SHARP SHOTS

Time for clean break between TPC and Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (June 1, 2004) - If a TPC course is a) not owned by the PGA Tour, b) does not host a PGA or Champions Tour event, and c) has no real legacy of hosting one, should it really be a TPC course?

No. And that's why the TPC of Myrtle Beach needs to bow out of the TPC network gracefully once new ownership kicks in and develop its own identity and branding.

Some quick background information. The Tom Fazio designed track in Murrells Inlet is one of five TPC facilities being sold to Medallion Golf, Inc. The deal, approaching $40 million according to GolfWeek, is expected to be finalized in July. Also on the block are the TPCs at Eagle Trace and Heron Bay - both in Coral Springs, Fla. - the TPC of Tampa Bay and the TPC of Virginia Beach.

Why the fire sale? Ostensibly, because Medallion approached the PGA Tour's Golf Course Properties division about purchasing the properties. But make no mistake, this fist full of courses no longer fits the TPC profile. Four of the five facilities are daily fee courses, and all have either lost or never hosted a PGA or Champions Tour event.

In that context, the sale makes absolute sense. What doesn't make sense is the TPC of MB clinging to the TPC moniker -- and its past -- like some scorned lover. Exactly which memories should it cherish?

The tropical storm that ravished the course shortly after completion, thus postponing the Senior Tour Champion's move from the nearby Dunes Golf Club? Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Bruce Fleisher and the boys stopping by just long enough for a bowl of She Crab Soup? The ownership split with local marketing consortium Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday amid cries of favoritism from MBGH's other members? Not exactly scrapbook material here, folks.

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That part of the equation is easy to figure.

But the PGA Tour allowing Medallion to carry forward with its brand is the stumper. There is speculation that the Tour doesn't want to project weakness or give the impression its giving up on former commissioner Dean Beman's dream of a nationwide network of Tour owned and operated facilities.

This theory would be plausible if a) there weren't still 19 courses left in the network even after the sale of the aforementioned five, and b) the Tour wasn't in the business of opening new TPCs, which it sill is, as evidenced by the recent unveiling of the Pete Dye designed TPC of Louisiana.

Another theory - a non conspiracy based one - is that the Tour just doesn't see any harm in it as long as Medallion maintains TPC-like service levels and conditions. As far as bets go, this one seems fairly safe. Medallion is an offshoot of Meadowbrook Golf, a prominent golf course management and maintenance company with about 35 upscale courses in its portfolio. And the PGA will require Medallion to sign a licensing agreement stating that it will uphold the Tour standards for operations and maintenance.

Back to the TPC MB. So Medallion adds a name brand course to its fold, the PGA unloads one of its venues that can't seem to attract or retain a professional golf event much less turn a profit, and golfers are guaranteed the same experience they'd get at the TPC of Scottsdale or Sawgrass.

Everyone wins, right? Wrong.

The spirit of the TPC loses, and loses big. A major part of the TPC concept, as envisioned by Beman, was for golfers to be able to play where the pros play. How can the TPC MB even pretend to be such a place? And just as importantly, why should it?

The South Strand layout can stand on its own as a first class golf experience without the TPC label. The course, while not considered one of Fazio's best, is one of the ten best in the Grand Strand. And the practice facilities and amenities out shine those at 95 percent of the other courses along the beach.

What's more, the market is finally coming around. Rounds played in Myrtle Beach are soaring back to and beyond pre 9/11 levels, and a steady supply of local play will be provided by the surrounding Prince Creek development as it comes to fruition.

Sometimes a fresh start is the best start. Both the PGA and the TPC MB are getting their shots this summer. Unfortunately, three letters stand in the way.