking
    for your ball. Tip: Pull out an orange ball on that hole!
            Overall, it was a decent course, but we played it on a very
    windy day, which made a couple of the par fours very long (especially
    the 9th).
           Good luck down there. Hit 'em well. And yes, the "Doll House"
    is THE place down there. You'll be amazed!!!
    
                                                  Art

    I played all 36 holes one day last year at THE PEARL and loved them
    all.  One tip, take a container of bug repellent for the holes along
    the marsh.  The little bugs there carry a big bite.
    
    JaKe
    

    I just returned from Myrtle last week. Two of the outstanding courses
    I played were Pine Lakes and Myrtle National North. Pine lakes was
    excellent. It is a private CC as far as I know and when your through
    with your round an aid will clean your clubs and polish your shoes
    for the next day. But I would have to say that the Myrtle National
    north course was the closest thing to perfection in a golf course
    that I have ever seen. There are people constantly surveying the
    course repairing divots and watering the greens(which are very fast).
    I would highly recommend these two courses to anyone. Be advised
    though pine lakes has an approximate 6 month backlog on prime season
    times. 
    
    	Also, due yourself a favor and don't stay at the Hilton. Very,
    very POOR service and accomidations. I don't think I was the first
    to mention this either. 
    
    John
                           

    Just a suggestion to the moderator.  "Myrtle" is misspelled in the
    title of this topic.  It would be helpful for those who use directory
    searches if the spelling could be corrected.
    
    Thx
    
    Hal

    Can someone give me a little help.  I'm trying to figure out exactly
    where in Myrtle Beach the course "Longbay" is located.  We made tee
    times for 36 holes a day and I'm hoping I didn't screw up by making tee
    times at 2 courses that are worlds apart.  Thanks
    
    Chuck

    It's actually quite a bit north, and really is in North Carolina.
    I don't remember how many miles or time it took to get there.  Take my
    advice, if you got to reschedule... KEEP LONGBAY!
    
    Rick

    Long Bay is still in So Carolina.  Headed north on 17 take the Rte 9
    fork after crossing the intra-coastal.  It is on the left hand side
    about ten miles inland.  If you have never played a Nicklaus course,
    it will blow your mind.  The man does not like amateurs.
    
    Don

    Just what I wanted to hear.  The other course I've schedule is in North
    Myrtle Beach so it works out.  Thanks.
    
    Chuck

                    <<< USER$1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]GOLF.NOTE;1 >>>
                               -< The Good Game >-
================================================================================
Note 858.0              "THE CAROLINAS and MYRTLE BEACH"              No replies
WJOUSM::GLASS                                        18 lines   1-FEB-1990 08:46
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi Fellow Golfers,
    As Spring gets closer and closer we are all "tuned" into anything that
    has to do with golf. For me, it is anything that has to do with golf in
    South Carolina.
    
    The 64th. Grand Strand golf course just opened in North Myrtle Beach.
    This newest is called Buck Creek Golf Plantation and was designed by
    a very good designer by the name of Tom Jackson. It is located six(6)
    miles west of North Myrtle Beach on RT9. Buck Creek is said to "wander"
    through the course and come into play on almost all holes!
    
    Buck Creek is already being evaluated as one(1) of the Top 100 new
    courses in the U.S.
    
    Two(2) more courses are also ready for Spring openings. These are:
    1).Little River Neck
    2).Indigo Creek near Murrells Inlet and south of North MB off of RT17.
    Tom

    Thanks for the info on Long Bay. I'll be playing there on March
    2nd. Hope I'm not too depressed after my round, probably will be
    just impressed by the layout....
    
    Keith

    Time to scope this years courses... we've scheduled...
    
    Indian Wells
    Bay Tree
    Island Green
    Quail Creek
    
    I found some critiques here and 159 but I like lot's of opinion!
    I've played Island Green but the other three are new to me.
    
    Rick

    I can only help with Bay Tree. There are 2 or 3 courses at Bay Tree. We
    played the Gold. I believe it's the one that had a LPGA tourney. Real
    nice, great shape (in April), challanging from the back tees, enough
    water to keep you thinking.
    Well worth the trip.
    
    Ken

    You really should play the Heritage at Pawley's Island if you get a
    chance.  It's about 15-20 miles south of Myrtle Beach but it's worth
    the trip.  In fact, it was on the top 75 public courses in GD last
    month.
    
    The setting is absolutely spectacular and the course is a great
    challenge.
    
    Hal

    
    
    	I second the recommendation to play Heritage..  Last winter we were
    	so disappointed with Island Green we left in the middle of the
    	round to go play Heritage.
    
    	-laura

    	I'd also recommend Heritage, but if you have the chance go and
    play Long Bay Club. It's near the North Carolina border, about 5 miles
    after the Bay Tree complex on that same road. Long Bay is a Nicklaus
    design and it is a "bear" of a course. Naturally there is a surcharge
    to play there, if you can get on.

    Thinking about taking a golf trip to myrtle beach at the end of
    January ( winter rates ) if anyone has played M.B. at this time of the
    year, what are the daytime temps like on an average. Is it worth it or 
    should I wait. Do not feel like going all the way to M.B. to play in
    the cold weather. I called the M.B. chamber of commerce they  told me
    57 degrees in the daytime, does that sound right. 
    
    Thanks any help is appreciated.
    Ray ( not the Mass. amateur champ, not even close )

RE:                      <<< Note 519.36 by AUGGIE::WRIGHT >>>
                          -< Myrtle beach in January >-

I've gone down to MB several times in the end of January. My travel 
mates have gone there at that time for the past 20 years. Only once 
did they have to go on down to Hilton Head because the weather was too 
severe. And once (the year and time of the shuttle disaster) it was 
almost too cold, but they stuck it out and missed two days of golf out 
of eight. Otherwise, it was pretty good--and sometimes (last year, for 
instance) downright balmy. For the most part, you can figure on cold 
mornings (with frost delays possible) and moderate afternoons. High 
50s is fairly typical.

Anytime from December to April is a bit of a gamble, but well worth 
it, I think. I've played down there in March when the weather was 
worse than any I've encountered in the end of January.

So go for it. The courses are good--and in some cases great. And the 
price is sure right.

Tom (Not of the old Dodgers fame)

    
    
    If you are planning on going, you should book your pkg. (and
    courses) right now.  Somehow late January has become very popular.
    I'll be going down the 25th thru the 29th, and the first two hotels
    we checked were full !
    
    -laura
    

    1996 and all these notes are still useful!
    My brother and I are leaving Friday with 6 other gentlemen(?) from
    Toronto to MB for a week. Playing:
    
    The Bay Tree
    Azalea Sands
    Burning Ridge
    Carolina Shores
    Deer Track
    Indian Wells
    
     Everything is pre-booked etc.
    
    It's cold here in Ottawa, it's pouring rain on top of the ice and snow, my
    basement is flooding. I hope everything holds out till we get back!
    
    My question: I can appreciate your comments on the various courses and
     I got the "Doll House" committed to memory but what is this about
     bugs? What kind of bugs are there in MB in February?

    
    	Those look like all older courses.  I believe they were all
    	there since the early 80's.
    
    

My wife and I and another couple just got back from 
Myrtle Beach. Here's some opinions on the places we 
played:

Surf Club:  Nice layout, very good condition, although
            the greens were a bit hard. Very friendly 
            staff, nice clubhouse. Course was fairly easy.
            Great pace-of-play, finished in about 4:15. Never
            waited for the group in front of us, never pushed
            by the group behind us. On my "play again" list.

Indigo Creek: Nice layout, very scenic, lots of water. Course
              condition was OK, but greens were a bit bumpy, but
              very fast. Pace-of-play was a bit slower than I'd 
              like, kept waiting for the group in front of us.
              Finished in about 4:55. 

Blackmoor: This is definately one of the best courses I've played.
           Great layout, great conditions. Pace-of-play was pretty 
           good until we caught up to a traffic jam on #13. We still
           finished in 4:30, so I can't complain.

Wild Wing,
Wood Stork course: Decent layout, fair conditions. Tees and greens
                   were in pretty good shape, but there was a lot 
                   of dead areas in the fairways, a lot like some
                   New England courses in late August. Pace-of-play
                   was TERRIBLE. We were waiting for 2 groups on some
                   holes. They obviously spaced their tee-times too 
                   close together, and NO marshalls on the course to
                   move things along. Playing time was 5:45!!! We 
                   mentioned the slow play to a few of the staff 
                   after we played, and they just said that "it's 
                   normal for this time of year". Reminded me of 
                   one of our local "golf assembly lines".