SC Golf Association’s Biff Lathrop: How I Go Columbia

Biff Lathrop will be too busy to go to the Masters in Augusta, Ga., this week: He’ll be tied up with the big fundraiser put on each year by the S.C. Golf Association, where he works. But plenty of people stay in Columbia during Masters week so Lathrop, 40, consented to offer some advice about how they should Go Columbia — including to attend The Golf Ball.

EAT: You can’t go wrong just by visiting the Vista, all the new restaurants they’ve got down there. If you watch golf, the new place is the Hickory Tavern, with TVs all over the place. Carolina Ale House is a good spot. Wild Wings sports bar has been a good place for watching golf during the week, too.

DRINK: Probably the Wild Hare. Once again, it’s more of a sports bar. They would have the Masters on TV. A restaurant/bar that a lot of people enjoy is Pearlz in the Vista. It’s an oyster/seafood type place and they’ve got great food and a nice bar, too.

PLAY: There are a couple of golf courses around the area that offer opportunities: The Country Club of Lexington, Columbia Country Club, Oak Hills Golf Club – just for the Masters week, they open their doors to non-members.

SEE: If you’re not going to be on the golf course during the day, you can’t go wrong going to Riverbanks Zoo. My wife and I enjoy walking the Riverwalk; both the Cayce side and the Columbia side are a good way to spend some time outside. The State House is beautiful to go see.

THE GOLF BALL: This is one of the largest golf parties in all of South Carolina. There’s usually 600 to 700 people there. It’s Thursday, April 9, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., down at the Moore Building at the state Fairgrounds. This will be the 14th year. We have silent auctions, live auctions, raffles that go on. It’s catered by Southern Way Catering, open bar, some of the best food in the state. It’s a great opportunity to come in and get all kinds of memorabilia — and it’s not just golf-oriented, either. The money goes to the S.C. Junior Golf Foundation for college scholarships and grants for young people to play junior golf.

For more on The Golf Ball, go to http://scjgf.org/

This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 4:28 PM with the headline "SC Golf Association’s Biff Lathrop: How I Go Columbia."