Hilton Head Golf News

Ed Sealy Appointed Superintendent at Rose Hill Golf Club.

February 11, 2008, Surfside Beach, S.C. — Skip Blythe announced today on behalf of Signature Golf Group and Rose Hill Country Club the appointment of Edward J. Sealy, Jr. of Myrtle Beach, SC as Golf Course Superintendent at the Rose Hill Country Club effective March 1, 2008. Edward will be responsible for returning the course to playability as well as course conditioning when the course is re-opened. “We are excited that Ed has decided to join our team at Rose Hill. Ed has the knowledge, the experience, and most importantly the passion to create a great golf experience at Rose Hill”, stated Skip Blythe.

Daufuskie Island, S.C. (Feb. 6, 2008) – Haig Point, one of South Carolina’s most exclusive private clubs, is excited to announce that it will host the inaugural Rees Jones Collegiate Invitational on its Signature Course, September 6 – 8, 2008.

The tournament, which will be hosted annually by renowned golf course architect Rees Jones and Haig Point, will consist of 12 to 15 men’s teams. Eleven universities have already committed to the tournament and include: Michigan State, Connecticut, Jackson State, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, Toledo, Columbia, Texas-Arlington, Georgia State, Methodist and San Jose State.  

Kiawah Island, SC – Kiawah Island Golf Resort, just south of historic Charleston, has announced its diverse special events calendar for 2008. The 15-event series includes golf and tennis weekends, a women’s escape retreat and a murder-mystery whodnit, while guest accommodation choices include private villas or The Sanctuary, the resort’s AAA Five Diamond-rated oceanfront hotel and spa.

Located along 10 miles of pristine beach, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is rated as one of country’s top resorts by a number of top travel publications. It includes The Sanctuary and 600 private villas and luxury homes. The resort has five championship golf courses, including The Ocean Course – host of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2007 Senior PGA and 2012 PGA championships. The resort also ranks as the number one tennis resort in the world, has nine restaurants, and features a renowned recreation and nature program. For more information, visit www.kiawahresort.com or call 800-654-2924. 

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - The Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame will enshrine two new members on February 17, 2008, as Robert M. (Bob) Boyd and Rod Myers will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the game of golf and to the Carolinas PGA (CPGA) Section.

Only the 37th and 38th PGA professionals to receive the honor since the CPGA Hall of Fame was established in 1981, Boyd and Myers were selected by the Carolinas PGA Selection Committee after being nominated by their peers.

"It is a distinct honor to honor Bob Boyd and Rod Myers with a permanent home in the Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame," said Rick Murphy, Carolina PGA President. "To have been an ordinary "good" PGA Professional is not enough to be voted into our Hall of Fame. We seek honorees that have demonstrated ability, interest, and service beyond the expected and both Boyd and Myers have shown these characteristics throughout their PGA Professional careers." 

ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. - It’s a guy’s dream weekend at Wild Dunes Golf Resort: great golf … football …wings … beer… and more. They can leave work behind and relax with friends in luxurious accommodations, play a couple rounds of award-winning golf and then veg out during the big game with Wild Dunes Resort’s “Fazio Football Spectacular.”

The newest package just for the boys from Wild Dunes Resort includes two rounds of golf on the Resort’s two championship golf courses designed by Tom Fazio himself. The Links and Harbor courses include 36 distinct holes of golf featuring amazing waterfront views and challenging shots. Guys can show off their skills before heading back to their home or villa.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL – The eighth cycle of 35 PGA Growth of the Game grants totaling $228,516 has been awarded from The PGA of America’s Growth of the Game Grant program. The Kiawah/ Sea Island Youth Golf Program, which offers children in the Sea sland schools access to local golf courses as well as personal instruction, received a $10,800 grant for their golf program.

The PGA Growth of The Game Grant Programs, which touch 19 states, involve juniors, inner-city young adults, college students, the physically challenged and veterans. The program highlights The PGA of America’s commitment to partner with its PGA Professionals to grow participation in golf.

These funds combine with grants awarded from 2001 through this month bring the total donation from The PGA Growth of the Game Grant Program to more than $4.8 million for a combined 447 grants.

BRASELTON, Ga. — For the 14th consecutive year, the American Junior Golf Association will bring the best junior golfers in the country to Bluffton, S.C., for the Heritage Junior Championship July 24-27. The 54-hole event will be played at the Hampton Hall Golf Club and feature a field of 84 boy and girl junior golfers ages 12-18.

The Heritage Classic Foundation, which conducts the PGA TOUR’s Verizon Heritage, is in its first year of a three-year sponsorship of this long-standing Hilton Head Island-area event.

In 2006, Spencer Cole of Greer, S.C., and Dolores White of Lakeland, Fla., took home their respective division titles. Cole fired a final-round 3-under-par 69 to win by one stroke. The event was his third AJGA win and he has since won the 2007 Mizuno Junior at Chateau Elan. Cole earned Rolex Junior All-America honors in 2005 and 2006 and will be a member of the University of Alabama golf team in the fall. White won the tournament by one stroke with an even-par 72-72-72-216 tournament total. She went on to earn Rolex Junior All-America honors last season and is now a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University.

The Sea Pines Resort and Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa were each named among the “Top 100 Golf Resorts” in the 2007 Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Poll. More than 4,000 of the magazine’s readers evaluated 339 golf resorts they had visited during the past three years. Out of the 339 courses, the magazine chose the top 100 with the highest scores. Sea Pines tied for 61st while Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa was ranked 64th. The rankings were calculated based on seven criteria: Course Design, Speed of Play, Pro Staff, Accommodations, Service, Food/Dining and Facilities.

The Sea Pines Resort features the famed Harbour Town Golf Links, host annually to the Verizon Heritage PGA TOUR event. Many visitors rave about the quality of the Sea Pines Ocean Course and Sea Marsh courses that are also within the 5,000-acre plantation with both Atlantic Ocean and Calibogue Sound views.

BRASELTON, GA — Because of Sergio Franky’s participation in the eighth annual Thunderbird International Junior in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 25-28, The Thunderbirds – tournament title sponsor and Phoenix-area civic organization – contributed $1,000 to Santa Maria del Camino, his church in Bogota, Colombia.

This innovative and unique concept is taking place for the fourth consecutive year. Once again, the Thunderbird International Junior tournament committee asked participants to name their favorite charity. This year, it is estimated that 43 charities will receive a combined $47,000 from The Thunderbirds. Over the course of the four years, more than $170,000 has been distributed worldwide.

“With this initiative, we hope to cultivate junior golfers’ awareness of their community and social obligations, an awareness that we anticipate will carry forward through their professional careers,” said Michael Kennedy, tournament chairman for the Thunderbird International Junior and a member of The Thunderbirds.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC - Three PGA TOUR standouts, Stephen Ames, Chad Campbell and Fred Funk, have all committed to the 39th annual Verizon Heritage taking place over the Harbour Town Golf Links, April 9-15th.

They join a select field that already includes Defending Champion Aaron Baddeley, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco, Davis Love III, John Daly and Stewart Cink. All will be shooting for the record winner’s prize of $972,000 from the tournament’s largest purse of $5.4 million.

Stephen won THE PLAYERS Championship last year by blowing away the competition with a 5-under 67 in the final round to win by six shots. He has already carded two top ten finishes in the 2007 season. Stephen is making his sixth Harbour Town appearance.