PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – It is hard to believe it has been 18 years since the death of golf course architect Mike Strantz, who died at age 50 after a battle with cancer. He is fondly remembered even though, in today’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately” society, short memories are the norm.
Not only has the talented and artistic Strantz remained in the consciousness of the golf world, his reputation seems to be gaining momentum. After starting in the design business under renowned architect Tom Fazio, Strantz went out on his own. Shortly after, he created two of his masterpieces – Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (1994) and True Blue Golf Club (1998) on Pawley’s Island, at the southern edge of the Myrtle Beach area. Both courses received immediate acclaim. Now they have achieved their highest honors ever.
In the recent state rankings by Golfweek Magazine, both courses placed among the Top 5 courses the public can play in golf-rich South Carolina. That is high altitude. Caledonia, a perennial top pick, came in at No. 4, and True Blue cracked the Top 5 for the first time at No. 5. The top three courses – the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Harbor Town and the Dunes Golf and Beach Club – all receive a popularity boost from hosting national professional golf events over the years. Caledonia and True Blue have built their reputation on their own.
For those reasons, Caledonia and True Blue – plus their sister property, the Inlet Sports Lodge – have been selected as the subjects of the August episode of the award-winning Traveling Golfer television show.
Both Caledonia and True Blue are unique because, although they opened to national acclaim, they have continued to improve over the years … and the sophisticated golfers of the world have not failed to notice that. Credit for the continued improvement goes to Ponderosa, Inc., the local ownership group that provided the resources to PGA General Manager Bob Seganti and the dedicated team that continues to operate at a high level.
“We are very fortunate to have team members who are passionate about their work,” said Seganti. “The group of owners that came together around Caledonia, True Blue and the Inlet Sports Lodge were not really golf people in the beginning. They came up with a hospitality concept, gave us a directive and made sure we followed it. They let us figure out how to achieve their goal. Apparently we have succeeded. And we appreciate the fact that people – both outside and inside the golf industry – recognize that.”
Traveling Golfer host Tony Leodora is no stranger to the properties – this is the third show that features them. And they have been parts of other shows in the past.
“I’ve been coming to Caledonia and True Blue from the very beginning,” admits Leodora. “The courses captivated me from the outset and Bob Seganti has become a good friend. He is a consummate golf industry professional.
“Plus, since they built the 35-room Inlet Sports Lodge, just up the road in Murrells Inlet, it has become my favorite place to stay in the entire Myrtle Beach area. I firmly believe it is the perfect set of accommodations and amenities for a golf group. Every time I leave the properties, all I can think about is how soon I can make a return.”
In addition to the golf courses and the lodge, the show features a quick look at nearby Murrells Inlet and the famous Marsh Walk – a collection of the best seafood restaurants and music venues anywhere.
The August episode of the Traveling Golfer airs as a scheduled weekly feature show on NBC Sports and NBC Sports + throughout three markets in the Mid-Atlantic regions. NBC Sports airings are 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 a.m. on Thursdays. NBC Sports + airs the show at 8 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. In addition, the show airs nationally, two times every day, on the Fun Roads Network (funroads.tv/schedule) – in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Wichita, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington State, North Dakota, Raleigh, Orlando, San Jose, Albany and Boise markets.
Additionally, national and international expansion has taken place via the new wingding™ Network, which reaches more than 275 million households. It is available on Roku (50 Million), Amazon Fire TV (55 Million), Apple TV (40 million), Chromecast (56 million) and iTunes (28 million).
The Traveling Golfer also airs a number of times throughout the month on “Rivertalk” on HTC-4 in Myrtle Beach.
The show also airs on the Traveling Golfer network of websites, including The Golf Director Network and The Myrtle Beach Golf Channel (see full list of sites on www.travelinggolfer.tv).
As part of every Traveling Golfer show there is the feature, “Tech Talk”, hosted by Tour Edge Golf experts, such as President Dave Glod. With years of experience as a club maker, Glod presents an inside look at the research and development of high-quality golf equipment.
Responding to golfers’ never-ending demands to learn more about interesting golf courses and golf resorts across the country and around the world, well-traveled host Tony Leodora created the Traveling Golfer so he could take viewers on video trips to some of the most exciting golf locations. In each of its 10 years on the air, the show has been honored by the International Network of Golf with one of its prestigious awards. In four of those years the Traveling Golfer was named the No. 1 Golf Television Show in America.
The Traveling Golfer is a series of monthly shows hosted by Leodora and produced by Executive Producer Dustin Gilder. All have many years of experience in televised golf. The featured destination stays on the website for one month, before being replaced by a new show. Alternate shows also air in a two-month rotation. All old shows are archived for continued viewing on the WingDing MEDIA Network and on the home website, www.travelinggolfer.tv.
For more information about the Traveling Golfer, or to find out how a property can be featured on the show, call TL Golf Services at (610) 721-8186 , WingDing MEDIA at 843-272-1901 or e-mail Tony Leodora at tleodora@comcast.net. or Jeff Gilder at jeff@wingding.tv.
