City brings unique tournaments to Myrtle Beach as sports tourism ramps up

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) -- The Grand Strand has become more than just a place to enjoy the beach.

During the fall, winter, and spring sports tourism has become a dominant industry generating millions.

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director of Sports Tourism, Jonathan Paris said last year the industry generated over $150 million, by looking beyond the typical sports like baseball, basketball and football.

“Looking outside the box has been key to our rapid growth,” said Paris.

While in many states football is king, sports, like pickelball are sweeping the nation in popularity.

This week, Myrtle Beach is hosting the 5th Annual Seaside Classic welcoming in over 200 pickleball players from across the country like Rick Knutson who made the trip from Canada.

“I gave up playing golf three years ago and switched over to pickleball and haven’t looked back,” said Knutson.

Tournament Director, Jim Loving said having these tournaments after the busy summer season is great for the city and helps some of these players qualify for national tournaments.

“We get a ton of people that want to come down and play pickleball then go to the beach and the city is actually really helping support the sport by building outdoor courts and they’re talking about building more,” said Loving.

Along with these tournaments comes media coverage, some even being aired nationally on ESPN.

“The World’s Strongest Man was seen all over the world and you can’t just buy that type of advertising,” said Paris.

While the city continues to explore new sports, venues like the Ripken Experience which opened in 2006 continue to welcome baseball and softball players of all ages throughout the year.

“As we head into the spring we have over 400 teams coming out for their spring training,” said Matt Ensworth.

The Grand Strands’ next big venture will be welcoming in the PGA tour next spring for the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic.

“Being able to partner with the PGA is still unbelievable and being the golf capital of the world these are those types of partnerships you really want to have,” said Paris.

President of the Dunes Club, Collins Wakefield said they just wrapped up the course renovations, and tickets for the Myrtle Beach Classic are expected to go on sale next month.

They’ve already received an overwhelming amount of people interested in volunteering for the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic in May of 2024.

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