A.G. / R Junah:
Gentlemen -- puhleeeeeeeeeeeze wake up and smell the coffee. I played Myrtle Beach over the course of several years as a student at the Univ of S Carolina and I had the "pleasure" playing plenty of the "fast food" layouts that dot the landscape. I also mentioned there are s-o-m-e courses of distinction but when r-e-a-l golfers travel I would hope they would want to play courses that have some solid architectural muscle not the lite kind that dominates the scene there.
I'll say this again -- yes, there are a F-E-W layouts worthy of playing but it's a vast stretch to thing, imply or say that Myrtle Beach (Grand Strand) is on the short list of "must play" architectural treasures. Guys, wake up -- it's buffet style golf. You know the deal -- have someone pay "X" and then give them u-n-l-i-m-i-t-e-d golf. For the masses who don't value quality but enjoy and savor quantity that's great stuff!
When you throw in the "all you can eat" and strip joints it's a panacea for most men.
R Junah: You asked me about dropping the 70 courses that are there and what would be my comments / reaction then. First, I truly believe that if Myrtle Beach (Grand Strand) did consolidate somewhere around 20-30% of the total courses there the overall possibilities for financial success for those still left would improve greatly. However, I don't know if those that would still be operating would be those that possess the better designs / routing / shot values, etc, etc.
The Myrtle Beach concept is based on the maximization of one word -- MORE. Give'm more golf -- give'm more food and give'm enough babes to watch each night and you have a recipe for success. Nothing wrong with that business model if that's what floats your boat. I want to play quality designs and the Myrtle Beach area has very, very few layouts of that type.
P.S. One other thing -- I failed to mention the Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Oyster Bay (Brunswick County, NC) in my previous post. I've always enjoyed playing them. Ditto Caledonia.
A.G.
Send your last post to the Chamber of Commerce for Myrtle Beach they may bring you aboard as a consultant!
I used to go to the Grand Strand plenty of times as a student when I was at South Carolina. Do you think I simply went there on a one-time visit and make remarks in such a flippant manner. If you do -- then you don't know me that well.
I don't doubt the qualities of Caledonia but it's very easy to highlight a few courses and say -- "see, there's solid golf here too!"
You need to play the top tier Jersey public courses before making your statement. There are many good ones that have opened in the last 10 years.
You missed my point (as others did with Florida). There are SOME courses worth playing in the Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand area -- however, it's the bulk which are lite weight -- even dogfood type stuff.
Myrtle Beach was conceptualized on the belief that if you give someone MORE they will be happy. I'll say it again -- many people appreciate buffet style golf. It's worked for many years and I tip my hat off to them. However, there has been too many golf course openings and with golf downsizing itself it's time for a quite a few of them to go under in order for the survivors to prosper. In some ways this situation may spur on future golf designs to be above and beyond the general "fast food" stuff that has been the benchmark for the area.
P.S. A.G. -- when you say "let's stack the top 25" I'd be happy to compare my "neck of the woods" with anything from the Grand Strand. I don't doubt the newest courses are better than what came before them -- but just remember what came before them before proclaiming that Myrtle Beach (Grand Strand) is an architectural oasis.
