The formula for successful sports tourism is relatively simple: excellent venues in a great location, with plenty of lodging and dining options, in a variety of price points.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, touches all those bases and is good for the extra innings as well. It’s easily accessible and appeals to everyone – from families traveling in for youth sports events to adults playing in golf or tennis tournaments. It has 60 miles of sandy beach, as well as plenty of other attractions. In other words, if you have a game, we have a home for it, as well as lots to do when the competition winds down.
Here are just a few reasons you’ll love coming here:
Myrtle Beach Sports Center
Just steps away from Myrtle Beach’s “Grand Strand” waterfront, the Sports Center is a 100,000-square-foot, $12.4 million indoor facility adjacent to the Convention Center. With more than 72,000 square feet of column-free hardwood space, the Sports Center can accommodate eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts and be configured for many indoor sports and activities, such as dance and cheer. There are seven team rooms, telescopic bleachers to handle crowds of up to 2,500, a mezzanine for elevated viewing and a café with indoor and outdoor seating.
North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex
The North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex can easily accommodate a range of activities. The complex has four regulation youth baseball/collegiate softball fields, two regulation high school/collegiate baseball fields (which can be transformed to regulation youth baseball and college softball fields), eight soccer/lacrosse fields and eight batting tunnels. Facility amenities in NMB also include umpire/officials rooms, dugouts with misting fans, concessions areas, picnic shelters, playgrounds, a three-acre dog park and more.
What can this facility host? More accurately, what can’t it host? So far, it has held everything from Ultimate to baseball and softball, as well as soccer, lacrosse and any other field sport you can name. Have suggestions? We’d love to entertain them!
Coastal Carolina University
Another important segment of the Myrtle Beach sports tourism landscape is Coastal Carolina University, a Division I school that offers plenty of top-notch facilities. From its unique baseball venue to its beautiful fields, CCU welcomes athletes and gives them a memorable experience. In addition to hosting NCAA baseball and softball playoffs, CCU has also hosted soccer and football playoffs, too. Facilities include a baseball and softball complex, a practice and hitting facility, a football stadium, soccer stadium, tennis complex and more.
Cal Ripken Experience
The Cal Ripken Experience–Myrtle Beach, a premier venue, helps Little Leaguers dream big. The complex consists of nine fields—four regulation-size diamonds and five youth diamonds. Each features a popular synthetic playing surface used by many pro and collegiate teams, which provide for consistent play, elimination of rainouts and reduced risk of injuries. In addition, the fields are designed after historic ballparks, such as Griffith Field, The Polo Grounds and Navin Field.
The Grand Park Athletic Complex
The Grand Park Athletic Complex in Myrtle Beach features seven large multi-purpose fields and two youth fields, all with synthetic grass and lighting and designed to accommodate a variety of sports, including baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer and football. The complex also has a six-tunnel batting cage, three buildings for restrooms and concessions and plenty of parking.
Room to Run
Myrtle Beach is a great setting for running events as well. The Divas Half Marathon and 5K Series returns to Myrtle Beach annually. We also have our own home-grown events, including the Myrtle Beach Marathon, the Brookgreen Gardens Memorial Day Weekend Run and the Myrtle Beach Mini-Marathon. Let us help design a course for your event!
Something for Everyone
Off the playing field, it’s hard to find a better destination for players, their families and spectators. The beach beckons in every season, and there are water sports, including kayaking, dolphin watching, jet skiing and lots more. Want to fish? There are opportunities for that, too, from pier to deep sea charter fishing and from saltwater to fresh water and inland fishing. Head for dry land and there’s plenty to do. Along with 1.2 miles of walkable boardwalk, the downtown Myrtle Beach area is home to tons of great shops, restaurants, hotels, rides, attractions and entertainment.
History shows that many sports events reach record attendance along the Grand Strand, as the Atlantic Ocean and unlimited entertainment options set the perfect background for free time and family entertainment. Myrtle Beach, quite simply, is a great place to play – and a great place to unwind after the games are done.
The Myrtle Beach Sports Alliance stands ready to provide support and to help your event hit new highs. Find us online at www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/sports (we have an online RFP as well as a Facilities Guide) or give us a call at 800-488-8998.
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