Caledonia and True Blue are two of America’s top 100 public courses, and they’ve also proven to be venues where the game’s rising young stars enjoy coming to test themselves.
For the sixth time, Caledonia and True Blue hosted the Golfweek Program Challenge, a 54-hole collegiate event that brings men’s and women’s teams together in a unique format. Trophies are awarded to the men’s and women’s winners and a program champion (lowest combined score for both teams) is crowned.
The men played two rounds at True Blue and one at Caledonia while the women did the opposite. Regardless of where they were playing, the story of the event were the Camels of Campbell University.
This year’s Program Challenge traded late-round drama for complete dominance. Campbell, a perennial NCAA Regional participant in recent years, won the men’s event by a whopping 34 strokes, led by Jesper Svensson who was -15 under par. The women were dominant as well, finishing -18 under as a team, besting second place Old Dominion by six strokes.
Needless to say they waltzed to the Program Challenge Championship.
The Golfweek event is the only collegiate tournament Caledonia and True Blue host, but it’s hardly the only amateur event that calls these courses “home.” The Golf Channel and Golfweek Am Tours both host “majors” there, and the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship, golf’s biggest single site event, loves coming to both layouts.
More so than any competitive event, what both courses are most proud to host are vacationing golf groups. People spend their time and hard-earned money to take a Myrtle Beach golf trip, and both Mike Strantz designs work tirelessly to fulfill lofty expectations.
The accolades both courses have garnered are great, but it’s the personal service and attention to detail that have helped them sustain their popularity.