Diamondback Golf 2On this edition of Tee It UP Grand Strand, host Shan Coughlin joins new general manager Patrick Wilkenson on location at DiamondBack Golf Course at Woodland Valley Country Club in Loris to discuss winter golf, recent special events and a few things that make the course unique. Wilkenson left Black Bear Golf Club the end of October and joined the staff of DiamondBack Golf Club to serve as general manager. With the new transition, Wilkenson said there are a lot of improvements in the works.  “It’s a great opportunity, and I couldn’t pass it up. So, I’m here and we are looking to do great things here,” he said.

Located inland off S.C. Highway 9, just a few miles west of the coast, DiamondBack Golf Club is in great condition for winter golfing. Coughlin encourages listeners to log onto TheGolfDirector.com, click on the streaming media or TV tab, and take a look at what DiamondBack is offering this November.  “It’s fabulous,” Wilkenson said. “We’ve got the overseeding down and we’re ready for fall and winter golf, and looking forward towards the spring.”  Recently, DiamondBack Golf Club hosted the All-American Divas Tournament, which started at Black Bear Golf Club and was moved to DiamondBack for the first time this year.  With 112 women participating in the event, Wilkenson said they were able to raise $2,200 for this year’s charity – the Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center in North Myrtle Beach.

The event took place in the DiamondBack cart barn, which sits underneath the clubhouse. This was a first for DiamondBack, but Wilkenson said it was a huge success. There was an ice cream bar and other food, and everyone had a lot of fun, he explained. With such a successful event, Wilkenson also said the course will be hosting other events, as the facility proved to be a perfect location.  Coughlin said photos of the event can be found on the course’s website PlayDiamondBackGolf.com.  Although the course is further inland than most Grand Strand golf courses, DiamondBack has a lot to offer and is well worth the drive.

“It’s a great golf course, for one,”Wilkenson said. He continued to explain that the course is off the beaten path, and there are very few houses in the area. Additionally, none of the holes run side-by-side. So, although golfers may hear other people while playing, they will never see them along the course again.  “And it’s a tight little golf course, but it’s not so tight it’s unforgiving. You know, it’s fun, it’s enjoyable,” Wilkenson said. He added that the value of the golf course can’t be beaten. It’s a great facility out here and it’s becoming a locals’ favorite, he said.

Another thing that makes DiamondBack Golf Course unique is it is the only course on the Grand Strand that makes golfers feel like they are in a hunting lodge, Coughlin pointed out. “So, even if you don’t hunt, it’s still cool to be somewhere unique…you come out here, and it’s definitely different,” she said.  Wilkenson said the clubhouse is made of all-wooden slats and there are deer heads mounted on the walls. It also features a fireplace and a couch, so visitors are encouraged to sit down, watch TV, and relax at the bar.  The course and its surroundings are also home to a lot of wildlife, including an abundance of deer. Wilkenson said it is not uncommon for deer to run across the course in the afternoon.

Diamondback Golf 1So in addition to quiet and unique playing conditions, DiamondBack also offers easy access to major highways and the Grand Strand. Furthermore, as new general manager, Wilkenson plans to make several more improvements to DiamondBack, which will make each golfer’s experience even more convenient and enjoyable playing at the 16-year-old facility.  “Come out and see him,” Coughlin encouraged. “Always smiling…always working, but always smiling.”  “This is great,” Wilkenson said. “Getting to see everybody…great experience out here and I’m just glad to be here. This is a good venue for a golf course and setting and everything, and we’re ready to go!”

For more information about playing at DiamondBack Golf Course at Woodland Valley Country Club, visit PlayDiamondBackGolf.com or call 843-756-3264.  DiamondBack is affiliated with Platinum Golf Membership and with East Coast Golf Management PGA packages. Visit TheGolfDirector.com for more information and links.