TheSunNews.com: Myrtle Beach Golf

Byrd, Pope on outside looking in at PGA Q-School

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:41 EST

Both Zack Byrd of Murrells Inlet and Jeremy Pope of Pawleys Island fell back at their sites in the third round of the PGA Tour

Qualifying Tournament's second stage and are unlikely to advance.

Byrd shot a 2-over-par 74 Friday at Callaway Gardens' Mountain View Course in Pine Mountain, Ga., to fall from a tie for 39th to a tie for 58th at even-par 216. Pope shot a 2-over 73 at Hombre Golf Club in Panama City Beach, Fla., and fell from a tie for 22nd to a tie for 36th at 1-over 214.

Area golf briefs: Locals tackling PGA qualifying

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:19 EST

Zack Byrd of Murrells Inlet is tied for 32nd at Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, Fla., and Jeremy Pope of Pawleys Island is tied for 58th at Callaway Gardens' Mountain View Course in Pine Mountain, Ga., after the first round at their second stage sites in the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. The top 20 and ties at each site after four rounds advance to the Q-School finals.

Byrd shot a 2-under-par 70 with birdies on his final two holes, and Pope shot a 3-over 74 after recovering from a double bogey on his opening hole that contributed to a 4-over start through five holes. Former Grand Strand resident Kris Blanks of Frederick, Md., shot a 71 at Hombre Golf Club and is tied for 28th.

Pro golf

Local Golf Course Spotlight

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:19 EST

Opened | 1989

Architects | Pete and P.B. Dye

Par | 72

New golf products to the market

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:20 EST

DivotMat helps

with ball-striking

DivotMat is a training tool that shows golfers precisely how they are striking the ball. A DivotMark is made when the club strikes the patented DivotSheets, showing exactly where the club made contact, the swing path and club face position. Developed in partnership with Laird Small, a top PGA Instructor, and endorsed by Fred Couples, the DivotMat has a suggested retail price of $99.95. Visit www.divotmat.com.

Study: Myrtle Beach area above par as golf vacation

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:11 EST

Those in the Myrtle Beach golf community have always considered themselves atop the leaderboard in the national competition for rounds and notoriety as a golf destination.

A study by the National Golf Foundation suggests others see the Grand Strand in the same light.

According to the NGF study, which was commissioned by marketing cooperative Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, Myrtle Beach is as popular as any other destination among golfers in the eastern two-thirds of the United States and manages to retain its customers better than any other location.

Column: Plan for picturesque golf hole near airport nixed

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:16 EST

The dramatic golf hole that was going to greet visitors flying into Myrtle Beach International Airport will not come to fruition.

The city hired course architect Craig Schreiner to formulate a plan for holes 16 through 18 and the driving range at the city-owned Whispering Pines Golf Course to accommodate the building of Harrelson Boulevard past the course and into the airport.

Schreiner designed an eye-catching par-3 17th hole with an island green that would remain lighted for visitors flying in at night, and also proposed upgrades to the 16th and 18th holes that would make more of a visual impression. The scene would have showcased Myrtle Beach as a preeminent golf destination.

Area golf: Deer Track suit nearing resolution

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:19 EST

A lawsuit holding up the possible redevelopment of the closed Deer Track North Course is likely nearing a resolution.

The class-action suit against North Course owners McCray Smith and Jerry Pettus was initially filed by four of approximately 450 homeowners around the 183-acre course in September 2006.

Attorneys on both sides agreed to allow retired circuit court judge Thomas Cooper to rule on the crux of the suit: whether the homeowners have an easement preventing the course's redevelopment. He heard the case Monday during a 41/2-hour trial in Conway.

Brad Redding's golf tip: Hips Over

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:27 EST

In putting you want to be as stable as possible from your hips down. Getting your hips over your heels allows you to put your weight on the balls of your feet. This will activate the inside muscles of your legs. You need this ''sport-tension'' in your legs to help you stay grounded and steady in putting. The best place to practice a lot of the Essentials In Putting is in front of a mirror. This especially holds true for your hips over your heels. Take a piece of masking tape and place it vertically up the mirror. Move your body and place your heels on the bottom portion of the tape and then bend forward from your hips. Do this until you can get your hip on the top portion of the tape. This may feel funny but I can assure you that it will make a world of difference in you making a better stoke with your shoulders and your contact with the ball will feel more solid.

Area golf touring pros

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:26 EST

Katie Allison

Residence Little River

Tour Duramed Futures Tour

Area sports in brief

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:22 EST

Junior golf

Austin Cody of North Charleston shot a tournament-record 9-under-par 137 Sunday to win the 15th annual Cheraw Fall Challenge at Cheraw State Park Golf Course by a shot over Chandler Brazeal of Aiken. McKenzie Talbert of North Augusta won the girls title with a 141. Austin Frick of Myrtle Beach shot 73-76-149 to tie for 16th among 57 players in the boys age 15-18 division, Beau Teal of Myrtle Beach tied for 25th at 76-75-151, and Ryan Wilkinson of Galivants Ferry finished 56th at 82-85-167.

College men's soccer

New to the Market

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:13 EST

ECCO debuts hybrid golf shoe

Danish shoemaker ECCO announces the arrival of its men's Golf Street Premier shoe, a versatile, trend-setting hybrid sport-casual golf shoe designed specifically for wear both on and off the course. Golf Street Premier is in tune with modern men's fashion. It comes in base colors of moonless black and concrete white with funky color pops of cactus green, fanta orange and chili red, in addition to metal-rivet accents. The shoe combines style and function with full-grain distressed leather uppers, a sleek PU midsole and pre-molded traction bars that are extremely durable.

ECCO says the shoe is made using a proprietary direct-injection process that creates a one-piece construction that won't break down over time.

Local Golf Course Spotlight | King's North Course at Myrtle Beach National

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:13 EST

Holes 18

Opened 1973

Architects Frank Duane, Arnold Palmer

Godwin gets best of friends a Mayor's Cup

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:46 EST

Jeannette Godwin of Pawleys Island knew who and what she was up against this past weekend in the fourth annual Mayor's Cup women's tournament at Whispering Pines Golf Club.

The favorites in the 92-player tournament were all her friends, including two-time defending Mayor's Cup champion Cecelia Barksdale of Murrells Inlet, and Dianne Belair and Karen Zeip of Myrtle Beach. They regularly play together at their home courses.

Godwin will have bragging rights for the next year after shooting a 9-over-par 81 in the final round to claim a two-shot victory over Barksdale with a 31-over 248 total.

Truett, Foster win title at Wachesaw

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:00 EST

Sammy Truett of Surfside Beach and Linwood Foster of Pawleys Island won the inaugural Wachesaw Four-Ball Invitational mid-amateur at Wachesaw Plantation by five strokes with a 15-under-par 201.

Terry Ball and Warren Glover of Murrells Inlet were second in the mid-amateur, which was open to players 25 and older. Both of the top two teams shot 70 in Sunday's final round on the 6,853-yard par-72 layout.

Craig Coleman and John Lavin of Myrtle Beach were third at 213, Benton Montgomery of Murrells Inlet and Jim Eskew of Charleston were fourth at 215, and Michael Trunzo of Niskayuna, N.Y., and partner Keith Gillespie of Scotia, N.Y., were fifth at 217.

Golf column: Strong fall has CCU teams looking forward to spring

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:14 EDT

The Coastal Carolina University men's and women's golf teams have reason for optimism next spring considering record-setting performances and impressive individual accomplishments in the fall season, which has concluded for both after four events each.

The CCU women got a team win and individual win by senior Aruka Felgueroso, and set both 18- and 36-hole team scoring records.

The men also earned a team win, had a pair of individual titles from seniors Sam Lyons and Dan Obremski, and set a team 54-hole scoring record.

Ask for a Ruling with Cory Armstrong

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:15 EDT

Q | Last week you showed us our options on what to do if we play a ball from inside a water hazard and fail to get it out. What should we do if we hit the ball out of bounds?

- Lucas (Myrtle Beach)

A | Lucas, this can also be a confusing situation for many golfers. Rule 26-2b Ball Played within Water Hazard; Ball Lost or Unplayable Outside Hazard or Out of Bounds gives us our options.

Mayor's Cup women's tournament nearly doubles participation

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:20 EDT

The fourth annual Mayor's Cup women's tournament at Whispering Pines Golf Club has nearly doubled its participation from last year.

The 54-hole tournament begins today with 92 players, up from a previous tournament high of 48 in 2008. "[The players] told me last year they were going to get more people, and they came through with what they said they would do," said tournament director Alan Chasteen. "It's going to be a great tournament for them."

The event has an Open division that is expected to play the 5,497-yard gold tees, and Senior and Super Senior divisions scheduled to play from the 5,176-yard red tees. Tee times are 8:30 a.m. through 10:06 a.m. today through Sunday off the first and 10th tees.

Local golf course spotlight

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:42 EDT

Meadowlands Golf Club

Opened | 1997

Architect | Willard Byrd

New golf products to the market

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:43 EDT

Nike Golf's Crush ball

Nike Golf has designed a new golf ball that the company says provides distance and precision. The Crush ball combines a softer compression core, optimized cover design and new DMC coating to reduce unwanted side-spin and maximize ball velocity for straighter, longer distance. The larger and softer, high energy core delivers high velocity and feel. The Directional Micro-Composite coating (DMC) is the first of its kind: a smart coating that is designed to lower spin for driver shots that would normally slice or hook.

The mid-tier price is optimized for driver head speeds of 80 to 95 mph with a compression of 63, and the newly designed thin, two-piece ionomer blend cover is designed to enhance greenside feel and playability while increasing ball speed and maximizing distance off the tee. The ball features a 312-dimple design that produces lift for longer carry and consistent ball flight. The ball becomes available Nov. 1 with a suggested retail price of $30.

Founder of local golf store dies at 78

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:27 EDT

Golf Dimensions, one of the two golf retail giants founded on the Grand Strand, has lost its patriarch.

Robert Smith Sr., co-founder, co-owner and Chairman of the Board of Golf Dimensions, died Sunday night at 78. He had been battling Pulmonary Fibrosis for three years that required constant oxygen assistance.

The first 6,300-square-foot Golf Dimensions store opened in Atlantic Beach in 1989, and the two current Grand Strand locations have a combined 75,000 square feet of merchandise. Smith's son, Bobby, is the company's president.