Byers, Himmelsbach Inducted into Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame
Charlie Byers, one of the Grand Strand’s most visionary golf course developers, and Paul Himmelsbach, one of Myrtle Beach’s most creative marketers and golf entrepreneurs, were presented today as the 2011 inductees into the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Pine Lakes Country Club.
Byers pioneered the opening of golf courses on the outskirts of the town of Myrtle Beach, stretching the Grand Strand to new boundaries. He moved to North Myrtle Beach in 1947 and soon became a founding member of The Dunes Golf & Beach Club. He was among a group of five men who opened The Surf Golf and Beach Club, the first golf club in North Myrtle Beach, and then opened Sea Gull Golf Club in Pawleys Island and Quail Creek Golf Club in Conway. Despite criticism that “no one would drive that far from Myrtle Beach to play golf,” he found success, which encouraged him to then build Burning Ridge Golf Club west of the Intracoastal Waterway toward Conway, Indian Wells Golf Club in Murrells Inlet, and other courses.
Byers encouraged Grand Strand golf owners to cooperate for the betterment of Myrtle Beach as a whole. He became an important influence on the foundation of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. Over the years, that organization has successfully promoted and branded Myrtle Beach worldwide, increasing local business opportunities, area-wide employment, and the number of visiting golfers.
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Himmelsbach leveraged his personal relationships with national media to position Myrtle Beach among the world’s premier golf vacation destinations. After moving to Myrtle Beach from New York in 1977, he founded On The Green magazine and its sister publication, On The Beach. In partnership with his brother, Jack, he formed Himmelsbach Communications which later partnered with Golf Digest to create a Myrtle Beach advertorial supplement that appeared in both Golf Digest and On The Green twice a year. The supplement informed millions of golfers about Myrtle Beach and the quality, quantity and affordability of its golf courses.
Himmelsbach also co-created the World Amateur Handicap Championship, which annually attracts competitors and golf vendors from every state and many foreign countries for a week of golf on the Strand, generating millions of dollars for the economy and worldwide publicity for Myrtle Beach golf. A golf course developer, he partnered with his brother and others to create The Glens Golf Group, known for award-winning golf courses like Heather Glen, Glen Dornoch and Shaftesbury Glen. He is also a partner in Wicked Stick Golf Links and Rivers Edge.
The Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame was created in 2009 to honor men and women who have played significant roles in all aspects of the Myrtle Beach area golf industry, including teaching, playing, course design, construction, marketing and administration.
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