“Our friends from Canada, they come here through the month of March at a level more so than the other 11 months out of the year,” Conner said. “So certainly, in March, we had less of our friends that traveled down and played [golf]. It wasn’t isolated to Myrtle Beach; it was just a national trend. But we’re hopeful and optimistic that they will return next year and we’ll rebound.”
One of the largest additions to the Myrtle Beach golf scene in recent years has been the rise of the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, which just completed its second year in May. The PGA Tour event generated $15.8 million in economic impact over its four-day stint at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club, according to initial estimates.
The event did see about 5,000 fewer attendees than during its inaugural year, but organizers attributed the decline to inclement weather. Still, the event was considered a success.
“The mission of our event here — the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic — is to produce a world-class event that contributes to the region economically, drives local funding for charity, allows sponsors to grow their brands, compels the community to participate and promotes our host city around the globe,” said Darren Nelson, the tournament’s director. “We’ve accomplished all those things in the first two years of the event.”
Nelson and other contributors to the Classic handed out checks Sept. 15 to local charities benefiting from the from the golf tournament. About $225,000 was awarded to nine Myrtle Beach nonprofits, including the Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Strand, SOS Care, Champion Autism Network, the Children’s Recovery Center, Helping Hand of Myrtle Beach, Project Golf, Help 4 Kids and Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina.
“This is a dream come true for a lot of us,” said Gary Schaal, executive director of Project Golf Myrtle Beach, which helps underserved kids and disabled veterans connect with the sport.
