The World Amateur, held annually in Myrtle Beach, SC, has been the largest golf tournament anywhere over the last 37 years. If you have a legitimate golf handicap, you can join the 3,500 golfers on nearly 60 of the Grand Strand’s best golf courses from August 30 to September 3.
Participants, whose handicaps range from zero to 36, play as individuals over four days on such layouts as Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue, Pawleys Plantation, TPC Myrtle Beach, Tidewater and dozens more. Handicap ranges within the flights are very narrow. Most players, by choice, compete in net flights, but the World Am offers gross divisions as well for women, men, senior men, and mid-senior men (over 60) who prefer to play it like a PGA or LPGA event. Tournament organizers say they “can make your experience as much or as little like a [professional] event as you want.” (Note: Even those without established handicaps can join in “just for fun.”)
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, arguably the best golf course on the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, is just one of the dozens of courses to be played by the 3,500 participants in the upcoming World Amateur.At the end of the four days, winners of each of the nearly 70 flights go to a championship round at the Grande Dunes Resort, winner take all. Prizes within each flight are paid to fifth place, with the winner earning a $600 gift card to the PGA Superstore in Myrtle Beach. (Prizes for 2nd through 5th place are gift cards of $300, $150, $75 and $50, respectively.) Flights are roughly 50 golfers deep.
The major social event connected with the World Amateur is a giant cocktail hour held in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. (I haven’t yet competed in the World Am but I did attend the cocktail party, the largest I have ever been to by a factor of, probably, 100. It is a lot of fun and a great way to meet golfers from all over the world.)
Should you decide to attend this year – registration remains open until August 5 – and you are interested in real estate in the area, let me know and I will be happy to make some recommendations about which golf communities may suit you best. Most of the World Am golf courses are inside the boundaries of Myrtle Beach golf communities, so if you find you like the courses you play, let me know and I can share information about the surrounding neighborhoods.
For more information about the World Amateur, visit their web site at MyrtleBeachWorldAmateur.com. Have a great time and good luck.