If you’ve been dying to take a Myrtle Beach golf vacation, but the rest of the family isn’t hip on a golf trip, play up the other options and you might just get your dream getaway. The community has more appeal than just golf, so don’t worry, while you’re on the course, your family can take in a number of different sites and still have plenty to do at the end of the day when you retire your clubs.

This South Carolina resort destination is known for two major things – golf and beaches. In between the two are literally hundreds of different options for sightseeing, shopping, dining and more.

Located on the South Carolina coast, this historic city has some major sites ranging from its beaches, golf courses and shopping districts to historic sites and amusement parks. Although you may want to go for the golf, your family will not be left out of the fun if Myrtle Beach is the destination.

Here are some of the major attractions to play up to help make that dream golf trip a reality:

* The area around Myrtle Beach is known for its live entertainment. The community is home to the Carolina Opry, the Alabama Theatre, The House of Blues and more. There’s also a Medieval Times dinner theater, the Palace Theatre and more.

* Amusement parks and other adventuresome destinations also call the Myrtle Beach area home. In the general area, visitors will find such attractions as the Children’s Museum of South Carolina, Broadway at the Beach, Ghosts and Legends, Family Kingdom Amusement Park and Ocean Front Water Park, Myrtle Waves Water Park and a number of raceways to name just a few options.

* Outdoors fun. In addition to golfing, the Myrtle Beach area boasts more than 60 miles of beaches. The waters in and around the area are perfect for not only swimming, but also boating, fishing, surfing, kayaking, parasailing and more. If the beaches don’t appeal, there’s the Intracoastal Waterway to explore, plus rivers, creeks, marshes and more.

* When it comes to dining, Myrtle Beach is a hungry person’s dream destination. With more than 1,600 restaurants, just about every cuisine on the planet is available. From fresh catches to steaks, ethnic foods and more, Myrtle Beach has no shortage of options.

* Shopping is also a popular pastime in this town. The city is home to hundreds of boardwalk specialty shops, traditional malls and more.

* Nightlife. The Myrtle Beach area is home to dozens and dozens of clubs and more to help keep the nightlife hopping.

* Museums/Arts/More. If something indoors doesn’t appeal, the area is also home to a number of museums, galleries and more “artsy” destinations. Plus, there are tons of historic sites in and around the area to explore.

If a golf getaway tops your list of things to do but doesn’t top your family’s, Myrtle Beach is a great suggestion. Offering something for just about anyone, this South Carolina resort is famous for golf and a whole lot more.

Great things come in great packages, so to speak.

In particular, golf resorts provide more than a golf player would ask. Generally, it caters to different kinds of people and not just golf enthusiasts. Golf resorts can really stand out in the vacation business.

Due to its nature, golf resorts literally have rooms and villas situated in a secured place. The rooms and villas are full of necessary services usually seen in a typical resort: large air-conditioned rooms, luxurious bathrooms, cable televisions, and internet connections.

Most of these golf resorts have magnificent views coupled with mild and healing climate. Landscapes and ornamentations are carefully drawn in the most luxurious way. There are beautiful pools and ponds that captivate visitors.

However, unlike other types of resorts, a golf resort caters to the specific needs of a golf player or a golf aficionado. These golf resorts are specially made for people who want to relax, have fun, and at the same time enjoy playing golf.

There are golf resorts that offer a variety of golf packages. They have several golf championship courses. Generally, most golf resorts have 18-hole course, par 63 Challenge course, and an 18 hole live turf Putting course.

Because of its specialized nature of market, golf resorts are dedicated to make every golf player a better player by trying out their different golf courses in a more comforting manner. Nearly every golf resorts offer golf lessons that will help every golfer improve their playing skills such as swing and putting.

Other golf resorts offer a variety of golf instruction programs for golfers of all skill levels. Golf resorts may offer individual instruction, group clinics, corporate clinics, junior clinic or multi day golf instruction packages.

On the other hand, there are golf resorts that can give practice facilities to beginners or to those that just want to try playing golf for the first time. In this type of golf resort, their practice facilities can give you the chance to work on all aspects of your game from wedge to driver. These golf resorts could offer you a place where you can practice your putting, chipping or pitching on a large two tier putting green.

In the United States, the most well known golf resorts are situated in Central Florida and Southern California where the climate and views are a perfect concoction so as to make golf resorts very entertaining.

Other golf resorts are Avila Beach Golf Resort in California, Eagle Crest Resort in Central Oregon and Championship Golf Resort in Central Florida.

The Eagle Crest Resort boasts of its golf courses carved out of an ancient juniper forest huddled at the foot of the majestic Cascades. Eagles Crest Golf Resort is also known for its meticulous grounds keeping, fast true greens, and beautiful summer wildflower displays. And because of their lower elevation, Eagle Crest Golf Resort have the longest quality golf season in Central Oregon making them adept in keeping one of their championship courses open all year round.

The Avila Beach Golf Resort, on the other hand, has lavishly landscaped greens. The Avila Beach Golf Resort driving range has great teeing areas and is open from dusk till dawn. They also offer various golf instruction programs.

The Championship Golf Resort likewise caters to most golf fanatics and players. This golf resort is easily within 20 minutes of all the top attractions such as Disney and Universal Studios. And because it is situated at the west of the attractions, Championship Golf Resort could be easily reached using Florida Turnpike and Osceola Parkway toll roads, with which vacationers could avoid the heavy congestion often experienced when approaching from the east.

Aside from these three marvelous golf resorts, there are still many other golf resorts waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. You could try looking for them at the Web because most of them have Web sites already; or you could ask for brochures and pamphlets of different golf resorts.

With the wonderful things mentioned, you can be assured that golf resorts are great alternative ways of making your vacation or golf activities truly an invigorating one.

Happy teeing!

Golf Magazine Great Getaways: The Best of the Best Three- and Four-Day Golf Trip

• Hard Cover
• Tara Gravel, Arnold Palmer

Product Description
Golfers face a dizzying number of resorts from which to choose. Now, with Great Getaways, here is your passport to the best of the best golf destinations throughout the United States, with additional information on Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe. This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide, compiled by GOLF Magazine editor Tara Gravel, presents the top three- and four-day golfing trips, complete with helpful hints on not only where to play but wh… More >>

Golf Magazine Great Getaways: The Best of the Best Three- and Four-Day Golf Trips

The increasing popularity of golf colleges reflects the incredible interest in golf as a sport and the rapid increase in the building of golf courses and resorts around the world. Each year the need for skilled golf college graduates increases as the sport spawns more resorts, country clubs and even travel packages focusing on golf.

Along with increased demand for golf professionals has come an increase in schools offering golf programs and specialized degrees. This can lead to confusion and uncertainty when potential students try to select a qualified, reputable school. After all, many golf colleges have been around for less than a decade, so it can be difficult to determine whether their reputation can hold up for the long term. In order to decide which school is right for you, consider the following traits that all great golf colleges share, regardless of whether they’ve been around for fifty years or five:

A golf college should have degree flexibility. While almost all golf colleges offer an associate’s degree, the opportunity to move on to a bachelor’s degree is important. Many golf schools are affiliated with another college that will offer the advanced degree so that you can begin working with your associate’s degree while pursuing the bachelor’s degree. The affiliation with a more traditional college or university is a sign of solid financial backing and an excellent curriculum.

The best golf college will offer access to a variety of golf courses. Most golf colleges have either their own course or unlimited access to a single course. The best ones, however, will offer limited but generous access to several different courses so that students can take advantage of different styles of courses. Driving range access is also important so that students can sharpen specific skills.

There is nothing more important than pro training. A golf college that has golf pros teaching all of their hand-on courses will give you greater bang for your buck. Be sure you ask how many instructors are actually golf pros. Access to several different pros gives students an advantage.

An associate’s degree should cover ALL aspects of the golf industry. A golf college that teaches golfing techniques but neglects management courses isn’t giving you the basis for establishing yourself in the business world of golf. Perhaps you want to go on the professional circuit, but even if you are an excellent golfer, it won’t last forever. A great golf college will also educate you in event planning, equipment design and maintenance, golf course design and maintenance, the business of course and pro shop management, public relations and a host of skills that those in the golf industry need. This gives you more flexibility and introduces you to many career options you may not even realize exist.

Golf College should offer financial aid. Loans and grants aren’t limited to traditional, four-year colleges and four-year degrees. Be sure the school has a financial aid counselor who will work with you to find the funds you need.

Placement assistance and career information should be available. Be sure to ask about the school’s placement rate for graduates (successful job placement should be at least 75 percent). Career counseling should also be a part of your schooling. Counselors can help you uncover unusual opportunities that most don’t know about.

When you find a golf college that has everything listed above, you can be confident that you’re getting an exceptional education that will prepare you for a career you love in the sport that’s your passion.