Palmetto High School Golf Championship

From North Myrtle Beach to the Big Easy to LaQuinta, Calif., high school golf teams from across the United States are gathering in Myrtle Beach for the 13th annual Palmetto High School Golf Championship, April 1-3. The largest boys’ high school tournament in the nation, the 2010 Palmetto has attracted 60 teams from 13 states.

The 54-hole, college-style event will be played on 10 of the Grand Strand’s best courses, including five that have been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest. All 60 teams will play a qualifying round on Thursday and then be placed into one of four flights, based on their score, for the 36-hole finish.

Heading into the event, everyone is chasing Pinewood Prep, the defending champion from Summerville, S.C. The Panthers, led by Austin Cody, the 25th ranked junior in the world, according to Golfweek, won the championship flight by 13 strokes in 2009. Cody, the defending medalist winner, was one of three Pinewood players that finished among the top six individuals last year. Richard Hubbard, who finished sixth last year, also returns for Pinewood.

The host courses are the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort, the Love Course at Barefoot Resort, Heritage Club, Lion’s Paw, Panther’s Run, Tiger’s Eye, Pawleys Plantation, Prestwick, Tradition Club and True Blue. Jack Nicklaus, Mike Strantz, Pete Dye and Davis Love are among the big-name architects who have designed tournament courses.

Among the Palmetto’s alumni is rising PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler, who won the event in 2006.