Top Tier Golf State: South Carolina

On October 29th of 2018, I holed a putt for bogey on the 18th green of Three Crowns Golf Club in Wyoming. While making bogey was unfortunate, this putt signified the accomplishment of playing golf in all 50 states. I was officially qualified to make experiential judgements on golf in each state. In this blog post we will discover some hot destinations in one of the best golf states in America, South Carolina. While there is a ton of golf to discover in South Carolina, this golf journey is a brief one through Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head.

There is an abundance of golf to be played in the Myrtle Beach area and it can be difficult to determine which ones are worth a visit. Golf nut tip: All of them are worth visiting… but places like Caledonia, Glen Dornach, and the Dunes Golf & Beach Club should demand your immediate attention. For this trip, my attention was focused on Tidewater Golf Club.

Nestled between the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove, Tidewater utilizes the natural contours of the land to its advantage.  The course weaves out and back from the often marshy Intracoastal, with 2 holes on each 9 playing directly on the shore. Architect Ken Tomlinson has done a great job of using the surroundings to his advantage and the result is a fun and natural round of golf that harmonizes with the land.

The 13th hole at Tidewater Golf Club

The 8th hole at Tidewater is a reachable par 5 that requires accuracy if you want to putt for eagle.

After getting around Tidewater in decent shape, I headed into town for some action. Even with a plethora of options available for entertainment, I decided to do a little homework and practice my skills. Modeling skills that is. With a huge rematch looming on the horizon with Paige Spiranac, now was the time to perfect my poses against some of the world’s best looking models. Fortunately, all of the best looking people were in town at the Myrtle Beach Wax Museum.

As you can tell, my modeling skills got stronger the more that I practiced. After a convincing win over Clooney (Cloons) in round #1, I upped my percentages over Bieber in Round 2. After taking 73% of the popular vote from Leonardo DiCaprio, I hung it up for the evening. Paige doesn’t stand a chance.

After dominating the male modeling circuit in Myrtle Beach, it was time to move onto Hilton Head and the highly anticipated Sea Pines Resort. With fog circling the island and rain looming, I pressed on, certain that South Carolina would eventually afford me some sun.

There are three golf courses at Sea Pines Resort and the first one I will be addressing is Atlantic Dunes. Davis Love III completely reconstructed the The Sea Pines Resort's historic Ocean Course, the first course built on Hilton Head. The name was changed to Atlantic Dunes and Albert the Alligator moved right into the pond on the first hole.

Albert The Alligator

Albert’s brother Steve hangs out on the 17th hole

Two local golfing studs joined me for the round at Atlantic Dunes. Together we created a three man karaoke band called Atlantic Dudes. We even gave ourselves cute nicknames. Eric Sedransk made an appearance as “Trombone Shorty,” Chris Miller joined the crew as “Healy Dan,” and I rounded out the group as “Chance the Putter.”

It was the Atlantic Dudes at Atlantic Dunes! The fans eagerly filled the seats.

Trombone Shorty.

Healy Dan

The foggy 15th backs up to the Atlantic Ocean

A rare fog rainbow just above the 15th green… a fogbow.

The 14th hole at Atlantic Dunes

The 2nd course at Sea Pines is Heron Point. Designed by architectural legend, Pete Dye, Heron Point bears many of Pete Dye’s hallmarks. Long hazard hugging bunkers, bulkheads, railroad ties, and target framing mounding all make Heron Point “very Pete Dye” and a fun golf course to play.

The fog continued for my round at Heron Point and added a nice ambiance to my walk down the fairways… and sometimes into the woods. The finishing hole was my favorite of the bunch and reminded me of a more manageable version of the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

Pete Dye gives the golfer a glimpse of the finishing hole from the tee box on #1

Pete Dye has created some fun and interesting angles at Heron Point.

Caroline McCoy: “Hi I am Caroline and I am going to be your forecaddie.”

Me: “How about you play golf with me instead of the forecaddie thing?”

Caroline: “OK.”

When you have a player like Caroline on your team, you don’t sit her, you put her in the game. Caroline even managed to maintain her forecaddie duties as she played along with me. The future looks bright for this young golfer and fashion designer.

Every year, the week after The Masters, the eyes of the golf world turn to Harbour Town Golf Links for the RBC Heritage tournament. Since 1969, Harbourtown has been a player favorite on the PGA Tour’s schedule.

Even though it is one of the shortest golf courses on tour, the course is filled with strategic decsions and provides a unique set of challenges that test the very best players in the world.

Th 9th hole provides us with a great example of the strategic thinking required to score well at Harbour Town. At 332 yards, the golf hole is not drivable for most players, so there is a decision to be made on the tee. Do I hit driver as far as I can? Do I lay back and attack from a distance? Do I go down the left or right side of the fairway?

The view from the tee box on the 9th hole.

For most players, the decision comes down to where the pin location is on the green. If it is in the back right or left portion of the green, it’s bombs away with the driver. If it’s tucked up close to the front of the green, the decision is usually to lay back with an iron off of the tee. With the ability to impart more spin on a shot of 100 yards or more, players are able to stop the ball closer to a front pin location. Whereas a shorter pitch shot would release to the back of the green.

Harbour Town is filled with these sort of decisions and it’s precisely what makes the golf course so much fun to play. Your golf brain is engaged for most of the round and any mindless shot making will be met with additional difficulties. For a shot maker, those additional difficulties can also be quite fun to navigate.

The heart shaped green on the 9th hole is as strategic as it is good looking.

My only birdie of the round come on the difficult 14th. From the back tees, the hole plays 192 all over water.

Quick little buzz around Harbourtown Golf Links. @Discover_SC @SeaPinesResort pic.twitter.com/PrY1FnuSV5

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) January 25, 2020

The 4th hole at Harbourtown is another excellent par 3.

The sun finally popped through the clouds for my final day at Harbour Town.

The finishing hole at @Harbourtowngolf is bananas good. Long, strategic, challenging, beautiful, The only thing missing is actual bananas. @Discover_SC pic.twitter.com/06c3LKWyAq

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) January 11, 2020

The 18th at Harbourtown.... always a spot for a Pete and Alice. pic.twitter.com/fRzV3vK7P7

— Patrick Koenig (@PatrickjKoenig) January 13, 2020

For years, I listened to people talk about how great Harbour Town Golf Links was and it was a pleasure to finally experience it in person. Instead of just watching the RBC Heritage tournament every year, I highly suggest that you book your trip to Sea Pines and experience the golf for yourself.

When you pair Harbour Town up with some of the other great golf that South Carolina has to offer, you have yourself a serious golf destination in one of the country’s best golf states.

Plus, somebody needs to make birdie on 18 and it might as well be you. The journey to South Carolina starts here.

The Canadian Rockies

When you think of the top 5 public golf destinations in North America, do the Canadian Rockies come to mind?  Probably not... but it should.  For most of the US, it's a relatively short flight to Calgary and an hour or so drive into the heart of the action.  Between Jasper, Banff, Kananaskis, and Canmore there are 6 courses on the trail.  Let's dig into the details of my recent adventure into the Canadian Rockies and sort out the details.

My partner in golf crime for the trip would be McKenzie O'Connell, most people call her Kenzie or Kenz, I decided to call her K Dawg.  Now, K Dawg is a 5 handicap and certainly a valuable addition to any golf trip.  She also jumped right in and showed off her impressive golf modeling chops.  Things were starting off nicely. 

The view looking back on the restaurant atop the Banff Gondola.

Golf hard, model hard.

After getting into Banff, we took the Gondola up for a view of the local scene and had a fantastic meal at the top, courtesy of Brewster Travel.  In terms of easy things to do in Banff, I would highly recommend the gondola ride.  With views of downtown Banff and the surrounding mountain ranges, it was an excellent preview of what was to come.  

Afterwards, we headed back to our first class accommodations at the Delta Hotels Kananaskis Lodge.  The hotel was centrally located in Alberta and has easy access to local hiking and biking trails with outstanding views of the Rocky Mountains.  A world class spa will be opening in 2018.

In the morning we were headed out to Kananaskis Country Golf Course for our first round of golf in the Canadian Rockies.  Designed by Robert Trent Jones and opening in 1983, the 36 hole layout is a favorite of local Albertan golfers.  In 2013, floods seriously damaged the course and it has been shut down for the past 4 years with funding and rebuilding underway.  In a sneak peak event, I was able to get some of the first photos of the new course, as 27 holes will officially open to the public for the 2018 season.  You can click on any of the images throughout the post to get the full course gallery.

Image courtesy of Robert Trent Drones.

The dual green on the Mt Lorette 18.  You can see the 9th hole on the Mt Kidd 18 still under construction below the mountains.

The Mt Kidd 18 will open with 9 holes available in the beginning of 2018

The best part about the event at Kananaskis was the emotion demonstrated by the participants and the staff as they returned to their course after a 4 year hiatus.  I watched as head professional, Bob Paley, high fived and hugged a couple of familiar faces, afterwards he would turn to our group with a huge satisfied smile on his face... "See, this is the stuff that I miss the most, the people, the camaraderie... it's just the best."  Bob was immediately one of our favorite people we would meet on the trip.  The only downside was that smoke from nearby wildfires would cloud the view of the normally spectacular mountains.  

Next up was paddle boarding courtesy of Rebound Cycle, we would change that to golf paddle boarding as K Dawg would pull off a pretty sweet trick shot effort! 

Be sure to pump up the volume for @kenzie.oconnell and this paddleboard #trickshot @canrockiesgolf @reboundcycle #golfthatinspires 🏄‍♀️⛳️

A post shared by Patrick Koenig (@pjkoenig) on Sep 9, 2017 at 11:47am PDT

When traveling with a golf model, it is necessary to note that just about every location is a modeling location.  Here are some of those shots from early on in the action.  As a published Golf Digest model, I would push Kenzie to be the best model she could be, while providing her with the experience and modeling guidance that she needed.

Golf stairway modeling

Model off standings: PJKoenig: 1.  K Dawg: 0

Next up on the Canadian Rockies agenda was Silvertip Golf Club.  With 600 feet of elevation change, Silvertip offers some outstanding views of the Three Sisters and nearby mountain ranges.  Unfortunately, the normally amazing views would be partially clouded by smoke.

“As a professional, I’ve played all over the world and I find the Silvertip Golf Course to be one of the most spectacular I’ve ever played. Between Les Furber’s incredible layout and the scenery, it is easy to see why.”

— Stephen Ames - 4 time PGA Tour winner & Member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

I would come out of the gates firing with birdies on the 1st 2 holes,  The flames would fizzle.

With several rounds under our belt, we were ready to put the pedal down on the EZ-GO and turn up the golf action.  With an early start on the Stewart Creek Golf Course, we would find our golf groove for a day of 36.  

Stewart creek is one of the more unique locations for a golf course as it is actually built on top of an old coal mining operation.  The shafts and tunnels run beneath the golf course and several of the mine entrances are still visible on the course.  We were told it was safe, but I took it easy on the divots to avoid plummeting through the fairway and into any abandoned mine shafts.  A big thanks to our host Greg for helping us avoid the pitfalls!

This coal mining shaft would cease operation in 1978.  

With several mine shafts and several models on the property, this was naturally the perfect time to start production on our 3 part series: "An Introduction to Male and Female Amateur Mine Shaft Modeling"  As you can clearly see in the video, I have increased my lead in the model off competition with a score of 2-0.

A quick "how to" guide for male and female amateur mine shaft models.

The stunning downhill 9th hole:  I would get nasty and make a 2!

From time to time, I would find a slight gap in the smoke coverage and get a shot of the mountains.  These views are commonplace on all of the courses we would play in the Rockies.

Next up on the tour of the Canadian Rockies was the highly anticipated Fairmont Springs Banff Golf Course.  We were in for a treat as veteran Golf Broadcaster, Luke Elvy, would join us for the round.  Luke is one of the best dudes you can play golf with and he was happy to lend advice, share stories, and even call the action as we golfed our balls.  He also has an Australian accent.

Exhausted from the mine shaft modeling, I would take the day off from the competition.  Surprisingly, K Dawg would still only manage a narrow victory..  Update; PJKoenig 2  K Dawg: 1

Professional Golf Broadcaster @lukeelvy13 has little patience for amateurs like myself. Listen in! For those man enough to wear the shirt, free shipping!! code: pjkoenig at @badbirdiegolf #stringbeany @canrockiesgolf #golfthatinspires @fairmontbanff #stringbeany #inthepiss

A post shared by Patrick Koenig (@pjkoenig) on Sep 11, 2017 at 8:20am PDT

Kenzie would nearly make an all world 2 on the "Devil's Cauldron"  Check out the video here.

Even with a heavy dose of smoke covering the mountains, the Stanley Thompson course was a highlight of the trip.  The course is strategic, scenic, challenging, and fun to play.

A shot from behind what was originally the 18th hole.  The routing has been changed due to clubhouse and capacity demands.  

For the final round of the trip we headed out to Canmore Golf & Curling Club.  In 1926, the original course was only 9 holes with sand greens and coffee cans for holes.  In the 1960's a curling rink would be added, and today, Canmore offers a full test of golf with stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges.  Thanks to our host Darren Cooke for showing us around.

Even during a historically dry season, The short par 3 11th at Canmore Golf & Curling Club is still a stunner.

Local golfing stud, Jack Stoliker would come out of the gates hot and birdie the 1st two holes.

The view from above the 10th hole at Canmore.  

One of the most compelling parts about the Canadian Rockies is that there is a lot more than golf in the area.  Even though our trip was compromised mostly of golf, the opportunities for hiking, helicoptering, kayaking, shopping, and of course, modeling, are endless.

With only one day left in the model-off competition, I decided to give Kenzie a chance to even the score on the downtown streets of Banff.  Naturally, K-Dawg rose to the challenge and pulled off some sort of movie shopping montage.  It is important to note that the original score called for Billy Idol's Dancing with Myself.  However, Billy Idol did not return our requests for copyright approval.  With the score even at 2-2, a return trip is in order.

Sunday Fund-'eh' 🇨🇦 When girls just wanna have fun 😜 & by girls I mean (P) @pjkoenig @tara.kabatoff & I ❤️. . . . #dance #goofs #love #live #laugh #bestimes #banff #canada #travel #travellife #traveling #salt #salty #spinmoves #model #modeling #golf #golfer #canadianrockies #blessed #boom #k🍀 #KO #keeponkeepinon @tara.kabatoff @pjkoenig @banff_lakelouise @fairmontbanff @canrockiesgolf 🎥

A post shared by McKenzie O'Connell 🍀 (@kenzie.oconnell) on Sep 10, 2017 at 4:06pm PDT

Thanks for tuning in to watch these two heavyweights golf hard and model hard. #GolfHardModelHard

#MaleModel

Golf Digest makes it's home at One World Trade Center.  Not only does the building play an important part in American history, it also photographs very well.  Above is the view from the hotel, below is street level.

The team was fortunate enough to have Carter Berg as our photographer for the shoot.  Carter is a renowned New York City photographer, along with advertising campaigns for Ralph Lauren, his work has appeared in publications such as Elle Decor, Madame Figaro, and the Wall Street Journal.  Be sure to check him out at www.carterberg.com.  Carter got things off to a hot start by keeping this amateur model comfortable and encouraging a positive vibe on set.

We had a sizable production crew and I gave my iPhone to Meredith to shoot some "B roll" footage for the golf blog.  She did an outstanding job and most of the photos you see here are her handy work.  Check her out on Instagram as she is currently in a "heated effort" to reach 1000 followers.

George Washington impedes my back swing.

Not many folks can say they swung a golf club on the same spot where George Washington took the oath as the first President of the United States of America.  I am lucky enough to have checked this one off of the to do list.

Behind the scenes work on Wall Street

A big thank you to Luan Pham and his team at Golf Digest for providing me with such a cool opportunity.  The trip was such a great experience and a fantastic welcome to the world of male modeling.  Be sure to pick up the November issue of Golf Digest to see how things turned out.  Also, it's only $12 a year!

Recently I was asked by Golf Digest to do some modeling for a client's upcoming product launch.  I jumped at the chance and jumped on a plane to NYC.  Moments later I was in town for my first big break onto the modeling scene.  Below you will find the behind the scenes action of the experience.  This wasn't just any modeling, this was male modeling.

The driver is the perfect club choice for the Hudson hole.

After a day of fitting and planning, we got things started at Brooklyn Bridge Park.  As a new model, I was eager to show of my many modeling poses, glances, and positions.

After a great shoot in Brooklyn, the team headed back to Manhattan for some photos on Wall Street.

Aspiring selfie model, Meredith Bragg, captures valuable behind the scenes documentation.  Erin Keleher keeps up critical client relations.  Man on the street ponders the FCOJ market/life.

The cobblestones on Stone Street break hard left.  

After another successful shoot on Wall Street, the team moved back to One World Trade for the final segment of the day.  

Security is tough at One World Trade and each lens must be sniffed.  Photo by: Luan Pham

As the shoot progressed, I became more comfortable with my modeling abilities.  The driver guitar was one of my favorite B roll shots but it will probably not make the final cut.  Although, if GQ and Rolling Stone ever collaborate to do a golf issue, I believe this warrants consideration for the cover.