Golfapalooza hits town, Hooters Air to fly to Indy, Hootie a hit despite weather

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

MYRTLE BEACH S.C. (April 15, 2004) - You won't find Perry Ferrell on stage, but you will find Edwin McCain and representatives from some of the world's largest Original Equipment Manufacturers. The Grand Strand plays host to its first Golfapalooza April 21-23. TaylorMade, McGregor, PING, Wilson, Top-Flite/Hogan and Tommy Armour will have club fitting and testing stations set up at various courses up and down the Strand.

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On Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the show moves to Celebrity Square at Broadway at the Beach for demos, prizes, food and entertainment. On Friday night, South Carolina's king of the love/folk ballad, Edwin McCain, takes the stage for a free concert. Opening for McCain will be J.J. Appleton, an up and coming singer/songwriter from NYC who mixes an Elvis Costello vibes with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers riffs. For more info and a list of participating courses, log on to www.golfholiday.com/golfapalooza.cfm.

Hootie and the Blowfish Monday after the Masters flourishes despite weather

The 10th annual Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament at the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort was shorted to nine holes due to a series of severe weather warnings. Still, tournament officials said they don't expect the inclement weather to cut into the MAM's overall benefit to local and national charities.

Last year the event raised a tournament-record $365,000 for junior golf and education in South Carolina. This year's totals won't be known until later this year. Celebrity participants included John Daly, 2003 PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel, actor Samuel L. Jackson, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, and NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Grant Fuhr.

Hooters Air to provide service to Indy

Hooters Air will begin service between Myrtle Beach and Gary, Ind., on June 10. Hooters will operate four flights weekly to the Chicago suburb Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. The new destination is the eighth city served by Hooters Air. The airline flies an all-Boeing jet fleet between Myrtle Beach and Atlanta; Baltimore-Washington; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Myers, Fla; Newark, N.J.; and Nassau, Bahamas. For information on schedule and fares, contact Hooters Air at (888) 359-4668 or log on to hootersair.com.

Dupont world amateur handicap championship to give away Centex homes golf villa at 2004 tournament

Play golf in Myrtle Beach for a week and win a new crib - not exactly the Big Break, but not a bad deal. The DuPont World Amateur Handicap Championship, held Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, has partnered with Centex Homes' Myrtle Beach Division to create the "Centex Homes Barefoot Villa Quest."

The skills contest will reward one lucky (and presumably talented) tournament participant with a free Centex Homes golf villa, valued at $125,000, at Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach. The new digs will be a two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,050-square-foot villa in the Ironwood neighborhood at Barefoot Resort and Golf. The unfurnished villa also includes living and dining areas and a patio/balcony.

How the skills contest will work: In the tournament's second round (Wed, Aug. 31) every flight will have a closest-to-the-pin contest. The winner of each closest-to-the-pin contest will advance to a putting competition Sept. 1 at the World's Largest 19th Hole at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Each of the previous day's contest winners will have one chance at a 25-foot putt and the four players closest to the hole (including anybody that makes the putt) will advance to the finals on Thursday night at the 19th Hole. In the final putt-off, the remaining contestants will get one putt from 10 feet and the winner will be determined by who is closest to the hole or whoever sinks the putt. If more than one person makes the 10-foot putt, the process will be repeated until a single winner emerges. For more information on the tournament, call (800) 833-8798 or log on to PlayDuPont.com.

Chip Shots

Robert Spangler, former head professional at the Tradition Golf Club, recently accepted the same position at Bald Head Island Golf Club. Ocean Harbor and Marsh Harbour may have some life left yet. Word on the street is that a regionally renowned architectural firm and nationally known venture capital company have been contacted by Ladane Golf about resurrecting both courses.

Contact Shane Sharp at our reader feedback page.

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.