Planned $70M surf park would anchor Myrtle Beach’s growing sports entertainment district

The estimated cost for a planned man-made surf park in downtown Myrtle Beach has swollen by more than $16 million from its original $54 million price tag, but developers behind the blockbuster project vow to open within a year of finalizing its contract with city leaders.

The site, envisioned on a 21-acre parcel along Robert M. Grissom Parkway, would anchor a burgeoning sports entertainment district within the city that includes a Tiger Woods-backed mini golf experience known as Popstroke, Topgolf and new Broadway at the Beach additions such as The Hangout, which opened last year.

Jonathan Paris, executive director of sports tourism for Visit Myrtle Beach, called those offerings a “dependable, growing economic driver” for Grand Strand communities.

“Whether it’s youth or collegiate championships, or even professional events like the new PGA Myrtle Beach Classic coming this May ... sports events are ideal for bringing in teams, and their families and fans, for extended stays year-round, especially during the fall and winter months.”

Paris said sports tourism, which generates about $40 billion in annual economic impact, poured $154 million into Myrtle Beach last year.

And in 2021, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans attracted nearly 250,000 fans — putting the Chicago Cubs’ class A affiliate 58th nationally out of 120 minor league teams and anchoring a booming sports tourism sector that’s added nearly $200 million into the city’s economy since 2016.

Jeff Skelley, a local entrepreneur whose SurfWorks team is behind the venture, aims to create South Carolina’s first man-made surf park, complete with a 10,000 seat amphitheater and technology capable of creating waves nearly 8 feet high.

A peek behind SurfWorks’ partners gives clues about its entertainment options, which would deepen the local sports tourism market.

According to information provided by the company, the project’s investment partners include several leading names in the sports entertainment industry, such as:

• HiJinGo, a multi-sensory bingo experience
• Puttshack, a tech-infused miniature golf course create
• FlightClub, a Miami-based sneaker company
• Acebounce, a table-tennis themed restaurant and bar
• Sixes Social Cricket, a multi-player cricket concept
• State of Play Hospitality
• Veloce Sports, which offers indoor car racing simulations.

Puttshack in 2021 completed a $60 million growth capital round led by Promethean Investments, a major backer of the surf park.

Officials are projecting a grand opening in the spring of 2026 after recently getting a six-month extension from city leaders to close on the site.

A November Sports and Fitness Industry Association report found participation in surfing has grown by 35% between 2019 and 2021.

“This is not city money going into this. These people approached us to buy land that we didn’t really have a use for, so I’m willing to work with them if they’re asking for more time,” city council member Gregg Smith said.

The amphitheater will be used dozens of times a year

Given its year-round seasonable weather and proximity to other major southeastern cities that are regular tour stops for artists, SurfWorks chief development officer Phil Dixon believes Myrtle Beach is poised to benefit once the site opens.

Much smaller venues like The Bowl at Sugar Hill, a 1,750-seat amphitheater located behind the Atlanta suburb’s city hall, have hosted concerts from the likes of Collective Soul, Kool & The Gang, Pat Benatar and Travis Tritt.

“The thing that matters most with these is having great facilities for the artists themselves when they get here, and we’re working on that now to be able to attract those big name artists,” Dixon said. “We’re making sure when those artists show up, they can just plug in and be ready to go.”

Dixon told The Sun News that American Surf Parks plans to partner with Live Nation and ASM Global on booking 15 to 18 “big shows a year,” with smaller, locally-focused events blended in.

The company’s’ deal with city leaders also ensures ample parking without disrupting area businesses and neighborhoods.

“That’s really the key piece,” Dixon said. “We can have a lot of big events there in the summer months.”

Where the Carolina Country Music Festival pours more than $20 million into the region annually, Smith believes the amphitheater will extend Myrtle Beach’s reputation for live music.

“Live music is something that we’ve been wanting to expand on. Besides where the CCMF (Carolina Country Music Festival) is, we don’t have a real, dedicated space that can hold a large amount of people, so that’s something that we wanted,” he said.

Plans for the amphitheater come at the same time as Horry County leaders move forward with development of an arena-sized facility to host agricultural and equestrian events.

The county last September bought 498 acres along Hardwick Road for $4.4 million — about 8 miles from downtown Conway.

Arts-related tourism, including museum visits and musical performances, had a $14 billion economic impact statewide in 2022, according to recent S.C. Arts Commission report.