Next-Generation Leaders Take the Reins of Region’s 100-Year Golf Milestone Through Student-Driven Design, Judging, and Marketing Collaboration
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – In celebration of 100 years as one of the world’s premier golf destinations, Play Golf Myrtle Beach (PGMB) has launched a completely student-led initiative to shape the region’s next century of golf. Through a multi-tiered collaboration uniting Horry County Schools (HCS) and Coastal Carolina University (CCU), local high school artists will design a mobile placemaker landmark, while CCU marketing students will spearhead the strategic earned media and year-round promotional campaign that introduces it to the world.
“Too often the next generation is asked to steward a future they had no hand in designing,” said Ryan Cannon, Executive Director of Golf Tourism Solutions. “Golf is one of our region’s primary economic engines and the foundation of our regional identity, and if we want this game and our community to thrive for another hundred years, we must genuinely ask for, listen to, and take seriously the vision of our young people. It is an honor to work with HCS, CCU and Little Spider Creations on this meaningful project.”
The project hands the creative and promotional keys directly to the next generation. Horry County high school students in grades 9–12 are invited to submit concept designs for a bold, interactive mobile landmark mounted on a towable trailer (roughly 8 feet wide by 16 feet long and up to 10 feet tall). The winning concept, judged in part by CCU students alongside industry partners, will be professionally fabricated by scenic studio Little Spider Creations of Loris, S.C., utilizing sculpted foam, fiberglass, and metal armature. Simultaneously, undergraduate marketing students in CCU’s Wall College of Business, Principles of Marketing course will effectively serve as PGMB’s agency of record, developing digital campaigns, hashtag strategies, gamification rollouts, and an annual activation tour for the placemaker’s 2027 voyage across the Myrtle Beach area golf market.
Play Golf Myrtle Beach, owned and operated by Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS), is the official content platform representing Myrtle Beach golf and the Myrtle Beach golf lifestyle. GTS is leading the comprehensive and collaborative Myrtle Beach Golf Centennial Celebration. For this specific project, they are the convening organization, using their promotional platform to elevate the program, and providing the necessary financial resources to execute the program.
Through the Fine Arts Department, Horry County Schools is leading the implementation of the design contest. High school students will be able to submit designs for the contest.
“This is an incredible, real-world canvas for our fine arts students across Horry County,” said Scott Scrivner, Fine Arts Specialist. “Usually, classroom projects remain within the walls of a school or an art gallery. With this challenge, our students are being given a seat at the table to define how our community is seen. Knowing that a sketch born out of an art class will be transformed into a permanent, professional 3D monument that travels throughout the region gives our young artists a profound sense of pride and validation for their creative voices.”
Within the Wall College of Business Principles of Marketing Class at Coastal Carolina University, students will serve as judges for the high school design competition before taking on the role of a student agency, crafting the digital earned media roll outs, winner reveal strategies, and annual roll-out calendar to bring the landmark to life.
“Our marketing students aren’t simply reviewing theoretical case studies, they are operating as an active creative agency on a milestone regional campaign,” said Dr. Elisabeth Dellegrazie, Marketing Faculty at CCU. “As digital natives, our students understand organic engagement and user-generated content intuitively. Serving as judges for the high school entries and architecting the full earned media rollout gives them unparalleled, real-world experience, bridging academia and industry in a way that truly celebrates youth leadership across our community.”
Little Spider Creations will lead the manufacturing process. They will take the students’ vision and bring it to life.
Milestone Schedule
| Milestone | Details | Target Date |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom Kickoff | Contest introduced across all Horry County high schools | COMPLETED |
| Design Submission Deadline | All student design concepts and briefs due digitally | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
| Judging Window | Multi-panel evaluation including CCU marketing students | November 16–20, 2026 |
| Winner Announcement | Winning design revealed | Early December 2026 |
| Professional Fabrication | Little Spider Creations builds mobile placemaker in Loris, SC | Dec 2026 – Feb 2027 |
| Public Unveiling | Placemaker debut at Pine Lakes | End of February 2027 |
| Year-Round Regional Tour | Student-led activation tour across golf and civic events | March – December 2027 |
Student honorees will receive gift cards of $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place, and the winning student will be formally credited on the finished traveling landmark. CCU students will deploy and oversee the operational toolkit throughout 2027, activating the placemaker at events throughout the Myrtle Beach area golf market.
The partnership will also be highlighted during Wall Connections 2027, the Wall College of Business’s largest annual professional development event, on February 23, 2027. Featured speaker Kyle Oland of Play Golf Myrtle Beach will discuss how collaboration among business, education, and community partners is helping bring the Myrtle Beach Golf Centennial initiative to life while creating meaningful opportunities for student engagement and regional impact.
About Play Golf Myrtle Beach
Play Golf Myrtle Beach, the official content platform of the Myrtle Beach area golf community, is owned and produced by the non profit mutual benefit corporation, Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS). It serves as the definitive resource for The Golf Capital of the World®. For more information, visit PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com and follow our socials: @PlayGolfMB on X; @playgolfmyrtlebeach on Instagram; and Play Golf Myrtle Beach on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
About Horry County Schools
Horry County Schools’ vision is to be a premier, world-class school system in which every student acquires an excellent education, with welcoming centers organized around high-quality teaching and learning. Horry (pronounced O-Ree) County Schools is made up of 58 schools within nine attendance areas: Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Green Sea Floyds, Loris, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, and St. James. Horry County Schools has more than 47,000 students and is South Carolina’s third-largest school district.
About Coastal Carolina University
Located in Conway, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University is a premier public institution recognized for its dedication to student success, vibrant campus community, and championship-winning NCAA Division I athletics. A designated Sea Grant and Space Grant university, CCU drives innovation through specialized initiatives like South Carolina’s first space satellite program and the state’s only accredited Professional Golf Management program – one of just 16 such programs in the nation. Explore CCU’s bold commitment to academic excellence at coastal.edu.
Media Contact:
Shannon Baker, Buffalo Groupe – sbaker@buffalogroupe.com
