Playing in Myrtle Beach
This falls in the nice-work-if-you-can-get-it category.
I’m in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, leading a press trip for seven Canadian journalists on behalf of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, an association that represents golf courses, accommodations, golf schools, and more.
They are a great bunch of guys that includes Randy McDonald of Pro Shop, David Cowx of Tee to Green Magazine, Scott MacLeod of Flagstick, Jackson Hayes of Metroland, Chris Fry of SCOREGolf, Jean-Sébastien Légaré of Mongolf.ca, and Drew McAnulty of Sun Media. This is a very low-maintenance group of very keen golfers, so they’re easy to shepherd around. They show up every morning keen to go with no tales of debauchery.
Chris Fry and Scott MacLeod have been blogging about the trip, which has unfortunately been dogged by rain. But we’ve still played golf every day and our equipment dries out every night. Hey, golf is an outdoor game. It happens.
One of the objectives of the trip is to increase awareness how much Myrtle Beach has evolved as a golf destination in the past decade. One of the media wags remarked, “This isn’t your dad’s Myrtle Beach.” The area has more than 100 golf courses spread across the area known as the Grand Strand, but now there’s something for every wallet–from folks on a budget to those looking for the high-end in everything, including courses, restaurants, accommodations, as well as shopping.
Our trip started on Monday. We flew out of Niagara Falls International Airport in Niagara Falls, NY, on Direct Air. Flying to Myrtle Beach used to be a real drag. You had to hopscotch around, which is why a lot of golfers in Eastern Canada drove the 14 or 15 hours or so.
But with Direct Air, you can–wait for it–fly direct from places such as Plattsburgh, NY, which is close to Ottawa and Montreal, and Niagara Falls, NY, which is great for golfers in Southern Ontario. (Indeed, Porter Airlines is planning on flying to Myrtle Beach from Toronto’s island airport, which is great news for GTA golfers.)
But for folks on western edge of the GTA and southern Ontario, the Niagara Falls airport is a wonderful alternative than flying out of mammoth Pearson, or driving into the beast of Toronto and dealing with traffic, parking, et al.
After flying down the QEW, you get U.S. Customs out of the way at the border, and the airport is only about 10 minutes from the border. It’s a tiny airport–only Direct Air flies out of it for now–and parking is free, which is a first in my experience. Small airports are such a joy compared to metro airports.
That’s all I have time for this morning. We’re off to play The Moorland course at The Legends…
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Is Mr Cowx hitting it smooth and straight like always ? Have a good trip boys.
Thanks Pete … Indeed, Mr. Cowx hit it well in Myrtle Beach, including holing out from the fairway on No. 6 at True Blue with a 6-iron from the fairway for a sweet 2! It was a great trip despite being victimized by the affects of Hurriance Ida.