NC/SC golf trip-would like everything in one place

[BTE0816]

A group of us are looking to book a trip this fall or next spring depending on how it works out. Would like to do 3 rounds 2 nights or maybe an additional day/round. Ideally we would like a resort type place where we park the car when we get there and don't really have to drive again until we leave. Been looking at Pinehurst and Myrtle the most but are open to other spots. Not looking for great night life, just maybe a restaurant or two and a bar.

 

I am really into Pinehurst with the cradle and Thistle Dhu but that may be too pricy for some of the guys to commit too. 

[bluehose]

There are multiple courses in the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area that cater to a variety of budgets so I wouldn’t be so quick to cross it off the list.  Myrtle definitely has far more but the quality would be a bit more varied.

[ArtMBgolf]

In Pinehurst, if you want to stay/park in one spot, you may have to 
stay at the PH Resort.   You still need your car to get to some of the PH 
courses.  
  
Myrtle Beach has more courses, spread out a lot more.   
The stay in one spot places in MB are Legends Resort + Barefoot Resort.   
It's very easy to plan a hotel that is minutes from 3 courses, if you are
drawn to a few courses near each other.     

[ND2005]

12 hours ago, BTE0816 said:

 Ideally we would like a resort type place where we park the car when we get there and don't really have to drive again until we leave. 

 

If this is your goal, then Pinehurst is really the only place that checks that box. 

 

Hilton Head (staying in sea pines) or Kiawah are other options - you have to drive a couple miles but that's it. 

[JLaws_2929]

Pine Needles/Mid Pines would be a great experience with great golf and not as expensive as staying at Pinehurst. 

[Abh159]

I'd get with your group and decide which is more important - convenience or budget. You'll have a much better sense of what options will work for everyone if you do that. 

 

One of the things you pay for at those major "golf resorts" is the convenience so trying to combine both not having to drive anywhere and lower pricing i.e. no Pinehurst, Kiawah, Hilton Head, etc. is going to be pretty tough.

 

FWIW Pinehurst is significantly cheaper from November - February. Obviously the weather is less than ideal during that time of year, but if you have some budget restricted members of your group that might be something to sell them on. 

 

 

 

 

[caniac6]

2 hours ago, JLaws_2929 said:

Pine Needles/Mid Pines would be a great experience with great golf and not as expensive as staying at Pinehurst. 

We were there Saturday, and the courses looked great, the people were very nice, it was a lot more low key than Pinehurst, but, what we saw inside, was not good. They need a big renovation. 

[sheppy335]

With the want of park car and just stay i will say you should stay in Pinehurst. 

[vandyfan]

On 8/22/2021 at 6:41 PM, BTE0816 said:

I am really into Pinehurst with the cradle and Thistle Dhu but that may be too pricy for some of the guys to commit too. 

 

If Pinehurst is potentially too pricey then I would say definitely avoid...

 

On 8/23/2021 at 7:11 AM, ND2005 said:

Hilton Head (staying in sea pines) or Kiawah are other options - you have to drive a couple miles but that's it.

 

Sea Pines is expensive, especially if you are playing HT or Heron Point or Atlantic Dunes. Kiawah (if you stay at the Sanctuary) is incredibly expensive and outside of the Ocean Course the other courses STINK based on what you pay. Just helping you eliminate things. 

 

I would vote for Mid-Pines and Pine Needles or just convince the guys that Pinehurst is worth the money (it is). 

[hangontight]

As most have said, I think your answer is Pinehurst.  There is a wide variety of courses and price points in very close proximity - everything there seems like it is a quick 10 minute drive.  Further, in my opinion I dont think I've played a course in pinehurst that wasnt in good condition.  Overall you get a higher quality product and experience,  regardless of price point.  MB on the other had...there are some pretty junky tracks there.  Every time I've been to PH, the vibe is very much everyone is glad you are there...whereas MB it seems like your being churned through the tourist mill.    Also worth noting is that at the Pinehurst resort, they have some pretty fantastic replay / late afternoon rates.  I recall playing # 3 or # 5 , both of which are right there at the main clubhouse,  in the afternoon for like $50 after playing # 1 in the morning for around $100.  $150 for a 36 hole day and you never have to leave the premises is a good deal you wont regret.   

[BTE0816]

Thanks to you all for the responses!

 

We ended up scheduling Myrtle. I am trying to revive a group trip after a few years off and calling some of the guys cheap disrespects cheap people. Hoping to get a few to commit to an annual trip if this works out and maybe start bumping the price a bit in the future. I do have a 4some that I think can do Pinehurst soon but the rest would have been out.

[ArtMBgolf]

Even if you start small with just a foursome, the group can grow. 
With or without CV, guys will say they are interested, then later not 
commit.   
 
If your stay in one place is to save on car rental, that could limit your fun.      

[golfortennis]

23 hours ago, BTE0816 said:

Thanks to you all for the responses!

 

We ended up scheduling Myrtle. I am trying to revive a group trip after a few years off and calling some of the guys cheap disrespects cheap people. Hoping to get a few to commit to an annual trip if this works out and maybe start bumping the price a bit in the future. I do have a 4some that I think can do Pinehurst soon but the rest would have been out.

 

All the best to you organizing.  I keep to a very small group who a)know that I'm not looking to go a distance to play a dog track so they will be playing nice courses for the money spent, b)when they commit, they commit, and c)are more interested in playing golf than seeing how drunk they get each night.  

 

I would not focus on numbers.  If you have a group of 16, you are likely dealing with, among other things:  the drunk, the stayed-up-too-late and causes everyone to be late cause he didn't wake up in time, the guy who orders the best steak then wants the bill split evenly, the guy who wants a bet or game redone after agreeing to it, and did I mention drunk?  (If drunk is your thing, that is fine.  I'm not an anti-alcohol guy, but I am anti-jackwagon a lot of guys become after a few drinks).  If you are ok with all that, great.  

 

But if you're going to all that trouble, I don't think it's wrong to want to go to where you want to go, and if that means you are only 4 guys or less, so be it.  That is my opinion, of course, and some may find me a curmudgeon.  Perhaps.  I just find I enjoy golf more when it's golf, not a "party-under-the-guise-of-a-golf-trip."  I can drink any time.  I don't get to play a lot of the courses. 

 

 

 

[BTE0816]

4 hours ago, golfortennis said:

 

All the best to you organizing.  I keep to a very small group who a)know that I'm not looking to go a distance to play a dog track so they will be playing nice courses for the money spent, b)when they commit, they commit, and c)are more interested in playing golf than seeing how drunk they get each night.  

 

I would not focus on numbers.  If you have a group of 16, you are likely dealing with, among other things:  the drunk, the stayed-up-too-late and causes everyone to be late cause he didn't wake up in time, the guy who orders the best steak then wants the bill split evenly, the guy who wants a bet or game redone after agreeing to it, and did I mention drunk?  (If drunk is your thing, that is fine.  I'm not an anti-alcohol guy, but I am anti-jackwagon a lot of guys become after a few drinks).  If you are ok with all that, great.  

 

But if you're going to all that trouble, I don't think it's wrong to want to go to where you want to go, and if that means you are only 4 guys or less, so be it.  That is my opinion, of course, and some may find me a curmudgeon.  Perhaps.  I just find I enjoy golf more when it's golf, not a "party-under-the-guise-of-a-golf-trip."  I can drink any time.  I don't get to play a lot of the courses. 

 

 

 

Typically our golf trips have been bachelor parties where priority 1 was drinking with a little golf mixed in. Everyone is finally getting to an age where golf is the priority of the trip followed by eating well. I think we are headed in the right direction.

 

Booking was a bit of a pain as the organizer. I mentioned to the booking agent that I couldn't imagine dealing with a bigger group. He said the bigger groups are actually way easier. He books a 112 and 120 member group each year and it is totally take it or leave it. The organizer makes the plans and if you agree you go if not you don't. Zero alterations. 

[golfortennis]

3 minutes ago, BTE0816 said:

Typically our golf trips have been bachelor parties where priority 1 was drinking with a little golf mixed in. Everyone is finally getting to an age where golf is the priority of the trip followed by eating well. I think we are headed in the right direction.

 

Booking was a bit of a pain as the organizer. I mentioned to the booking agent that I couldn't imagine dealing with a bigger group. He said the bigger groups are actually way easier. He books a 112 and 120 member group each year and it is totally take it or leave it. The organizer makes the plans and if you agree you go if not you don't. Zero alterations. 

 

Yeah, you almost need to have it as take it or leave it, but you still have the other stuff(drunk not getting up on time, etc.)  120 people.  holy cow.  At that point you have to wonder how many people actually know each other.  

 

Are you still doing your own or have you handed it off to an organizer?  I do have one advantage in that a friend is a PGA pro with a number of contacts, so we can work in different courses than some others might be able to.   

[ND2005]

Being the organizer is a huge pain in the butt, from herding cats on the front end to settling up on the back end.

 

My last big trip I actually broke down and had to itemize one person's bill separate from the rest of us - the rest of the group supported me on this. Every meal they were ordering more food, more expensive food, more rounds of drinks.

[ArtMBgolf]

My group decided to get separate checks at dinner, after we added a couple
lobster eating, wine drinkers.   That works well if you have light or budget 
eaters mixed with some big spenders.    When you are splitting the bill, most 
will order extra stuff and drinks, to get their $ worth, only to increase the 
cost or all.            

[golfortennis]

On 9/18/2021 at 9:44 AM, ND2005 said:

Being the organizer is a huge pain in the butt, from herding cats on the front end to settling up on the back end.

 

My last big trip I actually broke down and had to itemize one person's bill separate from the rest of us - the rest of the group supported me on this. Every meal they were ordering more food, more expensive food, more rounds of drinks.

 

I have to admit, it's only the last few years I've even heard of the "simply split the bill" thing.  Maybe I didn't attend enough group settings or something, but everything I always went to, I paid my own, and people paid their own. 

 

I assume this person's invite will "accidentally" get lost next time? 

[ND2005]

5 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

 

I have to admit, it's only the last few years I've even heard of the "simply split the bill" thing.  Maybe I didn't attend enough group settings or something, but everything I always went to, I paid my own, and people paid their own. 

 

I assume this person's invite will "accidentally" get lost next time? 

when you’re having a 12 person dinner, a lot of places strongly discourage splitting the bill. So a lot of times on group golf trips we will have one person be the payer/accountant and then square up afterwards
 
or on a recent trip we were being hosted by a member of a club so all charges went to his account and then we split it afterwards 

[caniac6]

I don't drink, so I would not be happy about splitting the cost of a bunch of wine or drinks.