It’s fitting that a destination billed as the “Golf Capital of the World” lays claim to the largest global golf tournament, drawing nearly 3,000 participants from 49 states and 17 countries.

This year’s Play Golf Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship, conducted during the final week of August, generated a total economic impact of $17.1 million for the local economy along South Carolina’s Grand Strand. That total, based on Destinations International (DI) calculations, is comparable to that generated by the PGA Tour’s inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic in 2024.

The World Amateur Championship is a “highlight event for the Grand Strand and South Carolina,” said Tracy Conner, the interim President and CEO of Visit Myrtle Beach, “with golfers from around the world and their families supporting our local communities through their contributions and further solidifying our reputation.”

The Myrtle Beach metro area has the second-highest concentration of public golf per capita in the nation, according to the National Golf Foundation, with more than 800 holes of public golf in total.

The field for the 41^st annual event was a diverse one, with 2,664 male competitors and 307 women, and 94% of players and guests traveling from outside the Myrtle Beach area.

The oldest player in the field was 91; the youngest was 17.

Among other participation highlights:

• 24% of participants were visiting Myrtle Beach for the first time
• The largest international contingent was 39 players from Canada
• 25% of tournament participants flew into Myrtle Beach International Airport
• Over 20,000 hotel room nights were reserved, equating to 38,282 visitor days
• 21 Myrtle Beach area restaurants served attendees
• More than 12,000 rounds of competitive golf were played

Each evening of the tournament, the 120,000-square-foot Myrtle Beach Convention Center was transformed into an experience for all participants and their guests that’s billed as “The World’s Largest 19^th Hole.” More than 10,000 attendees took part, enjoying complimentary food, drinks, interactive games, and live entertainment.

The overall winner of the 2024 World Am was Upendra Modak, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, who was competing in the event for the ninth time and triumphed against a field of 60 flight winners to claim the title of world champion.

“The combination of world-class tournament operations and administration with the magic of a Myrtle Beach golf experience creates a unique, competitive event that all golfers, regardless of age, skill level or hometown, eagerly anticipate each year,” said tournament director Ryan Hart.

The 2025 Play Golf Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship is scheduled for August 25-29.