FEATURE STORY

Space wars
overshadow beachfront
accommodations on
the Grand Strand

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Nov. 11, 2004) - It used to be all about the beach. The closer to the sand, the surf and the salt air the better. It did not matter how little time most golfers actually spent on the Grand Strand's beaches, they still wanted to be staying on one.

• No summertime doldrums for Myrtle Beach this year as golf rounds hit record high • Myrtle Beach's glamour makeover: Taking its best shot at reeling in the fat cats • Golf instruction business is booming in Myrtle Beach

Mike Garamella and his Philadelphia buddies were typical. The first seven years of their annual Myrtle Beach golf pilgrimage, they booked rooms on hotels that touted ocean views. It was the thing to do.

"You're coming to Myrtle Beach from Philly, you almost felt like you had to stay on the beach,'' Garamella said. "You knew everybody and their mother was going to ask you how the ocean was.''

Garamella laughs. When his family and co-workers ask how the ocean was on his returns from Myrtle Beach now, he tells them "it was a rumor." It has been four years since Garmella's group has stayed on the ocean. They are part of growing trend that is seeing golfers give up sandy views for space comforts.

"We never really did anything with the freaking ocean anyways,'' Garmella said. "We're not scuba divers. We're golfers. We'd rather have room to hang out with the fellas and cut loose then be bunched into a little hotel room on the beach.

"It's been a long time since I've been in college man. I need my space."

It is all about the room now. Condo development after condo development is touting its rental units in terms of square footage and common living area space. This is the part of a three-bedroom, six-bed unit where everyone can get together and play cards, drink beers, watch a game and rouse Eddie about his special chilli recipe.

A grown man's playpen if you will. Or a giant living room.

"We're seeing a lot of golfers that like to congregate together in small groups," said Bill Lewis, the general manager of Village at the Glens. "Sometimes they want to cook for each other. One person has a favorite dish and makes it for the group. They just want that place where they can all get together after a day of golf. It's become a big selling point for us."

Village at the Glens offers some of the largest shared living areas in the Grand Strand. Its units typical feature open kitchens which look out on a wide-open living room. In recent years, Carson Courage of Myrtle Beach Travel has seen more and more golfers who use his packaging company ask for accommodations with large common areas.

"Golfers are recognizing the hidden value of a condo compared to your typical hotel room, especially for a group," Courage said. "Putting four golfers in one condo compared to two hotel rooms can make a significant difference in price and experience."

Places like Myrtlewood Villas are selling this cost-efficient camaraderie to groups ranging from four to 48 golfers strong. Besides its pools, in-unit washers and dryers, full kitchens and proximity to courses, Myrtlewood Villas promotes its space.

"It's the comforts of home without being at home,'' said Jim Powalie, the general manager at Myrtlewood Villas. "You have room to play cards, room to all get together."

There's that word again: room. You better have plenty of it too attract today's Grand Strand golfer.

Aware of this new emphasis, traditional hotels are getting into the game by touting their own large space gathering areas. The Comfort Suites is making golfers aware its mammoth meeting rooms are available for rent at discount rates on off night hours, the better to hold large poker games and the like.

"Sometimes a group of guys will rent them out to play cards,'' Alison Tarrant, Comfort Suites sales manager, said. "And they'll be in there playing almost until their morning tee time."

The hotels pitch has become: get your extra room without giving up your traditional hotel services, like daily housekeeping and room service. Even the ultra-traditional Marriott corporation is getting into the race. The Courtyard By Marriott - Broadway At The Beach is set for extensive renovation to be completed for October 2005. One of its goals? To create some larger rooms and a modern lobby look where "groups will be more comfortable hanging out,'' said sales manager Kristy McLaughlin.

Welcome to Myrtle Beach's space wars. Everyone's touting something a little roomier. It is essentially the American obsession with the SUV brought over into the Myrtle Beach lodging business.

"The biggest change in golfers visiting Myrtle Beach is that they know what they want,'' Lewis said. "They know what they're looking for. They know they can get it for a good price. And one of those things they want is more space where they can all get together. It's very competitive right now.''

Forget the ocean views. Who's got an extra 1,000 square feet?

Golfers like Garamella have changed the market and you had better believe Myrtle Beach's tourism industry has noticed. Most of these properties are obsessed with discovering what their lifeline golf guests want. The Courtyard By Marriott went as far as tracking their golfers' breakfast trends.

"They're rushed,'' McLaughlin said, noting this sets the golfers apart from the typical vacationer. "Rushed to get out to that course in the morning. There's no stopping them getting on that course. We have a lot of fun with them.''

Recognizing this need for morning speed, the Courtyard By Marriott moved up the starting time of its breakfast buffet.

The space wars could change Myrtle Beach much more. Of course, there are those who wonder if it is more of a passing fad than a trend. The beach is not going anywhere after all. And for all the emphasis on space away from the beach, Marriott also recently opened a 400-room resort hotel on Ocean Boulevard.

"I've tried to steer golfers away from the beach for years,'' said Jerry McGraw of Carolina Golf Travel, a golf packaging company that specializes in the Grand Strand. "If you're golfing all day, and that's why you're here, how much time do you have to spend on the beach anyways? Especially if you're coming in the fall when there's about 11 hours of daylight and you want to get in 36 holes a day.

"But there are still guys who are determined to stay on the beach and we accommodate them.''

The beach isn't dead. It is just not as hot as the grown man's playpen. It's all about the supersized playpen now.