Golf in South Carolina riding momentum into new year with more growth the goal
Clarissa Childs’ problem provides Exhibit A for the state of golf in 2022 in South Carolina.
“We have an outing in February at Cassique and 175 players, far more than we can accommodate, have already registered,” said Childs, executive director of the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association.
Her dilemma perfectly punctuates the observation of Biff Lathrop, who heads the S.C. Golf Association: “The game is in the best position that I have seen in years.”
Indeed, Childs, Lathrop and aficionados of the game who gathered for “Golf Day” at Columbia Country Club found a myriad of reasons to celebrate.
Call the outlook a revival of the game, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak that changed the world. Golf suffered a downward spiral amid the 2008 economic downturn. This time, the sport profited during hard times from being an outdoor, non-contact sport.
Players rediscovered courses and the demand for playing opportunities remains strong almost two years later.
“We had a big spike in June 2020, and play increased 20 percent for the remainder of the year,” said Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “Thorough November 2021, play for the year had increased 12.3 percent. That’s significant.”
Tournaments and highly skilled players capture the headlines, but the strength of the game is in the recreational players — a fact emphasized by full tee sheets. The increase in the number of players translates into more equipment sales, boosts pro shop opportunities and bolsters food and beverage business. Golf trips mean added revenue for hotels and restaurants.
“An exciting time, just seeing the growth,” Childs said. “We have 40 ladies signed up for our winter trip to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. There are a lot of good things going on.”
The SCGA’s membership list includes 275 clubs and more than 65,000 members with handicap indexes. The latter is probably the most ever, and the S.C. Junior Golf Association has more than 1,500 members.
Add tourism along the coast and the numbers are explosive.
“The resort courses are doing extremely well, and the inland courses, those west of I-95, are up as well,” Parrish said.
The state obviously benefited by keeping courses open — with safety protocols — in the early days of the pandemic, and Parrish noted that Top Golf facilities “had a positive impact. Those who could not spent four hours on the course could go to Top Golf for an hour or so. Hit a few good shots and golf is very contagious.”
Television exposure from two PGA Tour tournaments and the PGA major championship played in the state over a two-month period played a role, too. Add the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW event and the state enjoyed four weeks of televised golf.
“If you’re an out-of-state golfer and see the Ocean Course on TV, you’re thinking, ‘I want to go there to play,’ ” Parrish said.
Parrish’s department seized the opportunity to sing the praises of all Palmetto State golf with advertisements during those high-profile events.
Tournament schedules have been increased at all levels. The WSCGA has signed a three-year deal to conduct the South Carolina Women’s Open at Cobblestone Park, and the SCGA has a new event geared toward public golfers at the renovated Charleston Municipal Course. The SCJGA added a new series and three events.
“We in the golf industry have been fortunate,” Lathrop said. “Our allied associations came together and worked together. We had a month and a half off (from tournaments in 2020) to work on and institute the safety protocols, and since then it’s been ‘game on.’ ”
Amid the rosy outlook, officials are not taking the revival for granted.
“I think if there were going to be a slowdown, we already would have seen signs,” Lathrop said. “Nevertheless, we’re looking for more way to improve. We have momentum, and we want to keep growing.”
Echoed Parrish: “We’ll keep getting the message out that South Carolina is a fantastic place to visit and to play. I believe the resurgence in golf is here to stay. We’ve seen it. People have golf fever.”
That’s music to the ears for those who love the game.
Chip shots. Players of the Year for 2021 include Greenville’s Christian Sease (SCGA), Blythewood’s Eddie Hargett (SCGA Seniors), Spartanburg’s Anna Morgan (WSCGA), Mt. Pleasant’s Jayne Pardus (WSCGA Seniors), Charleston’s Rowan Sullivan SCJGA Boys) and Murrells Inlet’s Adrian Anderson (SCJGA Girls). Hargett won the SCGA Senior award for the fourth straight year. Pardus led the WSCGA Seniors for the third time, Morgan earned the WSCGA prize for the second time and Anderson collected the SCJGA Girls honor for the second straight year.... Jodee Tindal (Rock Hill/College of Charleston) captured the women’s title in the Carolinas Young Amateur in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Jack Parrott (Columbia/College of Charleston) lost in a playoff for the men’s championship.