Myrtle Beach - The Golf

This was definitely a GOLF vacation - I played four rounds of golf, and the guys plays five rounds!

We got a great deal on a package of four rounds at 'The Cats Golf Courses at Ocean Ridge' - these courses are actually in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, about a half hour drive from North Myrtle Beach. 

Our first round was at Tiger's Eye, and, I have to say, I played really well!  Usually, a good game for me is being consistent with at least one part of the game...but, on this particular day, my driver, woods and irons were all going really well.  I really struggle around the green (as in, I CAN'T hit a wedge!), and that was evident during this round.  My putting was OK - the greens had just been aerated so it's hard to judge.

Curt played the Blue/Amur tees at 6628 yards, Dad and Gord played the White/Bengal tees at 6120 yards and I played the Red/Tigress tees at 4502 yards...so, I had quite an advantage over the men!  I think I made the best of the situation too.  I ended up shooting a 98, so I was pretty happy to be under 100 for the first round of the week!

A view of the clubhouse from the ninth fairway.

The guys...

Dad, Curt and Gord

My tee shot on the 11th hole, a par three...I made par! :)

Our second round was at Lion's Paw, and I had a pretty average round.  I continued to play well until I got to the green, and then chipping and putting were a struggle. 

Surprisingly, I only took ten pictures during the round?!?!

And, five of them were of this guy...

I think this was probably the best gator siting we've had on a golf course!  He (or she?) was basking in the sun and didn't seem to be at all bothered by me taking pictures...it made it tempting to get close, but I'm a big chicken, so I kept a safe distance and used zoom.

Our third round was at Panther's Run and this is when the wheels started to fall off.  Things were pretty inconsistent during this round; I'd hit one great shot and then a bunch of bad shots, and it continued like this for eighteen holes.  So frustrating!  Honestly though, I think we all found this round frustrating at times.

A full group shot...

Gord, Curt, Me and Dad

And, our fourth round was at Leopard's Chase - unfortunately, it was HORRIBLE!  We had decided to play a skins game during the round, and I managed to win a few holes, but don't ask me how?!?!  I did get a stroke on every hole, that obviously helped a lot!  Gord hadn't been playing well all week (I beat him in the first three rounds), but he played well this round and won four or five skins...so, it was good to see him enjoy himself a little more.

Leopard's Chase was a TOUGH course!  I still got a good advantage with the forward tees, but it wasn't enough this time.  As we played the tenth hole, a twosome caught up to us so we let them play through...as they passed us on the cart path, the lady told us that 'it is a back nine from hell'...and she wasn't kidding!

The tough, but very picturesque 18th hole.  I actually managed to bogey this par 4...after 18 holes I finally managed to hit two consecutive shots and hit the green in regulation. 

www.big-cats.com

 Dad and Curt, deep in conversation about club selection. 

Curt likes to buy a yardage book at each course we play, both as a souvenir and to use during the round.  On the days when these two rode together, they had detailed discussion about yardage and what club to use...they're good, so they're allowed to do stuff like that. 

So, despite having a few rough rounds, I really enjoyed our golf this week.  I loved getting to play with my dad, and actually playing well - I'm usually horrible when I play with him!  Another good thing about playing with my dad, seeing him get frustrated explained exactly why I act the way I do when I'm playing poorly...we're very much alike in that department! :)  I enjoyed the whole foursome, obviously.

I know I've said it before, but it's still weird to me that I have fallen in love with golf over the last few years.  But, I'm glad it's happened because it's a great thing to do on vacation - Curt and I both enjoy it, it gets us outside and allows us to see some beautiful and unique scenery in our different vacation spots.  And, this trip was no exception!