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 Glen Dornoch, Hole #5 |
 Caledonia Entrance |
 Caledonia Golf and Fish Club |
 Gator @ Aberdeen Country Club |
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Myrtle Beach Golf News and Reviews -
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(December 21, 2006)Fourteen years ago golf history was made on hole 4 of the white nine. Jim Whelehon from Rochester New York scored 2 holes in one on this hole using the same ball and some club on two consecutive rounds of golf. There were no holes in one today. I played with two friends from Tidewater, Steve Cohn and Tony Brevetti who joined me on the men's regular tees. It was a breezy warm day, with a high of 81 degrees. We met the lead professional of Heather Glen, Steve Heher, who informed me that the Myrtle Beach Open was played here in 2004. Heather Glen also is one of the best courses of the World Amateur event and in the 90's hosted the Carolina's Open. It has a 4 ½ star rating from Golf Digest. No condos or homes border the fairways here. There are twenty seven beautifully manicured and maintained holes with pot bunkers, some very deep. On the first hole of the white nine Steve got into the deep pot bunker guarding the middle of the green. While standing on the green I couldn't see Steve swing but the ball just did manage to trickle onto the putting surface. Steve said, "I didn't think I could ever get out, that was my best bunker shot." That bunker is known as "Hackers Haven." It catches many shots from an uphill approach to this elevated redan green. Hole 2, a 3 par, named "Wee Burn" plays 133 yards from the men's white and a burn runs down the right side. It is all carry as a waste area extends from the tee to green. "Piney-Ho" a shorter par four has no bunkers. Just hit away. You should have a wedge left to a 27 yard deep green. Hole 4, "The Pot Hole" is home to the Devil's Mistress. A one of a kind bunker found in the Carolina's sits in front of the right 1/3 of the green. This is the hole Jim had those two holes in one fourteen years ago. Be careful on the par 4 fifth as a collection of 8 strategically placed bunkers catch miss hit or shortly hit irons. It is here that Tony's ball miraculously circumvented these bunkers as it snaked on the ground avoiding them all. A chip and two putts and Tony had his bogey. The sixth hole .par 5 plays 509 yards from the white tees. A premium is on the second shot after your drive has to carry a bog. A burn runs down the left side sweeping in front of a punch bowl green. This double tier green slopes back to front and is treacherously slippery putting downhill. Steve tapped his 15 footer 5' past. I tapped my 10 footer just on the left edge narrowly missing birdie. "Jockey's Burn", a par 4, number seven has a burn running in front of the tee along the left side and then across the fairway 60 yards from the green. Steve, who was a member of the Glens group frequently played here and joyfully announced walking Tony and I to the tee, "You have 8 choices here." We looked out to a large wooden live oak guarding the left center and center of the fairway with waste bunkers on the left. A bail out to the right sets up nicely for short hitters. I aim to hit left center, but crushed a drive directly over the center of the lake. A miss hit would have drowned the ball. Sitting nicely in the rough (through the fairway) I hit a 7 iron to middle of the green and made 4. Tony hit right and hit his second into the lake, he wasn't happy. "The Home Hole" par 5 ninth is my favorite at Heather Glen. I hit a hook into the fairway bunker. A seven iron out left me 157yards to the green over water, guarded again by a huge deep bunker to an elevated green. The breeze dictated 6 iron. I miss hit and drew it under the trees right and into the hill above the bunker. Finding the ball at the bottom I hit lob wedge to 8' and lipped out the putt for bogey. Usually you can hit driver, 5 wood, wedge to 8 iron in. Long hitters can risk hitting the green in two with a drive over the Firth of Clyde. You then have 230 yards of water and an additional 30 yards of grass and sand. Hit your second shot past the three trees right and near the water and you have 114 left to the green. The second nine played was the blue nine. It was clever to paint colored arrows on the cart path as holes of the red and blue crisscrossed. Three large pot bunkers guarded the second green of this par 3. The green seems elevated but is the same height as the tee. "Up and Down" Heather Glen's hole 3(blue) a par 5 is just a grip it and rip it drive. Two big hits(for me) left me a 20 yard pitch, made 5. "Clyde's Folly" a 4 par number four is straight away, Be careful of the bulkhead and greenside bunkers. The short hole, par 3 fifth played at 172 yards. Steve was caught up in one of 4 pot bunkers to the greens right. I got lucky on "Serenity" a 375 yard par 4 popped up a drive. Hit a wood over the left greenside bunker to back apron. Made a thirty footer with the J-Roll putter for a 3. A good drive left center on hole 7 is required to get home from an uphill approach across the burn that seems about 95 yards in front of the green. "Perfection" the 5 par eight requires a drive of no more than 233 yards from the white tees. You cross a burn twice and a lake guards the green left. A good lay up to wedge range sets up birdie. The 9th "Bunkers Hill" is a good par 4. The preferred shot is a draw off the tee. A mid to short iron sets up a birdie. Bunkers can catch a short errant shot right. A ½ extra club is needed on this uphill approach. Heather Glen was designed by Willard Byrd and Clyde Joanaton from a 400 acre historic site. The natural beauty of ever changing elevations, majestic old pines, deer, alligators, ducks, winding streams, and the Firth Clyde has made Heather Glen a beauty of Scottish tradition. As you leave and return home you shall remember each hole and detail especially the Devil's Mistress and Hacker's Haven. Steve, Tony and I stopped for lunch on the way home at Kenny's Little River Deli for our traditional salami and provolone sandwiches with roasted peppers. The restaurant at Heather Glen is spacious and offers a varied menu and fine beers and liquors. This all over looks the 9th hole par 5 of the white course. Relax in a rocking chair on the porch with your favorite sandwich and beverage. I had to meet my wife as she needed to visit Dr.Reardon, our dentist. So Tony, Steve and I left to lunch at the Little River Deli. Ken served up our traditional salami and imported provolone heroes with roasted peppers. We said sad goodbyes as I leave Tidewater, my home of 9 ½ years to our newly built home in Pennsylvania. Until Next Time, Donnie Dap |
Myrtle Beach Golf Directors
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