Matthew Brittain, Jim Woodring Inducted into Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame
Pioneers of innovative golf course/hotel operations and internet golf marketing, respectively, took center stage Tuesday evening at Pine Lakes Country Club as J. Matthew Brittain and Jim Woodring were inducted into the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame.
A Myrtle Beach native, James Matthew Brittain is the son of fellow Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame inductee Clay Brittain Jr. Matthew grew up in the hospitality business and as a young man, helped his father run the historic Chesterfield Inn. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. After college, he began a highly successful career in hotel management, first in Europe and then later in Washington, DC. In 1985 he returned to the Myrtle Beach area with his wife Marie-Claire to become the General Manager of his family’s Sea Island Inn.
A strong advocate for the important role golf has played in the success of the Myrtle Beach area, Matthew has worked tirelessly to promote Myrtle Beach as a golf destination and helped drive digital innovation throughout the industry. Highly regarded for his knowledge of technology and operations, Matthew is the driving force behind the growth of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, the Myrtle Beach area’s largest and most successful hotel management company. He also served as the CEO of The Myrtle Beach National Company which eventually became National Golf Management, one of the largest golf course management companies in the U.S.
James (Jim) Chauncey Woodring is highly regarded as the man who revolutionized the electronic golf package business and led Myrtle Beach into the digital age of marketing. Upon graduating from Kent State University, Jim enjoyed a prodigious 20-plus-year career in the retail industry. In 1993 he and his wife Kathy moved to the area where he was named Vice President of Marketing and Golf Operations for The Myrtle Beach National Company, and a shareholder in Grand Strand Golf & Travel, a leading golf package provider in the area. As the Internet gained mass adoption, Jim saw the need for the Myrtle Beach golf industry to leverage the Internet to grow the market. He spearheaded the advancement of the package and booking technology to benefit the entire Myrtle Beach golf industry and was the architect of several highly successful golf vacation planning and booking websites that drove new and repeat golf package visitors to the area.
Highly regarded for his marketing savvy throughout his career, Jim created new, innovative golf packages and developed new ways to attract golfers to our area. In 2012, The Myrtle Beach National Company merged with Burroughs & Chapin Golf Management to form National Golf Management, one of the largest golf course management companies in the U.S. to which Jim was named Executive Vice President responsible for strategic planning and all marketing activities. He retired in 2015.
Gary Schaal, past president of the PGA of America, emceed the ceremony and John Springs, president of Ponderosa Inc., presented Matthew Brittain for induction. Matthew, in turn, presented Jim Woodring for the same honor.
