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All the United States South Carolina Myrtle Beach Birthplace of Sports Illustrated Monument
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Birthplace of Sports Illustrated Monument

The story of the country’s most famous sports magazine began at a historic Myrtle Beach golf club.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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Marian Bull
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The plaque honors the 50th anniversary of Sports, Illustrated.   Steve Hawkins
The plaque is located outside the main building.   Steve Hawkins
The Pine Lakes Country Club is open to visitors, which means you can stroll on in.   Steve Hawkins
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About

At many of the country’s storied golf clubs, just as much history is made off the greens as it is on them. Case in point: the story of Henry Luce and Pine Lakes Country Club.

By the 1950s, Henry Luce was something of a self-made magazine magnate. He founded Time, Inc with his Yale classmate Briton Hadden in 1922; the two dreamed of, and succeeded in, founding a weekly news magazine. In 1929, Luce founded Fortune as a luxury magazine; in 1936 he bought and completely revamped Life.

By the late 1940s, Luce began to wonder whether he might expand his portfolio with a sports magazine. The idea was unpopular with his peers and even his advertisers; Luce was barely even a sports fan. But in 1954, the determined businessman directed 67 Time Inc. employees to convene in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to make a plan for a sports magazine. The location he chose was the scenic Pine Lakes Country Club. The magazine they created was called—you’ve probably heard this one—Sports Illustrated. It launched on ​​August 9, 1954. While it didn’t turn a profit for a full 12 years, its longevity has proven Luce right. Today, Pine Lakes pays tribute to this story with a memorial plaque.

The plaque is free to visit and open to the public, easily in view outside at the country club. Inside, the club has a room called “History Hall,” which includes information on the history of the club as well as more detail on the Sports Illustrated story. They’ve even got a copy of the first ever issue of the magazine.

Whether you’re a golfing fan or a Sports Illustrated fan or just a magazine fanatic, you’ll want to swing by the club for a glimpse of history—and maybe a round of golf to cap it all off.

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History & Culture Sports Clubs Golf

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The golf club is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. No admission is required to visit the monument or the hall of fame.

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marianbull1

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heshsf

  • heshsf

Published

September 4, 2023

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  • https://www.myrtlebeachgolf.com/news/myrtle-beach-golf-sports-illustrated-root-pine-lakes/
  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/23144#:~:text=Pine%20Lakes%20Country%20Club%20opened,that%20Sports%20Illustrated%20was%20invented.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_Illustrated
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Luce
Birthplace of Sports Illustrated Monument
5603 Granddaddy Dr
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 29577
United States
33.732616, -78.840194
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