Golf

When I was at the PGA Trade Show in Myrtle Beach last week, everyone was buzzing about the new initiatives the PGA is taking to grow the game of golf. The three big deals now are “Play Golf America,” the “League Play Championship” and “Get Golf Ready in Five Days for $99.”

According to Ron Schmid, executive director of the Carolinas PGA, “These three growth programs provide excellent, inexpensive opportunities for people of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds to access the great game of golf.”

Each year the Carolinas Section of the PGA hosts a Merchandise Show at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. I always go to check out what’s new in the world of golf.

This year, I zeroed in on three booths. Two were startup clothing businesses and one was promoting one of the oldest courses in the world: the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, host of this year’s British Open.

High school girls’ golf has come a long way, baby.

Three of our four daughters played on high school golf teams. They enjoyed it and did reasonably well, winning points during the season and helping their teams.

During the Ocean Ridge Ladies Golf Association Groundhog’s Cry event Monday, Diana Gruver made a hole-in-one on the sixth hole at Lion’s Paw. It was her first hole-in-one.

In the Groundhog Cry event, players counted one net from each foursome but threw away the three highest net scores at the end of the round. And if a golfer’s shadow touched any part of the cup when he or she addressed the putt, the putt may be conceded.

First: Karen McCloskey, Peggy Jones, Diana Gruver, Jan Cameron.