Golf Fore Education Tournament hosted by the Sun Cruz Casino and the Jack Nicklaus,  Long Bay Club on February 7th, 2009. The tournament raised more than $5000 for local high schools through donations, fundraisers and a silent auction provided by tournament promotions.com. The event was catered by Ruth Chris Steak House of Myrtle Beach and the pairings party on Friday night held on the Sun Cruz Casino with a gaming cruise that followed.

Former Heavyweight Champion James Bone Crusher Smith was also a participant in the Golf Fore Education tournament, signing autographs and posed for pictures. Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Tyler Thigpen (pictured in the middle), also was able to attend.  Team Condolux finished third with a loss on a match of cards. The Condolux team along with Thigpen consist of Condolux owner Martin Brown(pictured left)  and Condolux Golf Directors Craig Chinn and Arnette Vereen (pictured right).

CondoLux is a Myrtle Beach condo rental and Myrtle Beach golf company, specializing in oceanfront condo rentals and golf packages. Learn more about CondoLux at www.condolux.net and www.northmyrtlebeachgolf.com.

Myrtle Beach is known for all of the courses along the Grand Strand and if you happen to read any of blog post in Craig`s Corner than you will know that I’m a big fan of the History of Golf. It does not get more historic than Willbrook Plantation, with five sets of tees, measuring 7,155 yards from the championship tees and 4,956 from the front tees.

The Dan Maples design which opened in 1988 was built on two rice plantations dating back to the 18th century. Located on the south end of Myrtle Beach,  Willbrook Plantation is surrounded by  the marsh along the Waccamaw River, live oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, and a mixture of changeling holes with amazing scenery that helped win Willbrook Plantation a # 25 ranking in the “Top 50 Courses for Woman”. Travelgolf.com also voted Willbrook as on of the “Top Marshy Courses for Myrtle Beach Golf”.

The condition of the golf course was excellent as the over seeding took very well for the tees, fairways and greens. The course itself requires you to hit every shot in your bag. The holes are very generous off the tee with the exception of the first hole which makes you hit a laser off the tee just to have a 2nd shot, as the marsh runs down the leftside and up to the green. This great opening hole is among one of the “The 100 Greatest Holes along the Grand Strand,”. Another one of these award winning holes is the Par 5, 15th hole. Along dog leg left forcing you to work the ball left to right (For any readers that have played with me know I like to hit the big draw). Your second shot is an up hill narrow hitting area over marsh to a green with a bunker guarding the front face. This intimidating hole is the #1 handicap for men and woman.

Overall, Willbrook Plantation is on my list of, must plays for Myrtle Beach golf and has slowly become a favorite of mine. From the Historical markers telling you the history of the course to the wildlife in the natural setting which was originally 2,400 acre tract of land granted by the Lords Proprietors to Robert Danial in 1711 and sold to the legendary Percival Pawley in 1722, Willbrook is a true test of golf as designer Dan Maples called it “One of My Best”.

A special Thank You to the Myrtle Beach National Company, Head Golf Professional Kevin McGuire and the entire Willbrook Staff for inviting me to play.

I would also like to giving a standing ovation to Mr. Kenny Giles, Superintendent of Willbrook. The golf course was in EXCELLENT CONDITION, from tee to green.

Learn more about the Willbrook Plantation Golf Club.

Your drive may set your mental attitude for the hole but your short game will determine your score.  Many golfers set aside hours for their drive and minutes for their short game.  However, it is one’s short game which needs to be perfected in order to score low.  Distance is necessary to get you where you want to be on the hole but there is no way to get your golf ball in the hole without an excellent short game.  Therefore, there are stroke saving shots which will help your short game tremendously and will help you to score lower on your score sheet.

Such shots that are included in this category of stroke saving shots include the fringe shot, the greenside divot, the running chip shot, the lob shot, the buried lie, the short putt, the long putt, the greenside bunker shot, the long bunker shot and the backward shot.  If you can include all of these shots into your short game then you will be ready to play any course including the excellent and challenging Myrtle Beach golf courses.

Here is a description of each one of these shots so that you have an idea of which ones you should start working on today:

The Fringe Shot – This shot is used when the golf ball lies on the border between the green and the rough.  Normally, the golf ball is rather close to the hole so trying to chip the call may prove to be disastrous.  In this shot, you should use a 4 wood, 5 wood or a 7 wood and use one of these particular clubs like a putter.  Just put the ball as if you were putting even though you are not actually on the green.

The Greenside Divot – This shot is very useful when your ball lands in a divot.  By using an 8 iron, you will be able to chip your ball out from the devoted area and into a more desirable location.

The Running Chip Shot – This is a great shot when you need some distance but do not want your ball to be flying and bouncing around.  With this type of chip, the ball will literally run on the golf course towards the pin.  The recommended golf clubs for this shot are the 8 and 9 irons.

The Lob Shot – If you need some height then the lob shot is perfect.  By opening the face of the club as much as you can, you will be able to let the ball soar without launching it far from its target.

The Buried Lie – Unfortunately, there are patches of the rough which seem impossible for you to get your ball out of.  With this shot, you will be able to soar free from the worst lies on the rough.

The Short Putt – A short putt is considered to be any putt on the green where the golf ball is 6 feet or less from the hole.

The Long Putt – The long putt is considered to be any putt where the golf ball is 20 feet or more from the pin.

The Greenside Bunker Shot – Getting stuck in the sand can be a nightmare for golfers who do not have this shot in their repertoire.  By opening the face of the Sand wedge and hitting about an inch behind the golf ball will help you to fly out of the sand trap without regret.

The Long Bunker Shot – For these types of shots where height may not be necessary to get you out of the trap, you can use your 8 iron rather than the sand wedge to get you out of trouble.  This shot will help show you how.

The Backward Shot – This is one of the most valuable strokes in golf if you have bad luck while playing.  It seems incredible where you find the ball whether it be right next to a tree or anywhere else where it may seem like an impossible play.  With the backward shot you will be able to get you and your ball out of a jam without losing valuable strokes.

Each of these shots have their particular place in one’s short game.  Some of these stroke saving shots may be more valuable than others but this all depends on one’s game.  Practice the shots which are absolutely necessary such as the short and long putts.  Practice the shots that seem useful depending on your tendencies to shoot for the bunkers in some cases and at least review those shots that you may never seem to use but might one day become very necessary such as the backward shot.

The plethora of courses for will provide you with plenty opportunities to practice and use all of these stroke saving shots again and again. Come stay and play with us on your Myrtle Beach golf vacation and experience the whole spectrum that golf has to offer from the most challenging and world renowned courses to the family friendly, beginner’s courses.