Tourist-dependent destinations in South Carolina were likely proceeding with caution this spring, hoping for the best but knowing tempered expectations were the order of the day in a tepid economic climate.
The news coming out of Myrtle Beach, a pillar of the state's $16 billion tourism industry, is not good.
By late Thursday evening unpredictable wildfires that began the previous day had grown into the state's biggest fires in more than three decades, according to the Associated Press. The fires forced officials to close schools, the governor to declare a state of emergency and authorities to evacuate more than 2,500 people.
Much of the damage was concentrated in the Barefoot Resort section of North Myrtle Beach, an area very familiar to the thousands of golfers who make a yearly pilgrimage to play golf and relax in the sun. The fires burned through the night and early morning hours, forcing many Barefoot residents and visitors to evacuate to the nearby House of Blues.
It is believed that the blaze destroyed about 70 homes and damaged 100 others.
At one point flames were visible from Grande Dunes Resort, home to last year's National Golf Course Owner's Association Golf Course of the Year . The sprinkler system was turned on in case the fires approached, but luckily they never did. That's the scene you'll see here in the photo.
Overall, the Myrtle Beach area golf courses avoided significant damage.
From the reports I've read, the blaze now appears to be somewhat contained, and the trouble at Barefoot, home to four championship golf courses (Dye, Love, Fazio and Norman) looks to have passed.
Strangely enough a group of friends attempting their annual golf trip to Myrtle Beach for the second time, their first attempt ended in the Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing, rolled into town Wednesday just before the chaos began; of course they drove.
The gentlemen were guests of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a local do-it-all golf company who offered them free rounds of golf at a number of area courses and lodging at Legends Golf Resort. Martin's PGA Tour Superstore supplied everyone in the group with a $500 gift certificate.
"I think South Carolina rocks," group spokesperson Jeff Kolodjay told the Myrtle Beach Sun News. "The people are so super friendly. We just look forward to coming down here every year."
Hopefully, those planning vacations to Myrtle Beach this year won't shy away from their Grand Strand plans. In addition to stimulating the slumping economy, money will now be needed to clean up the considerable mess.
It might be a lot to ask, but I'd urge visitors who travel to Myrtle Beach this spring and summer to exhibit the very same generosity Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday extended to those men who wound up in the Hudson instead of on their traditional golf trip.