Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has a deep connection with golfers, retirees and military service members. All three of those key demographics come together for one of the biggest events of the year in the Grand Strand golf and hospitality communities – the 35th Annual National Retired Military Golf Classic.
Scheduled for May 30-June 2, the 2018 National Retired Military Golf Classic allows retired military veterans and their spouses to gather with fellow service families for a fun and friendly tournament. The camaraderie and competition are good-spirited and the event is perfect for forming new friendships on and off the links, reconnecting with brothers and sisters in arms, and bookending a Myrtle Beach vacation over the adjoining Memorial Day weekend.
Each year hundreds of retired military members and their spouses tee it up in the National Retired Military Golf Classic for four days of golf and good times in the Golf Capital of the World and America’s No. 1 family beach vacation destination. This year’s courses include Burning Ridge Golf Club, Myrtle Beach National, Myrtlewood Golf Club’s Palmetto layout, Pine Lakes International Country Club (aka “The Granddaddy”), Wild Wing and World Tour Golf Links.
Pairings will be determined by handicap as foursomes will consist of A, B, C and D players. The men’s entry fee is $325 and includes four days of golf on rotating courses, while the women’s division entry fee is $285 and features three days of play on different layouts. Registration fees include cart and green fees, logoed golf shirts, hats or visors, awards, prizes and special drawings. Participants also attend a May 29 Ice Breaker party and receive gift certificates for a meal and tickets to see a show at the Alabama Theatre. The tournament also offers discounted accommodations at a variety of resorts.
The timing of the tournament is ideal for veterans and their families who want to honor their fallen fellow service members. The City of Myrtle Beach holds a month-long Military Appreciation Days throughout the month of May in celebration and remembrance of military members who served our country and their families who also made big sacrifices. Events culminate with a big Memorial Day weekend that features the Military Appreciation Days Parade & Picnic at The Market Common on May 26, and the Veterans March down Ocean Boulevard and the Remembrance Ceremony at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on May 28.
That gives golfers just enough time to get ready for the National Retired Military Golf Classic. Practice rounds are available throughout Memorial Day weekend at all six courses (Call 800-344-5590 for tee times), and registration and the reception will be held Tuesday, May 29. Registration takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club on Highway 501 in Myrtle Beach, followed by the “Ice Breaker” at Bay Watch Resort. Tournament play gets under way Wednesday with 8 a.m. starts. The Alabama Theatre show is Wednesday night, and the closing ceremonies are set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
National Retired Military Golf Classic participants can also choose to bookend their golf vacation with another major Myrtle Beach event – the Carolina Country Music Festival. The Fourth annual CCCMF is set to return with a huge list of headliners, including Luke Bryan, Toby Keith and the Zac Brown Band. More than 30 acts will take the stages over four days and nights at the former Pavilion in the heart of the downtown oceanfront district. Tickets to the CCMF and entrees to the NRMGC are going fast, so book your plans to play … in more ways than one.
For more information on the NRMGC, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/333138247157940/