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From the mountains of West Virginia ... to the New Orleans swamps ... to the Carolina coast, Pam Richardson is the hillbilly-gypsy of our group. Since 1978 she has worked in all areas of the travel industry and in 2001 she joined us as a golf specialist. When Pam is not creating great golf packages and enjoying talking with the Coastal Golfaway customers, she plays a lot of old mountain music and enjoys hanging out on her boat. How long have you been with Coastal Golfaway? I win the award for being the longest employed by Coastal Golfaway (other than Jerry himself!). I have worked in various ends of the travel industry from specialty cruise lines, to travel agencies and airlines. When I came here from New Orleans, I needed to get back to work [...]

Adventure awaits at every turn on this one-of-a-kind golf package. In what might be the ultimate blend of stunning scenery and unmatched playability, Coastal Golfaway’s Best of the South End Package offers golf on three of Golf Digest’s top seven golf courses in the area. And Mike Strantz’s handiwork is on full display in two of them. The more challenging of Strantz’ designs, True Blue initially hit the golf scene with a reputation for being a beast. Some softening over the years has made the design considerably more player-friendly - assuming, most importantly, that you make the prudent choice in tee selection. Either way, you’ll want to buckle up for what will be a wild but memorable ride. Contrast this with Strantz’ approach with Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, and you’ll feel like you’re on a [...]

Rees Jones wanted to make his own mark with his first-ever solo design, yet still found a way to do so while paying homage to his family. Opened in 1974, Arcadian Shores Golf Club is surpassed in longevity on the Grand Strand golf scene by only a handful of designs, most notably its famous next-door neighbor - The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, built in 1947 by Jones’ father, renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. As the elder’s Dunes Club design has enjoyed its place among the elite options on the golf vacation landscape, Rees’ Arcadian Shores made quite the splash of its own with its debut. With dramatic bunkering throughout the design, it resoundingly demonstrated Jones’ design philosophy of presenting an 18-hole journey that’s fair, challenging, interesting to play and visually exciting. And as [...]

Originally from “above” the Mason-Dixon Line, John Venters has lived in historic Wilmington, NC (the family home) for over 50 years. Thirty-four of those were spent traveling the Carolinas as a golf manufacturer’s representative, starting back when the “Grand Strand” consisted of fewer than twenty golf courses! Along with his father and brother, the Venters’ represented several well-known golf companies in the Carolinas and Virginia, for over 30 years. Get to know John: How long have you been working for Coastal Golfaway? I have been working in the industry for about 40 years and I’ve been with Coastal Golfaway for the last 10 years. What do you like about working in the golf industry? I like everything about it. I like the people involved and being around the game. Plus, my dad got into the [...]

Located just a short drive north of downtown Myrtle Beach and nestled amid the South Brunswick Islands in North Carolina, Ocean Ridge Plantation is one of a select few resort properties along the Grand Strand that offers a complete golf vacation’s worth of course options in one convenient location. And each of its four “Big Cats” courses are ready and waiting to host your next golf getaway on a package that offers a first-rate golf experience with multiple lodging options. Coastal Golfaway’s Cat Scratch Fever Package boasts a 3-night, 3-round itinerary that earns you a fourth round free at the critically acclaimed Tiger’s Eye after playing your first three rounds at Ocean Ridge Plantation’s Leopard’s Chase, Lion’s Paw and Panther’s Run designs. The crown jewel of designer Tim Cate’s four designs at Ocean Ridge, Tiger’s [...]

One of the golf game’s renowned course architects, Pete Dye has made his mark worldwide with layouts that present an unparalleled balance of challenge and beauty. And within the gated community of the Dye Estates at Barefoot Resort lies not just one of his noted masterpieces, but a golf course serving as a “must-have” staple of many returning golfers’ Myrtle Beach travel packages. Nestled just inside the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort rolls out the welcome mat with a golf experience that creates indelible memories. Large and elaborate fairway bunkering, strategic mounding and the infusion of railroad ties throughout are just some of the many trademark elements of a Dye design that you’ll find here at his Barefoot Resort course. With five sets of tees, The Dye Club [...]

How can a golf getaway feature “The Pebble Beach of the East” and courses from “The Open Doctor” and “The Black Knight,” yet still be known by an anonymous name? For those who’ve taken advantage of Coastal Golfaway’s “Best Golf Package You’ve Never Heard Of,” it goes far beyond a name – and all about a superior combination of quality and value. On this vacation package, you’ll play rounds on each of three acclaimed designs. The course list is headlined by Tidewater Golf Club, the renowned Ken Tomlinson design that combines natural beauty with challenging play, in a setting that channels a Monterey Peninsula-type feel in an East Coast setting. A few miles to the south you’ll enjoy 18 holes at the Gary Player-designed Blackmoor Golf Club, nestled on the historic Longwood Plantation near the [...]