The World Amateur Handicap Championship – golf’s most inclusive event – is one of the highlights of Myrtle Beach’s summer calendar, and the always anticipated tournament will crown its champion on the Resort Course at Grande Dunes this year.
More than 2,700 players from all 50 states and 10 countries have already registered for the 38th annual World Am, which will be played August 30 – September 3. After 72 holes of net stroke play competition, all flight winners and ties advance to the World Championship Playoff, an 18-hole shootout to crown the tournament champion.
As the host of the World Championship Playoff, Grande Dunes Resort Club will allow flight winners to test themselves on one of Myrtle Beach’s best and most scenic layouts. With six holes that play along the Intracoastal Waterway, highlighted by the unforgettable, par 3 14th, Grande Dunes has been ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest.
The Roger Rulewich design is one of the area’s boldest layouts, challenging players with large undulating greens and generous fairways that reward golfers for being in the proper spot.
The World Am, which flights players based on age, gender and handicap, is open to all golfers 17 years of age and older. Entry into the tournament, which includes at least four rounds of golf, nightly admission to the World’s Largest 19th Hole and a gift bag, is $559 through June 3rd a $120 savings off the regular cost.
The World Am flights players into 11 divisions – men 49 and under, senior men (50-59), mid-senior men (60-69), super senior men (70-79), seasoned seniors (80+), women (59 and under), senior women (60+), the gross division, senior (50+) gross division, mid-senior (60+) gross division, and women’s gross division. There is also a “Just For Fun” flight, created for players who want to enjoy the World Am experience without the pressure of competition.
While the competition is initially what lures players to the tournament, it’s only part of what keeps them coming back. At the heart of the World Am’s appeal is the camaraderie among its participants and much of that kinship is fostered at the World’s Largest 19th Hole.
Each night of the event, the 19th Hole overtakes all 120,000-square feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, providing participants with free food and drinks, live entertainment, celebrity guest appearances, a golf expo and more. Among the big names that have appeared at the 19th Hole in recent years are David Feherty, Brandel Chamblee, Charlie Rymer and John Daly.
Players will also receive a gift bag that includes a polo, a pullover, a golf towel, a logo’d hat, a PGA Tour Superstore gift card and an assortment of other goodies valued cumulatively at $250.
