Issue 22, November 20, 1996
Fantasy Harbour will have thousands of holiday lights on display from November 27 through the end of the year. The Sea of Lights will be open from dusk until 11:00 each night. Visitors will drive their cars past the lights and animated displays, at a cost of $5 per automobile. Call 803-236-8500 for more info.
The upcoming Radio City Music Hall Rockettes' Christmas Show at the Palace theater will feature more than just the famous high-kicking ladies. The multi-act show will also star animals - part of the live nativity scene - and elves and other extras. The shows open this Friday, November 22, at 8:00. Tickets are $32 - $38 ($16 for children). Call 800-905-4228 or 803-448-0588.
Planet Hollywood, the theme restaurant co-owned by major Hollywood actors, may open as soon as this Friday, and should definitely be open by the end of the month. Downstairs will contain dining rooms; a main room, a science fiction room, and an adventure room. Upstairs will feature a bar. Rumor has it the spaceship from this summer's Independence Day blockbuster movie will be among the items on display. Due to conflicting commitments from the various famous owners, there may be no 'major' star-studded opening until sometime in the spring.
The Senior Tour Championship was a major success again this year, and several announcements have been made regarding its future. The Dunes Golf and Beach Club will continue to host the tournament until the new TPA course is built. Starting next year the Dunes Club will receive a fee for hosting the tournament. The PGA had considered moving to another course in light of the fee, but due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the course at the Dunes Club, the competition will remain there. Jay Sigel, this year's winner, went as far as to say the Dunes Club course was the best the seniors play on all year.
The new TPA course, to be built on 450 acres west of Murrells Inlet, will officially become the Grand Strand's 100th course when it is ready in 1998 or 1999. Tom Fazio, an extremely well-regarded course designer, will lay out the new facility, and golfer Lanny Wadkins will be a consultant. Wadkins is looking for a dramatic final hole that will allow birdies and bogies to be distinct possibilities. The course will be open to the public. Previous plans to possibly build a second course at the site have been abandoned.
Energizer Batteries has also officially signed up as tournament sponsor for the next two years.
In other golfing news, a new course has opened in Southport, North Carolina about a 90 minute drive from central Myrtle Beach. The Members Club at St. James Plantation, designed by Hale Irwin, is 5206 to 6887 yards in length. Open to the public, fees range from $40 to $85. Call 800-474-9277 for more information.
Last year Myrtle Beach Vacations, a consortium of local hotels and golf courses, and Jet Express, the discount air service that serves Myrtle Beach, collaborated on a joint reservation and marketing system. Last week charges and counter-charges flew between the groups. Myrtle Beach Vacations initially charged the airline with not meeting its financial obligations. Several hotels claim they have not been paid on time, and have even warned arriving guests their rooms may not be paid up. The airline responded with a press release of its own. Later both companies backed down somewhat on their statements, but the hotel and golf group will not be taking any reservations through the system in the immediate future. Jet Express has seen its overall business decline since the ValuJet crash in Florida recently, as some consumers have avoided discount start-up airlines.
The recently completed Vivace Festival didn't signal the end of arts events along the strand for the season. Here is a schedule of upcoming events:
Dec. 1: The Nutcracker, by the Myrtle Beach Philharmonic and the Columbia City Ballet, Myrtle Beach High School Auditorium, 8 p.m. Tickets $20, discounts for seniors and children. 803-497-9818.
Dec. 2: Frosty the Snowman, by the Myrtle Beach Philharmonic and the Columbia City Ballet, Myrtle Beach High School Auditorium, 8 p.m. Tickets $20, discounts for seniors and children. 803-497-9818.
Dec. 8: Christmas concert by the Community Choral Society, Trinity Episcopal Church, 4 p.m. Tickets $8 or $10. 803-449-7664.
Jan. 24 - 26, Jan. 31 - Feb. 2: The Second Time Around play presented by the Grand Strand Seniors for the Performing Arts, Grand Strand Senior Center, 8 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays), 3 p.m. (Sundays). Tickets $5. 803-626-3991.
Feb. 15: Choral Festival By The Sea by the Community Choral Society, Ocean View Baptist Church, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $8. 803-449-7664.
Mar. 7 - 9, 14 - 16: 6 RMS RIV VU play presented by the Grand Strand Seniors for the Performing Arts, Grand Strand Senior Center, 8 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays), 3 p.m. (Sundays). Tickets $5. 803-626-3991.
Mar. 8: An Evening of Piano Brilliance and Symphonic Favorites, by the Myrtle Beach Philharmonic, Myrtle Beach High School Auditorium, 8 p.m. Tickets $20, discounts for seniors and children. 803-497-9818.
Apr. 20: Spring concert featuring the Schubert Mass by the Community Choral Society, Trinity Episcopal Church, 4 p.m. Tickets $10. 803-449-7664.
Apr. 25 - 27, May 2 - 4: Breath of Spring play presented by the Grand Strand Seniors for the Performing Arts, Grand Strand Senior Center, 8 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays), 3 p.m. (Sundays). Tickets $5. 803-626-3991.
May 10: The Pops, by the Myrtle Beach Philharmonic, Myrtle Beach High School Auditorium, 8 p.m. Tickets $20, discounts for seniors and children. 803-497-9818.
Nov. 1 - 3, 8 - 10: Being Earnest At Any Age comedy play presented by the Grand Strand Seniors for the Performing Arts, Grand Strand Senior Center, 8 p.m. (Fridays and Saturdays), 3 p.m. (Sundays). Tickets $5. 803-626-3991.
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