NEWS

Myrtle Beach golf courses in great shape, back to business as usual after Tropical Storm Hanna

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall Saturday morning in North Myrtle Beach and along the North Carolina/South Carolina border, otherwise known as the "North Strand" to Grand Strand golfers.

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The good news is that while many Myrtle Beach golf courses did receive significant rain and wind, none suffered major damage - and none will be forced to undergo any long-term closure or significant restoration.

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a marketing cooperative of the area's top golf courses, reported that while only a handful were closed Saturday after the storm made landfall, by Sunday every golf course under its umbrella was operational, and those who had tee times and hotel reservations this week in Myrtle Beach can expect everything to be scheduled as planned.

"Tropical Storm Hanna made her presence felt in the Myrtle Beach area this past weekend," said Kathi Grace, director of marketing for Myrtle Beach National. "Minimal debris of tree limbs and branches were cleaned up and every area course was open for business as usual this past Sunday."

Hotels, condominiums and cottages along the coast were spared, though certain spots of beach erosion were reported. Further inland, flooding and downed trees were reported. An estimated 53,000 residents had power failures in North Carolina while just over 1,000 lost electricity in South Carolina. Area shelters received an estimated 2,000 people during the storm. Power has since been restored to all customers.

Local clubs are admitting they dodged a bullet on this one, receiving much less of a hit than the Gulf Coast and Biloxi, where golf courses and casino hotels were closed two days before reopening after flood damage and power outages.

For the entire Grand Strand area, golf courses are back to business as usual. September begins the start of the coveted fall season for the Myrtle Beach area, one of the area's most popular. The arrival of Hanna actually spells good news for future golf.

"This week's forecast projects some fantastic weather, as is usually the case after a storm passes," Grace said. "And visiting golfers are out playing in course conditions that are envied by other areas of the country."