Grande Dunes, The Wizard Jump in Myrtle Beach Golf Insider Top 25 Rankings

Post-play reviews from golfers show Grande Dunes Resort course and The Wizard each climb eight places from last month

(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) - Grande Dunes Resort Course and The Wizard each made significant jumps in the monthly rankings for Myrtle Beach Golf Insider, but the top eight courses remained unchanged in the July 2012 online edition. The top 25 was reported by www.mbgolfinsider.com this week, based on more than 450 independent post-play reviews for the previous month from visiting golfers.

Golfers are asked to use a 10-point scale to relay their experience in six categories: pro shop, grill, staff, fairways, tees and greens. The total number of reviews for each course breaks ties.

"Our overall course conditions have been consistently good and more and more golfers are taking the opportunity to visit," said Frank Coughlin, general manager at Grande Dunes.

Grande Dunes, which jumped to No. 15, joined the NGM group in March 2012 and is currently undergoing a change to Champion Bermuda greens. The course will be closed for play until late August.

At The Wizard, which improved to No. 16, head golf professional Steve Haines noted the lush bent grass greens.

"Everything is very green right now and our bent greens are in great condition," said Haines. "The Wizard is a very pretty course, and the last three holes are quite challenging."

The unbiased reviews are available to golfers before booking their tee times. The Myrtle Beach Golf Insider Top 25 represents a broad consensus of opinion based on thousands of golfer reviews. More than 14,000 independent reviews have been recorded since 2010, according to Jim Maggio, Golf Insider editor.

"Through many websites, golfers are seeing much more than price points and special offers," Maggio said. "The online booking engines also bring these reviews front and center as part of the decision-making process. It has driven the growth of Golf Insider and its impact on the Myrtle Beach golf market."

Golf Course Listing This Month/Last Month
1. Caledonia Golf and Fish Club 1 1
2. Dunes Golf and Beach Club 2 2
3. Thistle Golf Club 3 3
4. True Blue Golf Plantation 4 4
5. MB National King's North 5 5
6. TPC of Myrtle Beach 6 6
7. MB National SouthCreek 7 7
8. Arrowhead Country Club 8 8
9. Man O'War 9 14
10. Legends - Parkland Course 10 9
11. Barefoot - Love Course 11 10
12. Barefoot - Fazio Course 12 11
13. Willbrook Plantation 13 12
14. Myrtle Beach National - West 14 13
15. Grande Dunes Resort Course 15 23
16. Wizard 16 24
17. Crow Creek Golf Club 17 15
18. Legends - Heathland Course 18 16
19. Glen Dornoch 19 17
20. Tiger's Eye 20 18
21. River Club 21 19
22. Tradition Club 22 20
23. Long Bay Club 23 21
24. Wild Wing - Avocet 24 22
25. Farmstead 25 NR

To register to receive the rankings or leave a course review, visit MBGolfInsider.com.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com