You loved our first edition so much we thought we’d make another for you.
We mentioned previously you want to stay central to Myrtle Beach if you don’t already have a place in mind. That’s because you’ll likely play a course in each end of the beach. Specifically, we try to give you a perceived equal quality rotation of courses as fellow participants. We want Flight 4 to argue with Flight 65 who got the better set of courses. It should never be a clear favorite. See below a few examples of last year for reference.
Should I play a practice round? We’ll answer your question with a question. Are you someone who wants to get out and see as much as possible? Or are you here to compete? Our answer is yes you should play golf the weekend prior, but we don’t care where! Practice round rates which are exclusive to World Am players are good at any host course, not just the ones you are assigned.
A hard part for newbies can be the rules of golf. They’re meant to help you, not hurt you. When you know them, it helps you take relief to your advantage. Knowing the rules is like knowing traffic laws. Ignorance is not an excuse. We have expert rules officials who can answer questions you have (at the 19th Hole). However during the day they are not available real-time and we strongly recommend a quick study on the rules. Specifically, this rule, which helps cover nearly EVERY rule!
20.1c(3) Playing Two Balls When Uncertain What to Do. – (paraphrasing) – Announce your intent to play two balls. Then play out one ball under what may be the right way. Then play out another ball in what could be another (hopefully also right) way. After the round is over, talk to the committee and find out which was right. It’s important you must declare you are doing this before ANY strokes are taken. And even if the outcome was the same on both, you must report it because 1) it helps you learn for next time and 2) neither scenarios may have been right.
We touched on transportation a little before. We should add that services like Lyft and Uber are prevalent in the evenings and should be utilized. But it may not be your best bet getting to/from the courses each day and a rental car is likely necessary.
Handicaps are needed if you want to play net. But we have divisions for scratch and also a division where we don’t even keep score. Your handicap does not need to be established when you register, but ultimately should be done as quickly as possible. The more scores in your index the more accurate it will be among other factors.
A lot of newbies are not familiar with how the handicap system works. We won’t try to explain that here, but know it’s the same required USGA calculations for everyone. World Am computations may adjust your handicap during the tournament for exceptional play much like the USGA would do after you post a great score. But your course handicap is calculated by the USGA standard.
In one sentence we can speak to a lot of the confusion. That is: a handicap index is a universal number. An 8.0 index who is 80 years old with a bad hip has the same ability as an 8.0 index 18-year-old male who only plays the tips because he thinks he’s better than he is. An index is much like a credit score. Put those players on the same tee, they’re supposed to tie. If I tell you my index, you know my ability without needing further details.
If you’re trying to figure out whether the World Am is a solo adventure or if you should bring the family, we have your answer. Myrtle Beach is a great family destination. There’s plenty of activities during the day to keep non-participants busy. Gray Line tours offers day trips, there’s mini-golf, 60 miles of beaches, and plenty of shopping / restaurants to go around. Plus, all participants get 1 adult guest and all kids under 21 are free to the 19th Hole. Taking a family of 4 out to eat for 4 nights can get pricy, but not at the 19th Hole!
We hope this helps you on your trip to the Beach. Most people learn through their friends who got them signed up. Pick their brain and see what they say! What did we miss? Check our FAQ page for even more.
