Golf boom rolls on in South Carolina. The proof is in the numbers
The latest economic impact study of golf in South Carolina emphasizes what anyone who seeks a prime tee time knows: The game continues to boom in the state.
The “wow factor” is in the numbers.
A survey, conducted by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism for the S.C. Golf Course Owners Association and finalized in April, shows that golf contributes $3.6 billion annually to the state’s economy.
“That’s obviously impressive,” said Biff Lathrop, executive director of the South Carolina Golf Association.
Some numbers: $3.6 billion in output or sales; 30,404 jobs; $1.7 billion in wages and income; and $423 million in federal, state and local taxes.
The Myrtle Beach area attracted the most traveling golfers, 63 percent, according to the survey. Charleston (21 percent) and Hilton Head Island (15 percent) followed. South Carolina residents accounted for 17 percent of golf trips in the state. The top out-of-state origin markets for trips are North Carolina (13 percent), Pennsylvania (10 percent) and Connecticut (7 percent).
“I’m not surprised” at the statistics, said Greg McBride, head professional at The Spur at Northwoods, a public course in Northeast Columbia. “We had our busiest month ever in April, and if we don’t get any rain the rest of the week, we’ll do even better in May.
“The best thing is, so many young people are playing. They’re new to the game and maybe don’t know all the rules or protocol, but they’re playing golf and that’s great for the future of the game.”
Recreational golfers, like those who visit The Spur at Northwoods, make up the heart of the game. But the highly skilled players are filling the tee sheets at amateur tournaments and junior golf is booming.
A sampling of SCGA and SCJGA schedule for the week of June 2-8: U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying on Monday, Beth Daniel Junior Azalea championship Tuesday-Thursday and S.C. Senior championship Wednesday-Friday.
Those follow just-completed competitions: the State Four-Ball (won by the Florence team of Jack Seward and Jay Smith), a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier (advancers include Sage Bradshaw of Bluffton, Owen Kinnunen of Taylors, Banks Steele of Lancaster and Mykhailo Golod of the Ukraine), and the State Super-Senior Four-Ball (won by the Hilton Head duo of Mike Poe and Gary Smith.)
Then, later in June, come four State Amateur qualifiers, the Lefty-Righty and Left-Handers championship, a U.S. Amateur qualifier, the Father-Son tourney and the State Junior championship. A national field will compete in the Southern Junior at Dataw Island, and that’s without mentioning the myriad of other competitions for juniors of all skill levels.
“That’s a lot, but that tells how popular the game is at the highest level,” Lathop said. “Then, there are the numbers from the economic impact study and that tells how popular the game is overall.”
Adding the recently announced Korn Ferry Tour’s Colonial Life Charity Classic that will debut at Woodcreek Club in Elgin next May to the state’s other high-profile events — the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island and ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and the Korn Ferry’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer — reinforces the game’s popularity in the state, Lathrop said.
The Spur’s McBride might have been speaking for the industry by noting, “We’re busy, and that’s a great way to be.”
Gamecocks wrap up seasons
USC’s golf teams completed their seasons in the NCAA Championships with both the men and women falling short of advancing to the match-play competition that decides the national champion.
Ranked third nationally, USC’s women began stroke play with a poor opening round. Although moving up to eighth and in position to secure one of the eight match-play slots, the Gamecocks slipped to 10th in the final round. Carolina, who made the NCAA Championship for the 14th time in 18 seasons under coach Kalen Anderson, finished fifth in the final national poll.
Individually, freshman Eila Galitsky earned first-team All-American honors and seniors Hannah Darling and Louis Rydqvist garnered spots on the second team chosen by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association. Their selections marked the 10th consecutive year that the Gamecocks had multiple All-American selections.
Galitsky tied for fifth individually in the NCAAs. Darling and Rydqvist made All-American teams each of their four seasons and finished their careers among the program’s most decorated players.
The USC men also got off to a slow start in the national tourney in Carlsbad, California. A strong second round moved the team to 17th, in striking distance of the 15 teams that qualified for the fourth round. A struggling finish dropped the Gamecocks to 19th.
Individually, Nathan Franks tied for 18th place and moved to 21st in the PGA Tour’s University Rankings. A senior from Roebuck, Franks finished with a 71.59 career scoring average, No. 3 in the program’s history.
In their first season under coach Rob Bradley, Carolina’s men made the national tournament for the first time since 2019.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Golf boom rolls on in South Carolina. The proof is in the numbers."