Tickets, traffic delays, parking. What to know and expect for Myrtle Beach PGA tournament
The Myrtle Beach Classic will tee off in May 2024, bringing thousands to the Myrtle Beach area.
Visitors and locals will be at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club, watching professionals play one of the Grand Strand’s oldest courses in Myrtle Beach’s first PGA tournament.
Myrtle Beach Classic Tournament Director Darren Nelson said that close to 24,000 tickets have been sold, with the projected final total expected to be 40,000. Tickets can be purchased online, but Nelson added that interested spectators can buy tickets at the gate, which is open to the public at 6 a.m., according to a fact sheet for the tournament.
With the tournament set to begin next month, here’s everything you need to know about it before it starts.
When is the tournament and where can I park?
PGA golfers will tee off May 9, 2024, and the tournament will run through May 12, 2024. According to a fact sheet for the tournament, tee times will start at 7 a.m. May 9.
Nelson said general admission spectators will park at the former Myrtle Square Mall site at 2400 North Oak St., and shuttles will periodically take people to the Dunes Golf & Beach Club to watch the tournament. Nelson said Carolina Limousine will provide a shuttle service for the event.
According to the tournament’s website, parking is $15 a day. Passes can be bought online. Nelson added that parking passes are digital with a QR code, and paying for general admission lots will be cashless.
Attendees using ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft should avoid trying to set their arrival location as the Dunes Golf & Beach Club as only members and certain ticket holders with proper credentials will be allowed access, Nelson said.
City says Myrtle Beach Classic will impact traffic
City of Myrtle Beach Director of Public Information Mark Kruea said the tournament is expected to impact downtown Myrtle Beach traffic. While he did not say to what extent, the tournament did fill out a special events permit with the city.
Roads won’t be closed for the tournament, although the application added that an estimated 2,500 vehicles will attend the event. Given the parking lot utilizes North Kings Highway and North Oaks Street, expect traffic to be impacted on those and surrounding roads.
What amenities does golf tournament provide?
Once attendees arrive at the tournament, they will be able to watch the golf game or partake in other amenities. Nelson said children ages 15 and younger supervised by an adult get in for free for general admission, and the first 100 kids Saturday, May 11, 2024, will receive a free gator-shaped visor.
Nelson also said patrons can attend bars and other fan zones during the tournament.
“It’ll be a place where fans can congregate, hang out, grab a beer; you can see some golf from there as well,” Nelson added.
Nelson clarified, though, that there would be no area designated for tailgating. Although the tournament intended to add these areas, tailgating proved not to be popular with potential attendees.
The tournament will also provide catering, including hot dogs, chicken, barbecue, burgers, and other staples. Michelob Ultra will have a location in the fan zone, and fans will be provided with spirits.
General admission attendees looking for other things to do during the tournament can also listen to live music. Two bands will perform concerts for spectators on the ocean lawn next to the Dunes Golf & Beach Club’s new beach club.
Serving up beach rock and country music, The Swingin’ Medallions and Thompson Square will perform Thursday and Saturday starting at 6 p.m. for free for ticketholders.
Is there a dress code?
Once on club grounds, viewers can either sit in one of the general admission areas or walk the course with the golfers as they play.
While attendees are expected to wear golf attire, Nelson said there is no dress code.
He recommended that attendees bring comfortable shoes to walk in if they choose to follow the action hole-to-hole.
Which local celebrities will be in attendance?
The Myrtle Beach Classic will also feature local celebrities. WPDE Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski and musician Greg Rowles will be at the Myrtle Beach Classic, announcing golfers’ names before they tee off, Nelson said.
Rowles recently opened his own musical theater in North Myrtle Beach, which began having shows April 1, 2024.
Despite the historic nature of the tournament for the Grand Strand, the tournament probably won’t feature many prominent PGA golfers.
The PGA signature Wells Fargo Championship event will take place at the same time as the Myrtle Beach Classic, and top golfers such as 2024 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler will probably participate in that event instead.
Indeed, the Wells Fargo Championship has a total event purse of $20 million, whereas the Myrtle Beach Classic will have a $4 million purse.
