News

October 9, 2009, Pawleys Island, S.C. – Seven Waccamaw Golf Trail courses were recognized in the 2010 Golf World Readers’ Choice Awards, honoring the best public, private and resort facilities in the country, just announced in the magazine’s September 28 issue. The Waccamaw Golf Trail placed more courses on the ranking than any other trail in the United States.

Caledonia Fish & Golf Club and True Blue Plantation were chosen as two of the Top 50 Public Golf Facilities in the country with scores of 89.52 and 87.94, respectively, out of a possible 100 points. Fellow Waccamaw Golf Trail members Heritage, Litchfield Country Club, Pawleys Plantation, River Club and TPC of Myrtle Beach were named as Best-In-State by receiving overall individual scores of 75 points and higher from the readers.

Golf World invited readers to evaluate the best public, private and resort facilities in the country using 12 criteria established by the magazine’s editors that included the quality of the course; the condition of the course; the course’s reputation and prestige; golf practice facilities; speed of play; clubhouse/locker rooms; hotel accommodations; caddie program; golf pro shop; food/dining; off-course activities/amenities; service and overall value. More than 48,000 individual facility ratings and 600,000 criteria evaluations were received in the second year of the reader’s choice awards.

To arrive at an overall aggregate score for each facility, Golf World calculated the average ratings received in all applicable criteria. The raw scores were weighted to reflect different levels of significance for each of the criteria, with the formula varying based on the category. The overall total then was recalculated to a 100-point scale so a perfect score on every ballot yielded an aggregate of 100.

“Golf World went directly to the average golfers and asked for their favorite courses to play when putting together their second annual Readers’ Choice Awards’” said John Springs, general manager of Caledonia and True Blue. “The Waccamaw Golf Trail is well-known for the quality of golf and while I am not surprised that seven courses were recognized, I expect all 12 Waccamaw Golf Trail to be ranked in 2011.”

About the Waccamaw Golf Trail
The Waccamaw Golf Trail is the designation assigned to the most southern region of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Waccamaw Trail encompasses Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island, home to twelve highly awarded golf courses, and one of the America’s premier golf resorts on the Carolina Coast – Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. The collection of golf courses that make up the Waccamaw Golf Trail includes Blackmoor, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Founders Club at Pawleys Island, Heritage Club, Litchfield Country Club, Pawleys Plantation, River Club, TPC of Myrtle Beach, Tradition Club, True Blue Plantation, Wachesaw Plantation East and Willbrook Plantation. Most of the courses on the Trail were built upon the sites of 18th and 19th century rice and indigo plantations, set amid ancient moss-draped oaks and tidal rivers. The list of accolades for these courses includes GOLF Magazine’s “America’s Top 100,” Golf Digest’s “Top 100 Courses,” Golf for Women’s “Top 25 in America,” seven 4½ -star courses and one of only three 5-star courses in the southeast as rated by Golf Digest. Preferred tee times for the Waccamaw Trail courses and accommodation packages are available by visiting waccamawgolftrail.com or calling 1-800-354-0862.