Picture the leaderboard on the 72nd hole of the fourteenth edition of our annual Myrtle Beach classic. Predictable? Bordering on the mundane? Well, only if you missed the action on the previous 71 holes. Although the daily events weren't close, the 2005 Myrtle Beach field featured both the tightest handicap spread and the lowest average handicap index in history. Jeff came out on top of the money list with $125 and the overall stroke count with an even par net 288. His unwavering focus and dedication to the game is hard to compete with and his record in spring events is testament to his sound strategy.

The gambling scheme carefully laid out during a frigid winter Golf Meeting resulted in eight players on the money list and no shut outs. Other than that, some of the key features that seemed so cool in December turned out to be less than popular when applied in the chaos of the moment. You can't say it wasn't interesting though. More of the 2005 purse should have been allocated to paying off Mother Nature and the highs rarely crept out of the 40s. Still, there were only a handfull of holes with rain and in hindsight it wasn't so bad.

The tournament structure may have met with criticism, but the travel plans received universal applause. In a stroke of unity, the entire group flew Hooters Air non-stop from Columbus to Myrtle Beach. The flights were successful by all accounts.

Jeff and Scott B. led off the week by winning the Roommates Tournament at Crow Creek with a best ball net nine under par. They trounced playing partners Vince and Scott K. by seven strokes and comfortably held off second place finishers John and Richard.

The complex two day event featuring net scores from the first day concluded at Farmstead. Jeff and Richard nearly lapped the field with a final best ball net score of -17 and a seven stroke margin over second place Scott B. and Tom. The much anticipated 767-yard, par 6 18th hole lived up to its billing.

It was back to Every Man Is A Diamond for the third round at Tiger's Eye. John and Tom wove their way through the "virgin pine forest and sixty-foot elevation changes" en route to a three stroke win over Scott B. and Richard. The teams of Steve and Jeff and Vince and Scott K. finished tied for third at two under.

The dry weather we enjoyed finally gave way as we left Tiger's Eye and torrential rains soaked Myrtle Beach all night. Day 4 dawned a steely gray with light rain and 38 degrees; it was not exactly golf weather. We sat in the Man O' War parking lot contemplating the rest of the trip and finally decided that sleep would have to wait for the airport. We flew and drove too far to not brave the chill. Thankfully it turned out to be a decent day and we only endured genuine misery for the first three holes. Jeff already had a strong lead in the overall event and inverse seeding paired him with Steve who had so far struggled. Not today though. In addition to cruising to a four stroke win in the best ball with partner Jeff, Steve won the in-foursome net mini-sub-tournament. Tom won the other foursome.

Thanks to vigilance from our tireless Myrtle Beach Coordinator, plans for the 2006 trip are already finalized. We have reservations for the last two condos at the Caribbean's Chelsea Condos and four top tier courses. 2006 promises to be another model year. Breakfast at the Sea Captain's House. Two blocks from Green's. The donut hot tub. It's all good. Last but not least, mark your calendar for the 2005 Lobsterfest on May 21-22.

Okay, pay attention. There will be more opportunities to win than ever. Rest assured this has all been thoroughly thought out. Day 1 is the traditional opening round Roommate's Tournament. Here's where it gets interesting: Days 2 and 4 are both the final rounds of two-day tournaments. Your partner for Day 2 is determined by a blind draw at the end of Day 1 of people who were not in your Day 1 foursome. As usual, and as per Section 9.3(b)ii, the winning team is the better ball of the 36 hole event based on 90% of Course Handicaps. Day 3 is an Every Man Is A Diamond and also provides the pairing for Day 4 in conjunction with the two day tournament. Your partner for Day 4 is determined by the same method as Day 2. Again, as per Section 9.3(b)ii, the winning team is the better ball of the 36 hole event based on 90% of Course Handicaps. Day 4 is also a low net winner in each foursome and the last day of the four day overall low net winner. Wow! Two more caveats. Any winning pair can't be re-paired. If a previous winning team is redrawn, the entire draw is repeated. Additionally, the two low nets will be pair together in the same foursome along with the third and fouth if possible as a result of the draw. All of these team events pay $23 per person. If you're really interested in the intricate accounting details, click here to download Scott's Excel file with all the facts. The payouts for every Par 3 is $8; "Eight bucks Baby!"

Our first day venue is Crow Creek in scenic Calabash, North Carolina. After opening in February 2000, Crow Creek quickly became one of the most popular destinations in the Myrtle Beach area. Architect Rick Robbins, a former Jack Nicklaus design associate, created a scenic layout on Jerry McLamb's 500-acre family homestead.

We go back north for round two at Farmstead and its mammoth, 767-yard, par 6 18th hole. The last hole you play on Saturday will be a par 6 where we will tee off in South Carolina and finish the round in North Carolina. Says Mr. Byrd "The idea for the par six first came up in 1995. I liked the idea from a promotional standpoint. It wasn't part of the original plan, but I wanted to set Farmstead apart."

North Carolina gets the third round too at Tiger's Eye. Carved from a virgin pine forest with sixty-foot elevation changes, this is a stunning combination of natural waste areas, native grasses and wild flowers, constantly shifting fairways, lakes and native coquina boulders as bulkhead material. Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Courses" rates Tiger's Eye 3rd Best on the Grand Strand. Golfweek rates Tiger's Eye 6th Best in N.C. Golf Digest gives it ****1/2 in "Places to Play." This will be a good day to have your A-game.

It's back to central Myrtle Beach for the final round at Man O' War. Bring your straight game or plenty of balls because there's no escaping the water at this Dan Maples design; it's your constant companion from the first tee to the final green. The highlights are the omnipresent lakes that include back-to-back island greens and the awesome island ninth that claims to be "unlike any you've likely ever played before."

Travel plans also set this year's trip apart from the previous thirteen. The bulk of the group will fly to Myrtle Beach on Hooters Air. They have the best times and the cheapest flights in our 14 year history.

Here's a breakdown of the Handicap Indices and Course Handicaps for each course.