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MESA, Arizona – In the 11th annual Golfweek's Best Courses, the editors of Golfweek magazine named Longbow Golf Club to its list of "2009 Golfweek's Best Resort Courses."
"We are thrilled and honored to receive recognition from Golfweek," said Jay Larscheid, General Manager. "I think we all knew that Longbow would garner accolades such as this, and it's truly gratifying to have agreement from one of the golf world's most influential publications. We've simply stayed focused on our pledge to our guests to provide the highest standards in terms of service and playing conditions. It's obvious that this formula has paid off."
Longbow was ranked 89 out of 100, which, at first glance may seem a bit dubious. However, when one considers the caliber of golf clubs placed further up the list – Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Whistling Straits, to name a few – it's clear that Longbow has earned a place among golf's elite resort courses.
Longbow Business Park and Golf Club is a 330-acre, mixed-use development, being developed by Daedalus Real Estate Advisors, that incorporates office, light industrial, retail and hotel uses surrounded by desert vegetation and a main street transportation design and features the award-winning Longbow Golf Club. Daedalus is a Phoenix-based commercial real estate services company that provides investment, development and communications consulting to corporate real estate clients. To learn more about Longbow Golf Club or to book a tee time call 480.807.5400 or visit www.longbowgolf.com.
Longbow Golf Club is professionally managed by OB Sports Golf Management, a diversified, golf-oriented company with a long history of success. OB Sports currently manages 31 premier golf courses and country clubs throughout the United States. Known for its comprehensive and personalized services since 1972, OB Sports has become widely acclaimed as the leader in boutique-style golf course management. For more information about OB Sports Golf Management visit www.obsports.com.
Course Review:
LITTLE RIVER, SC (October 14, 2010) – Frequently, I’ll add a closing remark to a golf course review by encouraging the reader to add the subject course to their list of must plays. In the case of Heather Glen Golf Links I’ll encourage you to begin your list with this golfing masterpiece.
In 1987 Golf Digest awarded Heather Glen their coveted #1 New Public Course. Designed by Willard Byrd and Clyde Johnston the course continues to win accolades and has only gotten better with maturity.
The natural beauty of this course begins with the private drive to the clubhouse. Bordered by ancient oaks draped in Spanish moss and landscaped and maintained regardless of the season, the road leads to the magnificent 19thCentury British styled clubhouse.
The course itself is in a location that has allowed the creation of a magnificent visual work of art. There are no residences intruding and just a few well-buffered parallel fairways. Nothing has gotten in the way of Heather Glen’s natural beauty, the changing elevations, stately pines and hardwoods, streams and natural lochs.
There are three nines at Heather Glen Golf Links and we had the privilege of playing the First Nine and the Third Nine. The Course Rating/Slope on the First Nine are Blue: 72.4/130, White: 70.3/123, Gold: 68.0/118 and Red: 69.3/117. Slope/Rating on the Third Nine are Blue: 72.4/127, White: 70.5/126, Gold: 67.1/115 and Red: 69.3/117. At 6771-yards from the Blues, 6310 from the Whites, 5706 from the Golds and 5053-yards from the Red Tees the course will not punish you with length.
The course is very playable regardless of your skill level. Big hitters have plenty of opportunities to grip and rip. Players relying on shot making and accuracy will also find this one very enjoyable. Off the tee there are few hidden hazards, but those you see do come into play.
The starter provides a complimentary yardage book and the wise player will keep it close. There are a few yardage markers on sprinkler heads and blue, white and red stakes, but in the Scottish tradition the book is your caddie. I enjoy a course that forces the player to think through a round of golf. If your game is visual, exact yardage dominated or a combination of both, you’ll be challenged.
The layout of Heather Glen allows scoring opportunities on select Par 3s, 4s and 5s. Likewise others in each category can present a scoring challenge. Case in point the Par 4 2ndhole on Front Nine is a great risk/reward opportunity. Cut as much of the corner over the loch as you dare and you’ll have a short iron to a receptive green and a great birdie opportunity. The Par 4 7thhole on the Third Nine is deserving of its Number 1 Handicap. A tee shot to a narrow, well protected landing area is a must. Anything else and bogey is a good score. The finishing holes on both nines are really special and a true test of golf.
The course was in great shape. The fairways were a delight and the greens ran true. The course has been perfectly maintained and is ready for play in any season.
Do arrive in plenty of time to utilize the driving range and putting and chipping greens. Allow time after your round to enjoy the clubhouse hospitality and shop for some logo merchandise in their well-merchandised pro shop.
You can tell Willard Byrd and Clyde Johnston had a lot of fun designing the 27 holes that make up Heather Glen Golf Links. I imagine a few evil cackles were emitted, too.
This 27-hole layout by Willard Byrd and Clyde Johnston was inspired by the traditions of Scottish golf. From the moment you arrive at the British-style clubhouse, you know you're in for a special day. Heather Glen is located on Highway 17, just North of Myrtle Beach and one mile south of the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Named Golf Digest's "Best New Public Course" upon opening in 1987, this popular course continues to be an outstanding selection for a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
This club has three nine hole courses that are played in three eighteen hole combinations. All three courses were designed to have fifty-foot elevation changes, gigantic 100-year-old pine trees, pot bunkers, and waste areas spread throughout all twenty-seven holes. All three courses have narrow, tree-lined fairways. The greens are sloped and feature mounding around them. Streams come into play several times on each course.
The Verdict: The course is very playable regardless of your skill level. Big hitters have plenty of opportunities to grip and rip. Players relying on shot making and accuracy will also find this one very enjoyable. Off the tee there are few hidden hazards, but those you see do come into play.
Package Notes:
Prices are per golfer based on 4 persons sharing a 2 bedroom condo - includes all taxes. Prices are subject to change without notice. Accommodations and golf are subject to availability.
| Package Rates 2011: | |
| Sep 8 – 14 | $370 |
| Sep 15 – 28 | $395 |
| Sep 29 – Oct 30 | $460 |
| Oct 31 – Nov 13 | $435 |
| Nov 14 – 27 | $315 |
| Nov 28 – Dec 31 | $285 |
Course Opened:
1987
Course Type/Style:
Public/Parkland
Number of Tee Boxes:
4 sets
Total Number of Sand Bunkers:
105-110
Number of Water Hazards:
9 of 27 holes
Most Challenging Hole:
No.
Most Memorable Hole:
No.
Signature Hole:
No.
Acreage of Course:
400 acres
Average Size of Greens:
6,400 sq. ft.
Primary Grasses
Fairways:
Bermuda grass
Rough:
Bermuda grass
Greens:
Tif Dwarf Bermuda
Months Open:
January – December
High Season:
March – November
Aerification:
June – September
Overseeding:
Rounds per year:
Green Fees:
Low: $49 High: $106
Walking Options:
Mandatory Cart
General Manager:
George Gore
Head Pro:
Stephen J. Heher, PGA
Superintendent:
Rodney Meade, GCSAA
Golf Digest 
rating
