There’s still time to sign up for the first annual Founders Club Invitational Tournament, scheduled for Sept. 13-14 at the Founders Club at Pawleys Island. Among the pertinent details:

• Eligibility -- Participants must be 18 or older. Senior must be 60 or older. Handicap divisions must have a verifiable USGA or CGA handicap. Amateurs only.
• Format -- Stroke play 36 holes. There will be four divisions. Open division will be played scratch. Regular men, senior and ladies divisions will all be full handicap. Tee times begin at 12 p.m.
• Entry Fee – $125 includes 36 holes of golf and prizes. Prizes will be awarded to one third of the field in each flight.
• Deadlines – Entry deadline is September 8, 2008. Cancellation deadline is September 10, 2008. No refunds after this date.
• Practice – Official practice round date is September 12. Practice round rate is $55, call Proshop for tee times.
• Rules – USGA rules will govern all play. Approved measuring devices, and cart equipped GPS systems, may be used. The Founders Club is a non-metal spike facility. Participants may walk or ride.

The Founders Club at Pawleys Island is located at 7829 Ocean Highway in Pawleys Island. For those who’ve yet to play this Thomas Walker design, you’ll be impressed with the transformation that’s been made of the former Sea Gull Golf Club. For more information, visit the Founders Club Web site or call 843-237-2299.

For me, it usually involves some knucklehead who claims to be a 10 handicap (but is closer to a 30), has a hissy fit after hitting a predictably poor shot, and chucks his golf club. Something like this:

That’s right, pal. It’s Taylor Made’s fault your game sucks.

Four years ago, I took my family to Ocotillo Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona for Easter Brunch. My then-infant son started fussing, so I took him outside the clubhouse so as not to subject our fellow holiday patrons to a temper tantrum. Little did I know that Nicky’s bellowing would pale in comparison to the epic meltdown we were about to witness on Number Nine.

It was there where an animated, portly chap, riding solo in his golf cart, drives up to his ball to hit his next shot – a 130-yard approach to an elevated green next to the clubhouse, with nothing but water separating the green from this Chris Farley clone. Farley takes a mighty hack, and the ball dribbles three feet into the drink.

Harumph. Farley digs into his pocket, retrieves another ball, and takes a drop. Takes another hack. This time, the ball skips about 12 times across the hazard before meeting its demise.

Double harumph. Now Farley’s rifling through his trousers to find yet another Top Flite, looking very much like a swarm of bees is attacking his crotch. No more balls in his pockets, Farley now storms to the back of his cart and tears apart his golf bag to get another. Club covers, towels and tees are flying in all directions. By now, Farley’s attracting an audience.

Mission accomplished on the ball-finding expedition, Farley storms back to the drop point, spikes his new-found Top Flite, and lets out an animated sigh. This one, for sure, will find the mark. Or else.

Farley swings, and the ball arcs high and seemingly far enough to reach the green. Only a gust of wind picks up, stops the ball dead in its tracks, and deposits the ball in the water a mere five yards away from the green.

Now Farley’s in orbit. He wheels around and heaves his club in a furious rage – only to forget that the Club Car is right in his path. The club leaves Farley’s hand … ricochets off the front hood of the Club Car … pirouettes beautifully, about half as high as his last shot … and lands softly. Right in the middle of the drink.

Farley pauses in disbelief, drops his head in shame, trudges back to his Club Car, plops in his seat and folds his arms like the kindergartner sent to the corner for misbehaving. The gallery claps in appreciation – no Eggs Benedict special would ever match the pure entertainment value of what they had unexpectedly witnessed.

Playing in the Golf Capital of the World, I’m sure you’ve got a story or two like this one that you’d like to share. Let us know!

Hard to believe that the Myrtle Beach area’s “social event of the fall” is entering its 25th year. It’s sneaking up on us quickly, but it’s not too late to get involved with Taste of the Town at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center:

This year’s event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 14, with more than 50 Grand Strand restaurants scheduled to participate. For them, it’s a spirited competition to earn one of the event’s top honors, and for visitors it’s an awesome opportunity to stuff your face with some spectacular cuisine.

And for the kids at Saint Andrew Catholic School, Taste of the Town brings in much-needed funds to support its programs.

For more information, call the Saint Andrew Catholic School office at 843-448-6062 or visit the event Web site. And come Oct. 14, be sure to bring a hearty appetite!

The summer season’s over, and Grand Strand locals now get to enjoy the fruits of the fall season as their tourist counterparts regroup.

One extraordinary amusement benefit available to them now is with Family Kingdom, which is offering locals $9.95 “all you can ride” wristbands through the month of September.

Simply show your current local I.D. at the park, and the discount is yours every day through Sept. 27. The park’s September hours run 6-10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1-10 p.m. Saturdays; and 1-6 p.m. Sundays (closing hours Monday through Saturday may vary, and run as late as midnight at the park’s discretion).

It’s a perfect opportunity to check out the attraction that TripAdvisor.com calls one of the “Top 10 Amusement Parks In the United States Outside of Orlando,” ranking it No. 5 ahead of such renowned destinations as Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C.

For more information, visit the Family Kingdom Web site.

Come to Pawleys Island for two days and three nights of fabulous golf, food and friendships with golfers of all abilities.

The Carolina Couples Classic attracts players from all over the country, especially the Carolinas, who enjoy a little friendly competition and a phenomenal golf experience at the award-winning Litchfield Country Club and Willbrook Plantation.

And when they’re not playing, they’re kicking back at the beautiful Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort:

The Carolina Couples Classic runs from October 2 – 5. Check out the event Web site for more information.

The LPGA Tour is now requiring its players to learn English, or face suspension. And the media hue and cry hasn’t even had the chance to reach a crescendo.

Yet that hasn’t kept the Fourth Estate from weighing in – heavily. The move is “excluding multiculturalism,” as Jerry Burnes writes at Northern Star Online. It smacks of the Tour being “racist,” as TravelGolf.com’s Chris Baldwin suggests. It’s “unsportsmanlike” and “un-American,” as Michael Walker Jr. contends over at Golf.com.

I can’t help but look at all this from a marketing perspective. Hey, that’s just me, and my nature. And my instincts tell me that for all the flak Carolyn Bivens has caught in her tumultuous tenure as LPGA Tour commissioner, the hubbub about this move is way, way overblown.

Like it or not, here’s the basic message she’s delivering to her players:

“Look, ladies. If we’re gonna help you, we have to be able to help each other. Learn the language. Use it during your interviews and television appearances. Help fans in the country that’s the lifeline to your LPGA career embrace you – because the simple fact of the matter is, rightly or wrongly, they won’t if you give the impression that you’re making no attempt to assimilate to the culture that’s making you rich (even if you are trying).

“Heck, they don’t necessarily even have to like you. But if this tour is to continue to make money – much of which winds up in your pocket, if you’re good enough to earn it – you have to be relevant in the public eye. The American eye. You have to be able to make some kind of connection with your audience. And if people cannot find that connection, they’ll look elsewhere for it.

“Fair? Of course not. Reality? You better believe it – now, not later.”

To me, this isn’t about jingoism, or pushing an agenda that must bleed red, white and blue.

It’s all about the green, baby. Like it or not, the sooner we accept that reality, the less likely we’ll all be to get ourselves in a lather – and the more likely the LPGA Tour will be able to prosper in the long-term.

When Tavern in the Forest first opened in the new Forest Crossing shopping center earlier this year, it was met enthusiastically by Carolina Forest residents who were eager for a neighborhood hangout to call their own. The food was exceptional, but before long the grumblings began.

It was pricey for a sports pub, service was on the slow side, and the atmosphere was nice but suffered from a bit of an identity crisis. The original, fancy natural-wood décor gave it more of a slightly upscale restaurant feel than a neighborhood tavern, and the attempt at meeting the “sports pub” genre fell flat with only a handful of television screens to speak of.

It all changed when David Murphy assumed ownership in early June mere months after its grand opening. He toned down the “upscale” feel immediately with a vibrant red paint job in the interior, and a whole new infusion of sports-themed décor including college banners, neon signs and several new plasma-screen televisions to show multiple sporting events simultaneously. “Cornhole” (the increasingly popular pub/tailgating bag toss game) became a leisure option while enjoying a cocktail or two.

Gone, too, were the separate lunch and dinner menus, and in came a pub-style selection that now includes 10 entrees, 12 sandwiches and a large selection of appetizers.

I’ve eaten there a few times now since Tavern in the Forest’s makeover, and come away very satisfied each time. Among my favorites:

• Buffalo wings that boast plenty of meat, good hot sauce and a finish that’s not overly done.
• French fries that come five different ways - including plain, with chili, gravy, cheese or Tavern’s own Old Bay seasoning.
• Three outstanding sandwiches, including barbecue with a big heaping of pork and a delicious sauce; a stellar reuben served with sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and swiss cheese; and a meatloaf sandwich that has me and many friends coming back for more.
• $6 kids meals that don’t skimp on quantity, or quality. My boys love the chicken fingers that are juicy, deep battered and huge. They eat plenty, and we still wind up leaving with a couple of “to go” boxes.

Tavern in the Forest at Forest Crossing is located at the intersection of Carolina Forest Boulevard and River Oaks Drive. They’re open daily for lunch and dinner, and late on Friday and Saturday. Call them at 843-626-3000 for more information.

T-minus five days, and counting …

Sure, we’ve had some huge music names roll through Hard Rock Park this summer, led by rock legends The Eagles and The Moody Blues performing at the grand opening festivities back in June. Sister Hazel put on a surprisingly good show (to me, anyway) July 4, and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic were in classic form on Memorial Day weekend.

But if you’re looking for a good old-fashioned cheesefest that’s nevertheless sure to be as entertaining as any of these shows, 70’s disco legends KC and the Sunshine Band come to town this Saturday to close out the Myrtle Beach summer concert season in grand style.

Growing up on Long Island, disco just wasn’t supposed to be cool. Infamous promotions like “Disco Demolition Night” at the old Comiskey Park helpd hammer that point home, with all the force of the dynamite Bill Veeck used to send thousands of disco vinyls to their violent death.

But admit it. You listened, anyway. And when KC and the Sunshine Band cranked out one chart-topping single after the next in the late ‘70s – “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “I’m Your Boogie Man,” just to name a few – you and I were shaking our booty just as much as the next schnook.

This Saturday, it’s time to shake it one more time – shamelessly, and painlessly (even if it takes a drink or two … three … four …). So get the hot pants, bell bottoms and trouser suits out of mothballs, and get ready for the polyester party of the year.

Just don’t anyone light a match.

Video courtesy ETVRoadShow (YouTube)