In May a small group of Golf Travel Writers of America were invited to Myrtle Beach to play three of the fine courses that are part of the Founders Group International, a group of owners who own 21 courses at 18 different locations in and around the Myrtle Beach area.
I was fortunate enough to be part of this group, probably because I have traveled and written about golf in the Myrtle Beach area for over 30 years.
When people ask what is your favorite golf destination in the United States, I have no problem thinking of an answer—MYRTLE BEACH. A group of three friends and I who love golf started traveling to Myrtle Beach in 1986. Since I was a teacher, we would find out the dates of the Spring Vacation the previous September when school began and make reservations for the 850-mile trip for the following April.
The trips were great and the group soon rose to a dozen golfers, and everyone always had a great time with wonderful golf and fine places to eat. It was only a couple of years later that a partner and I started Ocean State Golf that became Southern New England Golfer, a publication that lasted for 34 years.
Enough about nostalgia. My wife and I drove to Myrtle Beach in early May. We were staying at the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes right next door to Grande Dunes Golf Course along the Intercoastal waterway, so it was an easy sell to my bride. The rooms were wonderful and the views of the water and marina were stunning. The resort has many combinations of rooms, including many with connecting doors for larger groups.
The condition of the course was truly amazing. Kuhn said that a great deal of work has gone into getting the course in fine shape, and it really shows. The fourteenth hole is the one that we always remember. It is a par 4 that starts downhill then requires an uphill second shot over a good-sized pond. More