MYRTLE BEACH FEATURES

A Must-Know Guide to
Fall Golf in the Grand Strand

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - You may have heard it referred to as the secret season, but the fall golf season in Myrtle Beach is hardly a clandestine operation. Thousands of golfers flock to the one hundred plus courses of the Grand Strand each autumn to enjoy the area's sunny, dry weather in October and November.

Despite its popularity, golfers will find that the beach's fairways, roadways, and restaurants are slightly less crowded in the fall than during the ever popular peak spring season.

"It is less crowded than the spring and chances are you are going to get better weather," says Marty Ekster, President of Golf Vacations of the Carolinas. "Fall will be nice all the way through November. Rates are the same, for the most part. You might save ten percent, which is not a lot but it can make a difference."

From Michigan to Maine, golfers are beginning to arrange their spring golf trips through one of Myrtle Beach's numerous golf package providers. A quick trip to www.golfboards.com revealed at least three determined duffers who were actually requesting course information for the spring of 2002!

For golfers who aren't as hamstrung by long range planning, or are looking for a quick two or three day golf trip before the close of the golf season in their respective homes, a fall golf trip to the Grand Strand could be the ideal excursion.

But before you toss your clubs in the back of the SUV, or in the bottom of an airplane, make sure you take our quick crash course in fall golf in Myrtle Beach.

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance….

If there is one thing that golf officials in the Grand Strand can agree upon, it is that course maintenance is the number one consideration when planning your trip to Myrtle Beach in October or late November.

"The first thing to look out for is maintenance schedules," says Ekster. "This is the time that courses overseed, and this is the time that courses with Bermuda grass have to do a lot of maintenance. So you may want to look towards the courses with bentgrass greens."

Chances are, the savvy courses can complete their maintenance needs within a week. Some of the best-run operations can pull it off in a matter of days, and count the number of golfers they "tee-off" on one hand. Even courses with Bermuda greens can get their autumn putting surfaces in line without major impacts on play.

"Overseeding doesn't really effect us," says Robert Spangler, head professional at the Tradition Golf Club in Pawleys Island. "It just takes one or two days here. We overseed (our Bermuda) with Poa (Triviales) and the seed is so small that it doesn't even affect us. We are looking at a total of two or three days tops and we work around the golfers."

Spangler said that players should either ask a knowledgeable staff person with the golf package provider, or call the proshops of the courses they plan to play to get the maintenance schedule. Most courses do not reduce rates when they overseed and/or aerify, so it is essentially a "buyer beware" situation.

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Pace of play has always been a major issue on Grand Strand courses during the peak fall and spring seasons - for different reasons. The spring is simply a logjam situation. Thousands of golfers arrive from New England, the Midwest, and even North Carolina with golf games that are as cold as the winter temperatures from their home states.

In the mornings, hordes of hungover hackers queue up at double-teed first and tenth holes like NASCAR drivers waiting for the green flag. Five-hour rounds are the norm, even though every course posts required playing times of four to four and a half hours.

In the fall, double teeing is still the norm but course maintenance can hold up the pace of play, rather than overcrowded conditions.

"With overseeding, its going to be wet and its going to be cart path only at a lot of places and that can slow the round down by up to a half hour," Ekster notes. "Late fall it won't matter, all the golf courses will be in great shape. As someone coming in on a golf package, that is what I would be most concerned with other than the course condition itself."

You are my sunshine …

Ever notice how all those outdoor weddings planned for October seem to go over without a glitch, while those April nuptials invariably get corralled indoors because of inclement weather?

From Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to San Francisco, California, the fall is simply a dryer time of year in most U.S. regions.

"Low humidity and lighter rainfall make the fall more pleasant than the spring," says Scott Keziah, Chief Meteorologist with Fox Channel 43, WFXB Myrtle Beach/Florence. "We should be right at 81 and 64 right now. Those numbers will trend downwards in October so that by the end we'll be at 72 and 48. It is kind of a dry time for us, and that gives golfers some assurances they may not have in the spring."

Keziah also notes that the Atlantic Ocean water temperature is bearable in October, whereas March and April temperatures are reserved for Canadian constitutions only. Water temperatures in October hover around 70 degrees, but can plummet to 65 and even 55 in early spring.

And finally …

The temps may shoot up into the mid-70's and low 80's in October, but because of the dry air, they can also drop faster than a towering drive in the late afternoon. A random sample of proshops from Pawleys Island to Shallotte, N.C. revealed that impromptu purchases of pullovers and sweaters are commonplace in October …

Whether it's an all-you-can-eat factory or some secret mom-and-pop joint, visitors to the Grand Strand always look forward to a trip to their favorite restaurant. In the spring, chances are every restaurant you have ever frequented will be up and running.

That is not always the case as October turns to November. The majority of Grand Strand eateries will remain open through November, but some family owned restaurants see fit to get the heck out of Dodge when the crowds thin out. Make sure you identify and call your favorite restaurants to see if they'll be open during your visit.