.png)
Golf is great as a strictly social activity played with no stakes for pure enjoyment. But for my money, there’s nothing better than competing against others — whether at handicap or in scratch competition, for a few dollars, a shiny trophy or just some good, old-fashioned bragging rights.
If you’re looking for any of those things as part of your next great golf vacation, then Myrtle Beach is an ideal destination. It is home to a year-round slate of tournaments for individuals and two-person teams, meaning that it’s easy to plan a trip around one of them if you want. Most of them are fairly new but have found tremendous success.
Myrtle Beach World Am
This year’s dates are August 27 to September 2, promising a weeklong celebration of golf and camaraderie in one of the world’s great golf destinations. All entrants (more than 3,000 are expected once again this year), separated into dozens of flights by age, gender and handicap, get to play at least four rounds of tournament golf, with the winners of each flight advancing to play the fifth — the Championship Round, an 18-hole net competition in which the World Amateur Champion will be crowned. This year’s Championship Round will be held at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort, which will serve as the venue for the culmination of the event for the fourth year in a row. An extra attraction at the “World Am” is the “World’s Largest 19th Hole” a catered, open-bar hangout held each night during the tournament. Access is free with every entry, so if you don’t play well, you can at least eat and drink well!
Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic
If you and your best golfing buddy prefer to visit Myrtle Beach when the weather’s a little cooler — and with the opportunity to play some of the area’s best golf courses for less — the Preseason Classic is ideal. A 54-hole, two-person team event, this tournament takes place at some of the Grand Strand’s premier layouts, such as True Blue, Barefoot Resort’s Norman Course, River Club and others. The first round is best ball, the second is a combined team net format, and the final round is a Texas scramble.
Myrtle Beach March Championship
This March Championship is considered the little brother to the World Am. A three-day, individual, stroke-play net event, all spots have been sold out in the tournament’s first two years. Winners in each flight gain free entry into the same year’s Myrtle Beach World Amateur. Host courses include some of the best on the northern half of the Grand Strand, including Wild Wing Plantation, Farmstead Golf Links and Long Bay Club.
Veterans Golf Classic
Myrtle Beach has long been proud to be known as a favorite destination for active-duty and retired members of the military. And with the Veterans Golf Classic, held every early June, it is also known as a gathering place for friendly competition among that distinguished community. A two-person team tournament, the Classic takes place over three days with a format rotation similar to that of the Preseason Classic and with a dozen courses hosting the hundreds of pairs who turn out each year.
Calabash Cup
Love the Northern Grand Strand courses? The Calabash Cup is a great competitive opportunity for you. Held in the middle of July, some of the host courses for this three-day, two-person event include River’s Edge Golf Club, Tiger’s Eye Golf Links and Thistle Golf Club, three of the best Myrtle Beach-area courses on the North Carolina side.
Myrtle Beach Fall Classic
With the autumn being one of the best times of year to visit the Grand Strand, it is no wonder that the Myrtle Beach Fall Classic has been such a resounding success in its initial editions. Held the week before Thanksgiving, it is another two-person event, but unlike the Calabash Cup and Preseason Classic, the Fall Classic is a 72-hole event played on some of the best courses in the southern half of the Grand Strand, from Caledonia and True Blue to TPC Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Plantation, among others.
For more information on these and other Myrtle Beach-area competitive golf opportunities, contact our local golf specialists.