Story by Ian Guerin
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. | Like many of the other head golf professionals around South Carolina, Brad Crumling was only a visit away from getting hooked on the Grand Strand market. The Vineland, N.J., native discovered an early love for the game, and when it came time to poke around colleges that would get him to his goals faster, Coastal Carolina University just outside Myrtle Beach in Conway had all the right tipping points. “It had a Professional Golf Management program for people that wanted to get into the golf business,” said Crumling, now the head golf professional at World Tour Golf Links. “Upon visiting the school, I knew that’s what I wanted to do and this is where I wanted to go to college. I never looked back. Once I graduated, I knew this was the best place in the country to continue my career.”
Crumling’s school connections led to positions at Long Bay Golf Club, Aberdeen Country Club, Pine Lakes Country Club and Grande Dunes Golf Club in various roles after he completed school. In that time, he received multiple awards from the PGA President’s Council on Growing the Game, something that seems like a fitting honor for those who have seen how he interacts with customers looking to improve. Personally, he’s done that since joining the Founders Group International (FGI) team, and on top of his responsibilities at World Tour, he also currently serves as the Central Region Operations Manager for FGI, overlooking Myrtle Beach National’s three on-site tracks and Burning Ridge, in addition to World Tour. The range of courses he’s spent time at have broadened his beliefs about the local market. “There is no other place in the country where you can find so many great golf courses in such a close vicinity to each other,” Crumling said. “I have had the pleasure of working at several of them.”
Meanwhile, his ties to the Northeast certainly haven’t hurt his connections with clients. Vineland is less than an hour from Philadelphia, and Crumling’s love of the Eagles, Phillies, 76ers and Flyers has prompted a few conversations throughout the years. As for the golf side of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Crumling still holds a special place in his heart for Centerton Country Club, his home course from his high-school days. He also fondly remembers the time on the links with his father and where it led him. “When I wasn’t into junior golf, I played quite a bit with him,” Crumling said. “When I entered high school, I made the extremely tough decision to play golf instead of baseball, which I had played since I was 5 years old. My love for the game grew even more through high school and ultimately was the reason I got into the golf business.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of series of stories illuminating the men and women serving as Golf Professionals at Myrtle Beach-area golf courses
Ian Guerin is a DJ and freelance writer based in Myrtle Beach. You can follow him on Twitter @iguerin and Facebook facebook.com/IanGuerinWriter/