After having been under a crunch at the day-job, it was obvious that I needed another. My brother planted the seed that we should go to Myrtle Beach again, the destination of my previous golf-getaway. With his brainwashing taking hold, I started my planning.

The plan was hatched, reservations were made, and we headed south. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was the destination. My brother Tony, our friend Keith, and I loaded up our rented SUV ready for 4-nights, 3-rounds of golf madness. We decided to keep it relatively short because we left the weekend before Thanksgiving and wanted to get back in plenty of time before the holiday.

We had a great time and I thought I’d let this post serve as part course review, part vacation guide, and part travel log. I’m amazed at how low the overall price was.

The Courses

This time around, we decided to play two new courses and one course we played last time we were in the area. We chose Pine Lakes based on a little write-up we saw in Golf Digest right before we started planning. River Club, down in Pawleys Island, is the course we played previously and liked it enough for a repeat. Our third choice, Caledonia, is one of the gems of the region. We wanted to spend some bucks to play a high-end place and we weren’t disappointed.

Pine Lakes

One of the cool things about Pine Lakes is that it was built in 1927. Of course, the current course has undergone a complete restoration and things have undoubtedly changed a lot since then, but it certainly still has the feel of an old course.

One of the lasting impressions I have of the place is the gorgeous clubhouse. It has a definite old country club feel to it.

The course is well-maintained and plays 6675 yards from the back tees. I felt like the holes had a lot of character without feeling “tricked up” like you might see in some modern courses in resort places. The use of bunkers and other design features help to maintain the classical feel of the course while still providing a challenge.

At the time of year we went, the rough was pretty short and was becoming dormant. The fairways and tees were in nice shape. The greens were also in good shape. The course did show some signs of the extreme summer heat that blanketed the area only a few months back, but it certainly wasn’t a detraction.

Click here for more information about Pine Lakes

River Club

We played this course eight or nine years ago last time we were in the Myrtle Beach area. The three of us liked it enough to play it again. Last time I was there, the layout felt a lot more tight, with homes along many of the holes. However, this time around, I’m in much greater control of my game, so it wasn’t an issue.

Generally, the course is challenging, with water on a majority of the holes. I personally find a couple of the holes on the front nine to be a little lackluster, but the rest of the layout is fun and interesting.

Without a doubt, the 18th hole is a dramatic finisher. A dog-leg par-5, long hitters can cut across the water for a shot at eagle. Standing in the 18th fairway gives a wonderful view of the clubhouse in the distance (the photo above is actually taken from the 9th hole).

Again, there was evidence of the oppressive heat from the recent summer. The River Club showed a little more leftover heat stress than Pine Lakes did, especially on the greens. However, the course was still very playable.

Click here for more information about River Club.

Caledonia

I’m struggling to find words to describe the beauty of Caledonia.

Originally, the property was an old plantation. The golf course is fairly new, opening in 1994, but it feels like it has been there for 200 years. When you enter the gate, you drive up an avenue lined with 150-year old oak trees. Right up to what they describe as an antebellum-style (pre-Civil War) clubhouse. While certainly not that old, I would immediately believe it if you told me it was.

The course itself has been named in various top-100 lists, including some from Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and Golfweek. The holes are wide open, with plenty of room for errant shots. I can only recall two holes where homes could be seen. And holes internal to the property are separated by enough distance that there doesn’t feel like there’s any danger of interfering with the play on other holes.

I can’t recall any holes that I didn’t like for one reason or another. The website says the course “has been described as having ’18 signature holes.’” I have to agree with that statement. Whether it’s the 18th hole that has a dramatic approach over a lake toward the clubhouse, or the 7th hole with a giant, old tree guarding the right side of the green, every hole has something to offer in terms of challenge and aesthetic beauty.

The property is filled with stately, old trees, covered with Spanish moss. In wooded areas between holes and the like, the ground is clear from debris, so there are fewer places where balls can become lost.

The manicuring of the course was on a level I’ve never seen before (keeping in mind, I’ve never played any of the famous big-named courses). Virtually everything from tee to green was immaculate. The turf on the greens was so tight-knit that fixing ball marks felt like trying to work with actual carpet.

There was little or no evidence of the harsh summer like there was at the other two courses. It’s easy to see why when you look around and see an army of workers hand-raking bunkers, spraying tees, watering holes, etc.

Click here for more information about Caledonia

The Stay

As consumers, we really benefit from the fact that Myrtle Beach has an off-season that’s not exactly a poor time to visit. Going there in the second half of November, we definitely risked having some foul weather, but it was gorgeous. However, that, coupled with the shorter days, means that many people won’t make the trip at that time of year.

Consequently, we were able to get a two-bedroom suite at the Holiday Inn Express in Murrell’s Inlet for $88/night (which is the AAA rate). It was a beautiful, well-kept hotel, and yet the parking lot was over half empty every night.

We kind of noticed similar situations at restaurants and on the golf courses themselves. Our tee times were in the 12 o’clock hour and none of our rounds took longer than 4 hours and 15 minutes. Once or twice, it seemed like we might have been the last players of the day, which was great with us because we could move along well while not feeling rushed when needing to search for a ball.

We ate at a variety of places while we were there, but my favorite remains TBonz, a steak joint just above Myrtle Beach International Airport (with another location in the northern part of the region). It’s a nice place with a great atmosphere and they sure can cook a steak.

Conclusion

From beginning to end, this was a great trip. We played three courses that we liked at lot, stayed in a great hotel, and definitely felt the fact that we were there in the off-season, both with less crowds and lower prices. I basically booked the hotel and tee times around three weeks before the trip, with no trouble getting any of it coordinated.

Overall, the cost for golf and hotel was around $400 each. Add in the cost of a rental SUV, gas to drive down from New Jersey, and the cost of meals, and we were in the neighborhood of $600-$700 or so for a 5-day trip. In reality, a good chunk of that was for Caledonia which cost $140 each. Had we chosen to play a more run-of-the-mill place, the price would have been noticeably less.

If you haven’t taken a golf getaway to Myrtle Beach, I highly recommend it. It’s an affordable time in a great location. I’m looking forward to getting down there again. Hopefully, I won’t wait another decade to do it again.

Here are a few more photos from the trip. For even more, visit the Life in the Rough photo gallery.

© 2007-2011 Life in the Rough. All Rights Reserved.

My Fantastic Voyage – Of Golf

The Course

The Republic Golf Club is located in the southern part of San Antonio, TX. It is currently a qualifying site for the U.S. Senior Open and was voted the number one course in San Antonio by the Express-News in 2006.

From the green tees, where I played from, the course plays 6,622 yards, with a course/slope rating of 71.6/125. From the tips, it weighs in at just over 7,000 yards.

I found The Republic to be first-class all the way. For under $50 (mid-week), it was a tremendous value. The staff was friendly and helpful. The pro-shop and club house have an inviting western flair. The practice facility is terriffic.

I found the course conditions to be excellent. It is extremely well groomed from tee to green with fairways that are like carpets. With generously-sized holes, I definitely didn’t feel claustrophobic out there like I do on my home course sometimes.

I was particularly fond of the par-5 11th hole, which features a 200+ yard carry (from the two back sets of tees) over a deep gorge to a slightly elevated fairway. I choose a more direct route on the dog-leg left hole gambling with a longer carry. It paid off and I bombed a 300 yard drive that left me in range of the green (which I missed).

I was very impressed with the greens. They were hard and fast, just how I like them, and they rolled very true. They also have excellent character, presenting a nice challenge with both putting and when hitting approach shots.

The course was harder and faster that I’m used to. The weather here is hotter than normal for this time of year and it was late in the day, so it’s to be expected.

My Round

I wish I could say I had a good round, but I didn’t. I had a great time, but played some bad golf. I’m not too concerned though, because I had several things working against me.

I hate to make excuses, but… heat, travel fatigue, and an unfamiliar course got the best of me.

Ok, enough whining. I still managed to squeeze in a birdie and several pars. I had a handful of blow-up holes where I was smothering my drives. I lapsed back into my lateral hip slide problem. I made a couple of tweaks and had a mostly decent second nine.

I’m having a blast on vacation, but part of me is looking forward to getting home to work on my swing. I was playing well before I left and am looking forward to continuing my improvement.

All in all, The Republic is a great course, well worth the price. Here’s a shot of me enjoying a moment of shade:

I definitely recommend The Republic Golf Club if you’re in the area. I’ll be playing it again next time I’m in San Antonio.

© 2007-2011 Life in the Rough. All Rights Reserved.

A Day at The Republic Golf Club