Watch for golf course’s gator! Golfers dodge reptiles, critters at Myrtle Beach Classic

The 13th hole at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club is known to break the golfers who dare play it; hence, it’s known as Waterloo.

Navigating the par five hole was clearly on the golfers’ minds on the second day of the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic, but once they cleared Lake Singleton on their second shot, most seemed to relax. What many probably didn’t expect was a challenge of the reptilian variety.

An alligator, sitting motionless, made the rough near the green on 13, its sunbathing spot. The 13th hole has always been known for its alligators. Holes 11-13 at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club are called “Alligator Alley,” and famed sports writer Dan Jenkins complained about their presence when he reviewed Waterloo for Sports Illustrated in 1965, noting their presence made walking the hole difficult.

Some Myrtle Beach Classic golfers and their caddies did not heed Jenkins’ warning as they walked toward the green on the 13, striding next to the waters of Lake Singleton and closer to the still alligator. The golfers quickly realized they were getting too close to the reptile and distanced themselves from it as they walked toward their next shot.

The alligator wasn’t the only fauna that made its presence known at the tournament. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is home to several gray and black southern fox squirrels, many of whom were undaunted by the presence of golfers or spectators.

The Myrtle Beach Classic was lightly attended during the second day, as occasional droplets of rain and dark skies dampened the panoramic views of the golf course. However, visitors sometimes murmured about the squirrels as they walked past them — who often sat unfazed by the crowds — as attendees passed. Once, a group of fox squirrels scurried onto the golf course as a player tried to line up their next shot.

Indeed, fox squirrels are common in South Carolina.

According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the fox variety can be more than two feet long and twice the size of gray squirrels.

SCDNR added that fox squirrels are black or gray and prefer woodland habitats. Golf courses can also support fox squirrel populations.

Why the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship is the focus of the golf world

While the Myrtle Beach Classic is ongoing, the national spotlight is trained on Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Myrtle Beach Classic is happening simultaneously with the Wells Fargo Championship, a PGA Tour Signature Event.

The top PGA golfers are participating in the Wells Fargo Championship, which has a purse nearly five times bigger, at $20 million. The attendances are also much different, as the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship had an estimated 30,000 spectators a day, while Myrtle Beach Classic organizers hope 40,000 people attend the tournament. Indeed, the Wells Fargo Championship is also taking precedence over the Myrtle Beach Classic on television.

The Myrtle Beach Classic appeared on the Golf Channel from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. during the tournament, while the Wells Fargo Championship airs on the Golf Channel from 2 to 6 p.m. on May 10 and from 1 to 6 p.m. on May 11-12 on Golf Channel and CBS. The Wells Fargo Championship aired in the Myrtle Beach Classic media room May 10, 2024, as reporters and photographers edited their photos and stories.

CVB President & CEO Karen Riordan told The Sun News that the Myrtle Beach Classic was always going to be subordinate to another PGA Tour tournament. CVB approached the PGA about hosting a tournament in Myrtle Beach two years ago, and Riordan added that the tour was clear from the beginning that the Myrtle Beach Classic would be a dual-branded event.

“Here in Myrtle Beach, we don’t have huge industry, the way Charleston and Hilton Head are able to have a major sponsor like Boeing,” she added. “We felt Visit Myrtle Beach really needed to be that, since it was our idea anyway, we put ourselves on the hook.”