MYRTLE BEACH CLIENT FEATURE

Beach Vacations: Customized Golf Packages on the Grand Strand

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Jan. 12, 2002) - Once upon a time, a golf vacation to the Grand Strand was highlighted by 36 holes a day, and often lowlighted by holing up in some tiny room at a beach motel with a prime view of the parking lot and the mesmerizing flash of a neon "no vacancy sign" outside your window.

Enter the age of the golf villa.

Since the building boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s, it's hard to find a fairway on the beach's 100-plus golf courses that doesn't have a villa, condo, or some type of attached housing unit. The fact that millions of golfers descend upon the Grand Strand each year has not been lost on condo owners from Pawleys Island to Sunset Beach.

Thousands of these comfortable, amenity-laden abodes are available for consumption by the traveling golfer, and Beach Vacations, Inc. has nearly cornered the market on fresh, new, units along challenging, memorable golf courses.

"We have 500 units, and the majority of them are five years old or less," says General Manager Bill Baldree. "We have the youngest arsenal of golf condos in Myrtle Beach, and golfers enjoy fully equipped place to spend a few days."

Beach Vacations offers one, two and three bedroom golf condo's at a number of locations including True Blue, River Oaks, Waterway Village, Sunset Village at Sandpiper Golf Course, and Magnolia Place at Myrtlewood West Golf Course. The nine-year-old company also offers oceanside lodging at the Sands Ocean and Beach Clubs, Seawatch, Brigadune and Maisons-Sur-Mer.

"The golf course lodging is designed for the group of guys that wants to come down and play 36 holes a day, and be right on site with at least 18 holes in the backyard," Baldree says. "The ocean lodging is intended for families that want to take advantage of the beach in the summer, and the great golfing deals around here when it's a bit warmer."

And Beach Vacations doesn't just get involved on the lodging end of the ubiquitous Myrtle Beach stay and play equation. Baldree and his staff have been putting together customized golf packages since the company opened its doors in 1993.

"Our Golf Director, Mark Stoneking, plays at least once a week, and he is up to speed on the conditions and playability of all the area courses," Baldree says. "He passes all this information on to our reservationists, or you can talk to him and have him help you plan your trip."

Stoneking not only advises golfers on courses based on their budget, handicaps, and design preferences, he also makes logistical recommendations that assist players in getting from one round to the next with the least possible interference.

"We are different than some package providers in that you may have an idea of exactly where you want to play, and we'll package that for you," Baldree says. "But we also have prepackaged plans that will get you deeper discounts."

With Beach Vacations condos, your entire foursome can stay in one golf course unit, complete with kitchen, patio, and oftentimes, washer and dryer. Baldree's units at True Blue and Sandpiper are so new, you can almost still smell the paint drying. All condos have "real world" owners that take as much pride in their rental units as they do their primary residences. After all, the majority of them come down for long stretches of time during various parts of the year.

"Golfers get into these units and they say it feels like home," Baldree says. "Heck, sometimes they say it feels better than home. The units are decorated, have cable televisions and patios that usually back right up to the golf course. Guys can stay up late and play cards together, and you can save a ton of money by cooking some of your own meals in the unit."

The oceanside accommodations include all the amenities you might expect from a high-end beach resort: swimming pools, restaurants, lazy rivers, whirlpools, you name it.

"We cater to both the practical customer, and the customer for which price is only a small concern," says Baldree. "We realize that there isn't just one type of golf traveler, and we strive to be as diverse and accommodating as possible."

Indeed, a couple of nights at Beach Vacations's Sunset Village condominiums at Sand Piper Bay are as seamless a process as a golfer will encounter. Beach Vacations will leave the key to the unit at a drop box at the front gate to the golf course community, and golfers can simply pick it up on their way in.

The two-bedroom unit contains four twin beds that can sleep your entire foursome. You'll also have an open living room kitchen area that is perfect for cooking up supper while not missing any action from the night's televised games. A patio opens up to the golf course in back, and you can park your car right in front of your unit for easy transfer of clubs and luggage.

Stoneking can arrange all tee times at Sandpiper's 27-hole facility, or another of Brunswick County's scenic, championship layouts. When it is all said and done, and the last Top Flite has been deposited in the water, simply drop the key off on the way out.

"We are going to do our best to make this mindless for you," Baldree says. "We do not take the travel market for granted, and that is why I think we are going to have an excellent spring despite people's concerns about traveling. We are about a 94 percent drive market now, and if you just want to get in the car, we'll take care of everything else."

For more information on Beach Vacations rates, units, and golf packages, log on to www.beach-vacation.com.