Meredith: We’re at the beautiful Indian Wells Golf Club today, and joining me is Head Golf Professional Steve Shaffer. Steve, thanks for having us out.
Steve: Absolutely. Thanks for coming. Good morning.
Meredith: Well, I love this course because it’s challenging, you really gotta come out here and know how to play the course, good course management, because you have 14 water holes.
Steve: Yeah, there’s 14 different holes out here with water, strategically placed, you’re not gonna have to, it’s not a lot of forced carries or anything like that, but you do know how to place your golf ball around the course. And the more you play it, the easier it gets, and the more comfortable you get on the shots.
Meredith: Oh, absolutely. I mean, this is one of my favorite courses, and like you said, each time you come play it, you learn a little something new about the course, which makes you want to come back and keep playing.
Steve: That’s right.
Meredith: This course is very addictive.
Steve: It is, it’s one of those courses that I say you can always, you can play it almost every day of the week, and it’s always gonna be a different round of golf. You’re gonna have chances to go at par fives that you didn’t have chances to go at the time before. Par fours you’re gonna have wedges under your hand, and the next day you might have an 8 iron, it’s a fantastic golf course.
Meredith: It really is, and aside from the water, let’s tell our viewers a little bit more about Indian Wells.
Steve: Sure, well Indian Wells, it opened in 1984. It’s a Gene Hamm design. Gene Hamm was an architect out of Raleigh, North Carolina. HE did a lot of golf courses down around Myrtle Beach, and you can see this is definitely one of his classic designs. He does a lot of risk-reward, he’s a player-friendly fanatic when it comes to golf, so he wants every person, whether they’re a scratch golfer, 30 handicapper, men, women, seniors, he wants to have everybody come out and have an enjoyable round, and he definitely accomplished that here.
Meredith: Wow, absolutely. This course is amazing, and it’s very player-friendly for the women as well. I mean, you come out here, and the wildlife is amazing. The superintendent here has done a phenomenal job. The landscape is incredible, and the flowers, when they’re in bloom here in the spring and all throughout the summer, it’s just really spectacular.
Steve: It really is.
Meredith: A very Floridian feel to it.
Steve: Yes, yes. We were talking about that with the clubhouse earlier. The clubhouse has a very unique design. To be honest, I’ve been in the golf business since I was 16 years old; I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s got that kind of Mediterranean, Floridian feel, it’s got a good flow to it, but definitely something you’ll never see anywhere else.
Meredith: Yes, and so you have amazing staff out here. Really, it’s a great location, as well. A lot of people love the location; it’s right of 17, highway 17, and Murrells Inlet. There’s just so many aspects about this course, and really great rates, too. You know, there’s a lot of repeat golf play here, I hear that from a lot of golfers, saying, “oh, you know, I’m gonna hit Indian Wells after our morning round, in the afternoon,” which is very common. Just so many reasons to come out here. Is there a way for people to contact you?
Steve: Yeah, absolutely. You can call us at the Pro Shop, the phone number there is (843) 651-1505. All of our staff in the Pro Shop would be happy to take any phone calls, any questions you have, and again, we have a phenomenal staff out here. We love talking to the customers, so feel free if you have anything that you want to talk about, give us a call.
Meredith: Absolutely. I mean, these guys are like family out here. Love you guys.
Steve: That’s what we try to do.
Meredith: And also you can book at myrtlebeachgolftrips.com. You’re going to find the best rates there. You gotta go check it out. Plan your next Myrtle Beach golf vacation and come visit us here at Indian Wells Golf Club.
