Story by Ian Guerin
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. | The temperature tapers off some, the courses are getting back into their prime and the activity list is still through the roof. Setting the agenda for a fall golf trip to Myrtle Beach isn’t easy, as the options are still plentiful. When it comes to getting to the crux of your trip, though, making the most of a few days or even a couple weeks along South Carolina’s Grand Strand sometimes just needs a push in the right direction. Choosing the right courses for you is step one. So, too, is finding some entertainment along the way. We wanted to make it a easier for you to maximize the vacation. In lieu of that, these five fall bucket list items need to be on your itinerary.
MYRTLE BEACH OKTOBERFEST
Before Market Common had completed much of the construction that turned it into urban shopping and restaurant epicenter of Myrtle Beach, the area’s Oktoberfest began to attract folks. Ten years into its run, the two-day event is still among the most popular of the many recurring annual items on the Market Common calendar. What this Oktoberfest may lack in true German tradition, it makes up for in its laid-back approach, welcoming set-up and – duh – beer options. And when the day’s festivities end, it’s a matter of steps to the three closest restaurants, each of which have great beer selections of their own.
PAWLEYS PLANTATION GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
The course that Jack built can be described as one of the most scenic in all of the Myrtle Beach area. The marsh views on are dynamic, the holes are creatively crafted around them and the chances for memorable shots (both with the camera and the club) come one right after the other. That’s because Pawleys Plantation is no ordinary course. Nicklaus’ approach to the design here brings about a different type of test infrequently used around the Strand. Tree placement, natural grasses and, of course some of that marsh territory, puts this track at another level.
ST. JOHN’S GREEK FESTIVAL
Right after Fall officially begins (Sept. 27-30, 2018), the annual Greek Festival at St. John’s the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Myrtle Beach has locals and visitors alike hollering “Opa!” time and again. Entertainment ranges from music to dances to vendors selling their wares in the outdoor courtyard. However, the name of this game is most definitely the food. Multiple stands across the property have turned serving up gyros spanakopita, baklava and more into nothing short of an art form. The lines look long, but before you know it, you’ll be full and looking for that shot of Ouzo.
TASTE OF THE TOWN
Several pockets of South Carolina’s northern coastline offer variations of their own food festivals. But none compare to the chomp and circumstance of the one that takes place at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center each fall. For six hours on Oct. 8, 2018, many of the best restaurants in the area will bring their product under one roof for a certifiable gorge-fest. The sample-size portions give those with an appetite opportunities to try new choices at a fraction of the price of the sit-down visits, all the while letting visitors mingle during one of the best social events of the year.
TPC OF MYRTLE BEACH
Not many courses along South Carolina’s Grand Strand can say they’ve hosted some of golf’s biggest names. TPC is one that can. The Tom Fazio design is nothing short of a brilliant patch of land assembled the likes of Tom Watson, Ray Floyd, Larry Nelson and Tom Kite for the 2000 Senior PGA Tour Championship in 2000. Even now, less than two decades later, TPC continues to show why it has put itself atop many lists during fall golf trips since. The course pits a high-quality challenge with top-notch turf and service conditions.
Ian Guerin is a DJ and freelance writer based in Myrtle Beach. You can follow him on Twitter @iguerin and Facebook facebook.com/IanGuerinWriter/
