April 1, 2005, Myrtle Beach, S.C. - The second annual Golfapalooza, a spring celebration of golf, returns to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, April 11 through April 16, 2005. Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday in partnership with The Golf Digest Companies, Golfapalooza features a week-long festival of golf with equipment demonstrations from many of the game's top manufacturers, skills contests, instructional clinics and live entertainment from national recording artists.

The Golfapalooza festivities kick off with the 11th annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am on Monday April 11th at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort. Fans have the opportunity to come out and watch as members of Grammy-Award winning Hootie & the Blowfish, John Daly, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Dwight Clark, Jim McMahon, Stuart Scott and others help raise money for the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of children and junior golf programs in South Carolina.

The fun continues Thursday, April 14th, with the Golf Fest and Mega Demo Event at Legends Resort from 3-10 p.m. as golfers have the chance to test out the newest equipment, compete for prizes, receive giveaways from sponsors, and take advantage of special purchase incentives through Martin's PGA TOUR Superstore.

More than a dozen of the world's top golf companies including Aserta, Cobra, Sonartec, Graphite Design, Aldila, PING, Nike Golf, Taylor Made, Golf Pride, Yonex, Ben Hogan, Tommy Armour and Cleveland Golf will be on hand to provide custom-club fitting, golf clinics and instruction.

Cobra/Pinnacle Long Drive Team Member Brian Nash will lead an exhibition on adding extra yards to tee shots, while Golf Digest School instructor Kurt Mantilla will follow up with additional tips to help golfers shaving strokes off their score. On the range, some of the Myrtle Beach area's premier golf instructors will be on hand to offer individual game improvement tips.

After working up a hunger and thirst on the driving range, golfers can feast at the Golfapalooza Foodextravagana with a Lowcountry barbeque, beer, full bar and soft drinks.

Later that night, golfers can compete in closest to the pin, long drive and putting contests to win prizes, including a chance to win a new car. Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel takes the stage for a special acoustic performance at 8:00 p.m.

Additional demo days take place from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at Myrtle Beach National, Legends Resort and Wild Wing Plantation courses. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.golfapalooza-mb.com.

Golfapalooza excitement returns Friday night with a free concert sponsored by Michelob Ultra, the official beer of the PGA and LPGA TOURS, featuring national recording artists Stroke 9 and Sister Hazel at Broadway at the Beach from 7-10 p.m.

The Golfapalooza Golf Fest, Mega-Demo Day, additional demo days and Broadway at the Beach concert are free of charge and open to the public. Monday After the Masters tournament tickets are $10 for adults and free of charge for children 12 years of age and younger. Food and beverage will be available at all events.

"Golfapalooza is just another way that Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday works to create the best experience for golfers," said Bill Golden, vice president, director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. "We are thrilled to bring this wonderful event to Myrtle Beach and give golfers the chance to celebrate the game that they love so much and provide an opportunity for major equipment companies to interact with our guests."

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday is a non-profit trade association of 68 accommodations and 99 championship golf courses in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. Founded in 1967, the organization continues to be the driving force behind the growth of the Myrtle Beach area golf market. In addition to hosting Golfapalooza, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday also manages the PGA TOUR Superstore World Amateur Handicap Championship - the world's largest amateur golf tournament - the Summer Family Golf Tournaments, the spring and fall Palmetto High School Golf Championship, the Veterans Golf Classic, the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing, the National Police Golf Championship, and the Annual Golf Writers Association of America Tournament. Golf Holiday also coordinates the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Pro-Am and the FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing. For more information, please visit the Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday website at www.golfholiday.com.

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