COURSE REVIEW

Best to not see this Wizard

By Chris Baldwin,
Senior Writer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Nov. 3, 2004) - The faux castle that serves as the clubhouse/brochure piece is the first sign The Wizard is a course that's going to ask you to suspend disbelief. It looks like a castle the people at Disney World would reject as too unrealistic. Its faked jagged edges and open turrets tempt you to ask if you putt through the clown's mouth on 18.

If it were only the clubhouse, no big deal. Unfortunately, this faux castle sets the stage for a faux links course.

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Yes, a supposed links course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. You know, the Low Country. Not that golf architect Dan Maples was about to let geography stand in the way of his vision. He had one million cubic yards of dirt moved in to create his hills. By God or bulldozer, there will be links golf on the beach.

Forget the often maddening obsession of golf course owners and architects to recreate links golf outside of Europe for a moment. That is general complaint and the problems with The Wizard are much more specific. This faux links course is jumbled together with little cohesion or challenge. Playing the Wizard after taking on one of Maples' other two designs on this mammoth site -- the Man O'War or The Witch -- is a jarring let down.

It almost appears like that Maples, having seemingly run out of other ideas, decided...what the heck, let's go links! Why not squeeze another course in?

"We played the Wizard before Man O'War and it just couldn't compare," said Larry Ladd of Kingston, Tenn. "Honestly, I didn't think it was a very good course."

"I shot my career-low round of 76 on it," Ladd's new buddy Doug Poole of Brandon, Ontario shot back, laughing. "So I liked it. Nah, seriously, if I'm shooting a 76, it's not really an outstanding course."

Ladd and Poole played the Man O'War and The Wizard together as part of a package deal the management company that runs all three Maple courses offers. Which brings up another point. The Wizard seems to be one of those courses that exists simply so it can be packaged together with the better courses around it.

Its brochure promises "an unforgettable golf experience that's seldom enjoyed outside of the classic courses in Ireland." It delivers a lot of straightforward holes with few taxing tests. Let's just say St. Andrews is not nervous. Heck, the muni in downtown Dublin isn't nervous.

"It's right in front of you," said Mark Wilson, a Wizard pro shop worker who's played the course dozens of times. "There's nothing hidden. For the high handicap golfer it's a little easier."

There are much worse places you could go to take a run at a nice score. The Wizard is in good condition and its well spread out tee times make for an ideal, relaxing round. There is little to stress you out here. In fact, the biggest danger may be speeding too fast on the golf cart up and down those carefully-constructed hills.

One of the best parts of the Wizard is it's mostly isolated from the condo developments that line the edges of many Grand Strand courses. On this day, a hawk high up in the tall trees waged a shrieking battle with a flock of birds providing a natural soundtrack to all those unnatural hills.

"It's beautiful and gorgeous," Pierre Lalonde, a golfer from Ottawa, said, "if you get in the right spirit."

Maintaining that spirit throughout 18 holes here is the challenge.

The hills do provide dips, valleys and a few interesting angles to shoot from. Yet they get old after a while and the Wizard takes on something of a one-trick pony feel. Even golf director Wayne Welden mentions the No. 16, 17 and 18 closing hole water stretch as the Wizard's highlight. No doubt those are interesting holes, but they more closely resemble Maples' work on the sister course Man O'War than the links look. When your best holes appeared borrowed from another course, something's gone wrong.

"The Wizard carries a more traditional feel," Welden said.

The 518-yard, par-5 14th is typical of the try at traditional. This offers some of the most severe rises on the course and throws in well-placed bunkers to boot. The relatively narrow green is tucked into the back left. A futile attempt at par here gives a glimpse of what Maples wanted the Wizard to be.

Yet too often it comes across like a plastic-surgeon-remodeled Beverly Hills socialite's attempt to play the natural beauty. It is just not in The Wizard in the end. It is too artificial, too forced and out of place.

The Medieval Times crew down the street could make good use of that castle though.

The Verdict

This is a course only for truly Dan Maples obsessed. (Believe it or not, these souls do exist. I ran into several golfers determined to play all the Carolina designer's courses.) For the more discerning, it is better to admire Maples' work on Man O'War or The Witch. With 120 courses on the Grand Strand, there are plenty of other tracks out there in Highway 17's sea after all.

The Wizard is disjointed enough that its top handicap hole is the first hole. Start off with this curving fairway around the lake and it is easy to think there are great things ahead. Think again. It gets pretty mundane for long stretches from here, only really regaining momentum again on No. 14. That is a long wait between drama.

At 6,721 yards from the back tees, The Wizard is not particularly long by today's standards. But that is not the problem. It's fault is not being particularly imaginative. Play this Wizard on a trip where time is precious and you may be stuck wishing you had a spell to grab the four hours back.

Places to eat

For the most decadent meal on the Grand Strand, Stars Waterfront Café ((910) 579-7838) offers an 18-course tasting menu for $90. That's right, 18 courses. Apparently, they expect regular visits from the Sultan of Brunei. For those not into the gorging thing, Ichiban ((843) 839-5277) offers sushi and traditional South Korean dishes. For those so inclined, the meals can be prepared tableside by your own chef.

Avoid Phillips Seafood and its overrated chain dishes at gourmet prices.

Places to stay

The Suburban Extended Stay Hotel (through Carolina Golf Travel at 1-888-633-6102) offers larger rooms than you will get at many hotels for cheaper longer term rates. With housekeeping service only once a week though, it may not be for everyone. The Myrtlewood Villas (through Myrtle Beach Travel at 1-866-409-2177) are another centralized option with many of the perks of home (stove, in-condo washer & dryer). Ask for a unit in Magnolia Place North as these tend to be the nicest.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.