Myrtle Beach National Chosen to Manage Wachesaw Plantation East

The day-to-day management duties of Clyde Johnston's Wachesaw Plantation East have been assumed by the Myrtle Beach National Company, a move that give's the Grand Strand's largest course ownership and management group a total of 11 courses under its umbrella.

As a result of the agreement, Myrtle Beach National, which owns nine of the 11 courses it manages, will assume oversight of outside operations, pro shop, food and beverage, maintenance and marketing of Wachesaw East. 

"It's a quality golf course and fits into our price range," Jim Woodring, vice president of golf marketing and operations for Myrtle Beach National recently stated in the Myrtle Beach Sun-News. "It's certainly not at the bottom and not at the upper end of the courses in Myrtle Beach, so it fits in our group very nicely."

All parties are hopeful that the powerful marketing arm of Myrtle Beach National can help bring more revenue and rounds to Wachesaw, a former MBGCOA course of the year and host of multiple nationally-televised LPGA Tour events.

"It's getting more difficult being a stand-alone facility, especially in this current environment we're trying to survive in," Wachesaw East General Manager and Head Professional Rob Mosser told the Sun-News. "So why not become part of a group that is doing very well and has done very well for a while.

"We believe that the marketing and operational expertise that the Myrtle Beach National Company brings will help us to grow and best serve our customers in an increasingly competitive market," Mosser added.

In addition to Wachesaw East and Blackmoor Golf Club, both of which Myrtle Beach National now manages, the company owns and operates the 27-hole Myrtle Beach National facility on U.S. 501, Long Bay Club, River Club, Willbrook Plantation, Litchfield Country Club and 27-hole facilities Waterway Hills Golf Club and Aberdeen Country Club.

"We're excited that the owners of Wachesaw Plantation East chose the Myrtle Beach National Company to manage this great facility," said Woodring. "We have been approached in the past to manage area courses and have been very selective to create relationships with courses that fit into our current operations. 

"This course is a perfect fit," he added. "We look forward to being directly involved with the day-to-day management of Wachesaw Plantation East. It is a great opportunity to market a course that has hosted four national tour events and is a highly-rated Clyde Johnston design.  Golfers of all skill levels enjoy playing Wachesaw Plantation East and this course fits nicely with our other Prime Time Signature courses."  

About Wachesaw Plantation East

Wachesaw Plantation East is an 18-hole championship golf facility that is the centerpiece of Ellington Resort, an Interval International Five-Star Resort owned and operated by Festiva Resorts. From 1997 to 2000, Wachesaw Plantation East hosted four nationally-televised LPGA tour events, the last of which was the Kathy Ireland/Greens.com Championship in 2000. 

Wachesaw Plantation East is a Clyde Johnston design featuring traditional Scottish elements, including rolling fairways, classic mounding and strategically-placed bunkers. It features numerous freshwater lakes, scenic wetlands and fast and true Tif-Eagle greens. The golf course is carved from the hunting grounds of a historic rice plantation that thrived on the property in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

About The Myrtle Beach National Company

The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and management operations in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand.

The company formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, Southcreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King's North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus' Long Bay, Tom Jackson's River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple's Willbrook Plantation and Willard Byrd's Litchfield Country Club, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses. In September of 2008, Myrtle Beach National took over the management of Blackmoor Golf Club. 

Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament.

In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for "The Carolina Couples Classic" and "Just Girls Weekend." For more information, visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.