You have heard the expression “The family that plays together stays together,” and nowhere is that old adage more accurate than in the golf capital of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this summer.
The Grand Strand is the home to Family Golf Week on July 18-21, featuring a pair of tournaments that allows the whole family to get into the swing of things on Myrtle Beach’s award-winning courses. In addition to competing on the greens and fairways, families can also relax on the beautiful beaches and enjoy all the great attractions, dining, shopping and entertainment Myrtle Beach has to offer.
The 21st annual event has been expanded this year to be more inclusive for families looking for a fun golf getaway to the Grand Strand. The 21st annual Father & Son Team Classic continues its traditional pairing of boys and men, while the upstart Parent & Child Team Classic provides a format for fathers and mothers to join forces with sons or daughters for some good-natured competition.
While the Father & Son Classic has grown into the largest of its kind in the world, attracting hundreds of dad-and-son duos to Myrtle Beach from all over the country, the new Parent & Child Classic hopes to bring even more golfers into the fold. Known as the Father & Daughter and Mother & Daughter Teams Classic over the past three years, the two will combine and expand their scope this year.
In addition to direct family ties, the tournaments permit extended family ties to take part in the experience, including grandparents, stepparents, in-laws and more. It’s also the perfect opportunity for families with a passion for golf to hold a family reunion in Myrtle Beach for the week. The golfers can hit the greens, the non-golfers can hit the town, and the whole family can enjoy the trip.
The tournaments include three days of play on some of the Grand Strand’s top golf courses, including Arcadian Shores, Barefoot Resort’s Love Course, Crow Creek, Legends Resort’s Moorland Course, TPC Myrtle Beach, Rivers Edge Golf Club and Wachesaw Plantation East. All participants are guaranteed three rounds of 54 holes, with prizes awarded to the top three teams in each of the flight divisions.
The Father & Son Classic features three divisions – National, Senior and Super Senior, Senior – with approximately 24 flights based on age and handicaps. The National division features participants ages 59 and under, the Senior division is for ages 60-69, and the Super Senior division participants are ages 70-plus. Each age division will play the appropriate tees and total yardage each round.
The Parent & Child Classic features only one division regardless of age and gender, and is open to a variety of teams – moms and kids, grandparents and grandchildren, stepparents and stepchildren, and aunts or uncles with nieces and nephews – to be more inclusive and create a broader family experience. The tournament will be flighted by handicap based on the total number of team participating.
The two-person teams will compete in a revolving, three-day format: Captains Choice in the first round, Better Ball and Alternate Shot (Modified), with the total score from all three rounds determining the division and flight champions. Both Thursday and Friday’s rounds will beginning with 8:30 a.m. shotgun starts, with the final day featuring staggered shotguns between 8 and 9:30 a.m.
In addition to three days of play in America’s favorite seaside golf destination, participants will receive trophies and prizes for their scores and a memorable bonding experience. All players receive gift bags that are valued at over $500 per team (logoed shirt/hat, golf balls, $150 gift cards and more), daily lunch after each round, giveaways, and an awards banquets that includes food and drink.
The tournaments also offer participating teams special rates on accommodations of the Legends Resort. Offering golf villas for your stay during Family Golf Week, Legends Resort is walking distance (or a short golf cart ride) to the tee box, driving range, clubhouse and on-site restaurants, pubs and swimming pools. It’s also close to some of Myrtle Beach’s most popular hot spots and attractions.
The cost for each tournament is $995 per team. Register today by visiting www.familygolfweek.com.