Inaugural College Alumni Golf Event to be Held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., May 16-20, 2007
August 22, 2006, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Golfers hungering for the taste of intercollegiate competition can revisit their "glory days" with the inaugural "Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic" May 16-20, 2007. Created by Myrtle Beach National and hosted by the Litchfield-Pawleys Island area, the 54-hole event will be held on four of Myrtle Beach’s premier South Strand courses; Willbrook Plantation Golf Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Plantation and TPC of Myrtle Beach. Each team will consist of four graduates of the same college with each possessing an established USGA handicap.
"We’re very excited to host the inaugural Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic and welcome the participants to beautiful Georgetown County," said Laura Rippy, chairman of the Georgetown County Visitors Bureau. "This tournament will give us the opportunity to show off our outstanding South Strand golf courses during a wonderful time of the year."
"Few things stir up emotion and pride more than a good college rivalry" said Jim Woodring, vice president of golf operations for Myrtle Beach National. "This event will give diehard alumni a chance to put their pride on the line, relive their college glory days and partake in some old-fashioned trash-talking with their college rivals. I expect each school will enter a team loaded with scratch golfers in order to win the gross team category for the honor of their college, plus another foursome of everyday golfers who want to compete in the net division just for fun and a little competition."
Each four-person squad will be split into two two-person teams and paired with other two-person teams to compete in a four-ball (better ball) competition against the field. The two-person team score will be combined with the other half of their four-person team to determine their total score. There is no limit to how many teams each school can enter and prizes will be awarded for the following:
* Four-Person Team: Low Net and Low Gross (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
* Individual: Low Gross (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
* Two-Person Team: Low Gross and Low Net (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place)
The weekend begins with Wednesday night’s Welcome Reception and Pairings Party to learn course assignments. The tournament’s three rounds will be held Thursday through Saturday with an awards reception following the final round to crown the winning college and present the inaugural "Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic" trophy.
Todd Welden, head golf professional at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club added, "I’ve bounced the idea for this event off several friends and every one of them plans to enter a team. It’s really interesting to see how competitive these guys get when you pit their college against the others. Based on their enthusiasm, I think the Glory Days Alumni Golf Classic promises to be a really special event."
More information is available at www.GloryDaysGolf.com or by calling 1-800-882-0684.
About Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club is ranked among the "Top 100 You Can Play" by Golf Magazine, "Top 25 Courses in South Carolina" and "America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses" by Golf Digest, "Top 100 Modern Courses" by Golfweek and South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel’s list of "50 Best Courses." Designed by Mike Strantz, Caledonia is built upon the site of a historic 18th century rice plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C. The 6,526-yard, par-70 course has been described as having "18 signature holes," with holes routed around majestic oaks and meandering streams. The picturesque 18th hole borders the Plantation’s old rice field, and requires a precise tee shot that sets up a difficult second shot: a forced carry onto a green that is watched closely by the beautiful antebellum style clubhouse.
About Pawleys Plantation
Pawleys Plantation, a 582-acre resort and golf course community in Pawleys Island, S.C., is nestled among moss-draped oaks, natural wetlands and salt marshes, bordered on the south by a 600-acre nature preserve. This Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is a rare design where extraordinary beauty combined with his masterful architecture delivers an exceptional golf experience. Wide green fairways lead to subtle greens guarded by natural hazards like the Pawleys Island salt marsh and the barrier island beyond. Golf Magazine named the Phil Ritson-Mel Sole Golf School at Pawleys Plantation as one of only 12 academies to remain on their prestigious "Top 25 USA Golf Schools" since their ratings began in 1999. Men’s Journal Magazine topped that by choosing it as one of the "Six Premier Schools in the Country." Headquartered at Pawleys Plantation since 1991, this school helps golfers of all ages and skill levels to improve every facet of their game. Mel Sole, renowned South African PGA Tour player conducts 3 day schools year-round with a low student/teacher ratio of 4:1 or fewer. Progress is monitored with computerized video analysis and a take home tape is provided. More information is also available online at www.PawleysPlantation.com or by calling Pawleys Plantation at (800) 367-9959.
About TPC of Myrtle Beach
Since opening in February of 1999, the Tournament Players Club of Myrtle Beach has earned a reputation as one of the most scenic and outstanding courses in the area. The TPC design features a surprising amount of elevation changes and dense forests. The course features Bentgrass greens and Bermuda fairways which are speckled with several bunkers and five sets of tees which pose challenges for players of all skill levels. TPC of Myrtle Beach was selected as the "2005 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year" by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association and was also a finalist at the national level. TPC became the first Myrtle Beach area course to be honored as a five-star golf facility in Golf Digest’s 2006 "Best Places to Play" ranking in the May issue. Golf Digest also named TPC as one of "Myrtle Beach’s Top 50 Golf Courses." In 2004, Golfweek named TPC as one of its "Top 10 South Carolina Public Golf Courses" and in December of 2004, TPC become only the second Grand Strand golf course, and the 13th South Carolina golf course, to be designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. For information, visit www.TPC-MB.com.
About Willbrook Plantation Golf Club
One of nine courses owned and operated by The Myrtle Beach National Company, Willbrook Plantation Golf Club is a course that noted architect Dan Maples has often called "One of my best." Carved from the site of two Carolina plantations, Willbrook winds its way amid a centuries-old oak forest where nature abounds. The course was featured on the award-winning television show "Nature Scene" for its peaceful coexistence of golf and nature. Willbrook was just recognized by Golf for Women as one of the "Top 25 Golf Courses for Women." The 1st and 15th holes were selected for inclusion in the "The 100 Greatest Holes Along the Grand Strand" book, published by The Myrtle Beach Sun News. Willbrook is home of the Direct Approach Golf School which features personal instruction and the latest in computer swing analysis from a staff of LPGA and PGA professionals with more than 50 years of combined experience. Courtney Cauthen, the Director of Instruction at the Direct Approach Golf School, was honored by Golf for Women as one of their "Top 25 Instructors." Willbrook has recently undergone extensive renovations with more than one million dollars in upgrades to the golf course and clubhouse. For more information, visit www.MBN.com.
About Litchfield-Pawleys Island
The Litchfield-Pawleys Island area is located just south of Myrtle Beach in northern Georgetown County. The region is well known for its natural beauty and history. As a port city, the town of Georgetown played a significant role in both the Revolutionary and the Civil Wars. Today, it remains one of the most popular vacation destinations on the East Coast with its offering of beautiful beaches, quaint shops and restaurants, and some of the top-ranked golf courses in America, many built upon the sites of former Carolina plantations. Many exciting possibilities await visitors in Georgetown County! For more detailed information on area golf courses, accommodations, restaurants and more, or further information on Georgetown County, visit the website at www.visitgeorgetowncountysc.com, or call 1-866-368-TOUR
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