DAY 6: Myrtle Beach

I have always had a mixxed opinion about Myrtle Beach but I was looking forward to that first chance to put my feet in the sand and ocean. There is something about it that is just so therapeutic. After arriving the day before and laying out in the sun, I decided to awake very early and walk the beach at sunrise.  When the alarm went off at 5:15 am I wondered if I had made the right decision, but up and out I was and on the beach. And I am so glad that I did. The beach in the morning is a far cry from the maddening crowds that encompass it hours later. Very still and silent...and the colors in the sky and the water are just beautiful. So I took about a two mile walk down to the pier and was back in my room by 7:00am with plans to get a tee time for a round of golf.

So where did I golf? Well, Myrtle Beach has some of the best golfing around with over 60 courses in the immediate area. I settled on a course called "Wicked Stick"  a John Daly Signatured Designed Golf Course. Those of you who know the reputation of John Daly will understand my disappointment that they did not have shots of Jack Daniels and a beer at the first tee. Nor was there a sandtrap filled with bikini clad women and a beach party. But those were the  only disappointments. It is a very nice course and layout with a lot of water throughout. I met up with two gentlemen on the second tee box who asked me if I wanted to play with them which I immediately agreed to do. Bernie Baymiller from Knoxville, Tennessee and his son Tim who lives in Greenville, SC. Bernie is 77 and retired and regularly shoots his age or lower and that with a replaced knee and kidneys. Amazing. He not only is an avid golfer but an avid golf club maker and the conversations on clubmaking will make me rethink dropping a thousand dollars on a set of Pings or Taylor Mades next time around. We all played a similar game and had a spirted round with yours truly shooting an 83. Yes. I really did. I had Tim and Bernie sign the scorecard, with Bernie even adding his phone number saying "have em call me" . Of course that phone call will probably have you endding up talking about the art of golf club making or hiking in the Smokie Mountains.