Byline: John J. Archibald St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Hurricane Hugo was bad enough, lament the folks in golf-crazy Myrtle Beach, S.C., but the San Francisco earthquake really put them in the rough.
'Sure, we were scared out of our wits and we suffered some damage from the hurricane, especially on the beach front,' said Eric Eiseland of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. 'But the eye of the storm passed through Charleston, 100 miles south of us, and we began to recover quickly.
'Many of our 65 golf courses were in operation a day or two after Hugo, and within two weeks all but one were in good shape. Some of the hotels underwent ground-floor damage, including the loss of their main dining rooms and swimming pools, but it was nothing like the news reports said.'
But even as clean-up crews cleared away thousands of downed trees and replaced some windows, Myrtle Beach publicists began sending out more accurate reports on the situation.
Then, just when the promoters were starting to get reassuring word to potential vacationers, Hurricane Hugo became old news - or non- news - because of the more spectacular quake damage in San Francisco.
'After that, there were no more stories about how Myrtle Beach or other hurricane targets were recovering,' Eiseland said. 'People in the Eastern and Midwestern states were left with the impression that everything in the Carolinas was in shambles.'
A visit to the Myrtle Beach 'Grand Strand' and many of its golf courses late last year showed that reports of the area's demise were exaggerated. The Strand is a 60-mile oceanfront strip that begins in Holden Beach, N.C., and stretches south, with an average of more than one golf course per mile. And they're still building.
Unless you look carefully, you might not suspect that the area underwent anything worse than a spring storm. Nine out of 10 trees still are standing and every structure has a roof, except for some vacation cottages directly on the ocean, which were reduced to kindling.
It is difficult to imagine a community more devoted to a single sport than Myrtle Beach and golf. In addition to its 65 regulation golf courses, the main drag (U.S. 17) has dozens of fanciful miniature golf facilities, par-3 courses, and more golf supply stores than you can shake a 7-iron at.
Most visitors play a variety of courses during a visit, often two the same day, and many of the links compete with each other by featuring some gimmick or service.
One of the newest courses is called The Witch. The clubhouse roof has peaks that resemble a witch's hat, and the oversized tee markers are a similar shape. A novelty at The Witch that is practical is the custom of color-coding the flags - black, orange and white - according to how far back on the green the pin is situated.
At Buck Creek, another recent addition, the tees are labeled 'stag' (the farthest back), 'buck,' 'fawn' and 'doe.' Greg Stanzel, the pro, explained.
'Many men who are short hitters are reluctant to hit from the 'ladies tees,'' Stanzel said, 'so we've avoided that description.'
A lot of city guys presumably don't know that a doe is a female deer.
Buck Creek is laid out in a forested section, and considerable wildlife, including herons, egrets and deer, share the land with the golfers. Because the course is on government-protected wetlands, there are several long wooden bridges that players traverse over mushy areas that must remain pristine.
Another new public course, Myrtle West, takes pride in being 'service oriented.'
'We treat every guest like a private club member,' said manager Scott Davis. 'As soon as you park your car, an attendant removes your club bag from the trunk and takes care of it until you're ready to tee off.
'Too many times I've seen groups of players arrive at a course, with reservations, and they get pushed around like tourists. Myrtle West pays its employees what they are worth, and the understanding is that every guest will receive individual service.'
Another nicety at Myrtle West is the detailed map of each hole provided at the tee, showing every major obstacle and peculiarity along the way.
Myrtle Beach has attractions for a non-golfing spouse or for golfers on a rare rainy day. Among them is Outlet Mall, a vast collection of stores where manufacturers of brand-name items sell off their slow- moving items and where price-wise shoppers can do well.
On Barefoot Landing, a series of enterprises that border a lake in the middle of Myrtle Beach, there are numerous restaurants, craft shops and a place that features '32 kinds of caramel corn.'
Just down the road a piece, 17 miles south, actually, is Brookgreen Gardens, an unexpected culture center. Brookgreen is said to contain the nation's largest outdoor collection of classical sculpture.
In 1930, sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband, philanthropist Archer M. Huntington, purchased four old plantations 'for the preservation of the flora and fauna of the Southeast.' Brookgreen was intended to exhibit the works of Mrs. Huntington exclusively, but the gardens quickly expanded. The collection now contains more than 460 pieces of 19th and 20th century American sculpture.
Many vacationers who go to Myrtle Beach take advantage of the numerous package deals that are offered, and which can include lodging, greens fees and meals, depending on individual choices. A non-profit organization, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, assists vacation planners.
For free vacation literature on Myrtle Beach, call toll-free at 1-800-356-3016.
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Myrtle Beach... basking in the South Carolina sun
