Darius Rucker is one of the most recognizable figures in music today, not just for his solo career but for his stint as a part of Hootie and the Blowfish, one of the most popular bands of the 1990s and the early 2000s. And while they are on hiatus currently, they reunite every year in Myrtle Beach for a big golf outing that brings many other celebrities, professional golfers and thousands of fans together for a great cause at a great course: the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort.
With expansive, undulating fairways and greens protected by all manner of water hazards, moguls and pot bunkers, The Dye Club is a course that pleases most everyone who visits it, including the dozens of professional golfers and celebrities who make up the field of the annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am. The 2013 edition returned and was, once again, a resounding success.
Dustin Johnson headlined the impressive group of professionals, which included the likes of Davis Love III, Boo Weekley, Chris DiMarco, Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey and others.
The celebrity side of the field was every bit as strong as the golf side, with sports stars such as hockey great Wayne Gretzky and baseball star Johnny Damon in attendance.
Darius Rucker and his Hootie bandmates were far from the only noted musicians on hand in 2013. Edwin McCain, Colt Ford and former NSYNC member Joey Fatone competed and signed autographs for delighted fans as well.
The Weather Channel personality Jim Cantore and comedian Gary Valentine made up part of the television contingent of celebrities, along with ESPN celebrities Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, who hosted their popular morning show “Mike & Mike in the Morning” from the House of Blues. They were greeted by more than a hundred Myrtle Beach golf fans who showed up at dawn to support the event.
As in the past, the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am was not just an excuse to get celebrities and professional golfers together. The event, as always, benefited a number of charities, including the Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation. Established in 2000, the foundation focuses its attention on public education-based initiatives in the state of South Carolina. The band formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
In addition to the band’s foundation, the event also raises funding for the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation, which, in addition to golf, seeks to teach Palmetto State youth principles of general sportsmanship, integrity and character.
The 2014 Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am is going to be a special one: it marks the 20th edition of the event. For more information on the event, visit www.HootieGolf.com. To book a round at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort, look no further than myrtlebeachgolf.com.
(posted 12/16/13)