River Oaks Golf Club honors U.S. armed forces in unique way

The driving range at River Oaks Golf Club has been renovated and now honors veterans and active members of the U.S. armed services.

The driving range has been named The American Veterans Memorial Driving Range and there was a ceremony on Armed Forces Day last Saturday as part of a fundraising tournament for The Folds of Honor Foundation.

The driving range includes a Heroes Honor Memorial and a new Wounded Warrior Wheelchair Ramp that has brick boundaries lined by flowers and small American flags. The 12-foot high memorial features flowers in a range basket with combat boots at its base, and a list of 52 names of servicemen.

The names include some Medal of Honor recipients, participants in World War II and Iraqi Freedom, and soldiers whose stories have been shared.

Joe Carbonnel, director of the Golf School of Myrtle Beach and director of development for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Foundation that are based at River Oaks, said he has heard from some of the soldiers listed, expressing appreciation for their inclusion.

River Oaks hosts several annual military-related charity events, including the Folds of Honor and Special Operations Wounded Warriors.

The memorial and ramp are part of the improvements made to the range over the past few months. The Bermudagrass turf has been improved and targets have been added from 50 to 250 yards.

By July, Carbonnel said the school’s driving range area will be covered with a 24-foot wide by 14-foot tall hitting tent and a row of mats in addition to a natural grass hitting area that can accommodate up to 15 people.

This story was originally published May 29, 2017 at 8:46 PM with the headline "River Oaks Golf Club honors U.S. armed forces in unique way."