Spring Break Is Here — It's Time To Head to The Beach!

There may still be a nip in the air but the sun is warm along the Carolina coast and the deals are hot.

From Carolina Beach, NC to Pawleys Island, SC, coastal resorts are rolling out the red carpet and dangling events and deals to draw in winter-weary spring breakers.

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach in North Carolina share Pleasure Island, a little bit of paradise that's a barrier island hugging the coast near Wilmington.

Wilmington itself is a great place to enjoy spring break. There's a rockin' waterfront with restaurants, several festivals in March and April, and cool historic attractions. Head east and discover Wrightsville Beach, a surfing hot spot.

Pleasure Island has a Chowder Cook-off coming up in April with food from the best restaurants, live music, and lots of stuff for the kids like giant inflatable slides and face-painting. Now, we're talking people who know how to cook seafood, so if you like chowder, pack your bags.

Cross over the border into South Carolina and you've entered the world capital of golf. The Glens Group in North Myrtle Beach is offering several value-packed stay and play packages for your foursome. If you've got a group of 16 who want to head south, you can get a special Putt & Party deal that includes free beer, chicken wings and a putt for dough contest.

Legends Golf and Resort in Myrtle Beach has a March Madness package that includes airfare, golf, accommodations and breakfast, plus more. For those of you who are really far north and sick of the cold, they have a Canadian Connection special package.

Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island, SC, has a March Madness Value Package that lets you rest your winter-weary head under the moss-draped live oaks along the salt marshes of the Atlantic. Well, actually, they have great villas overlooking those salt marshes and an awesome Jack Nicklaus golf course. Stay and play there, with an extra round at the nearby Founders Club, get breakfast, free range balls and pick up a $25 gift certificate to use at the resort.

So, head south – it's spring and time for a break!

SPRING BREAK FUN IN MYRTLE BEACH STARTS AT THE MARKET COMMON

It's spring and time to head to Myrtle Beach for some sun, fun, golf and partying.

If you're the kind of person who wants to see whatever's new at your favorite vacation destination, you'll want to head over to The Market Common, located on the old Air Force base on the south end of Myrtle Beach between Hwy 17 Bus. & Hwy 17 Bypass.

This place has it all and it puts the mall experience to shame. First off, it's designed to look like a little town basking in the warm South Carolina sun. There are lots of places to sit and take in the sights, sounds and cool breezes. Finding a place to eat is no problem. In fact the challenge is in the choosing. Options include culinary hot spots like the Chinese-chic P. F. Chang's China Bistro, the eclectic Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café and the Myrtle Beach headquarters for a cold one, micro-brewery Gordon Biersch.

Free events are staged at The Market Common regularly and you can keep on top of what's next by checking out their events regularly.

SPRING BREAK IN MYRTLE BEACH: PARTY AT THE MARKET COMMON

Spring break in Myrtle Beach is about sun, fun, golf and partying.

This April, party central is The Market Common, located on the old Air Force base on the south end of Myrtle Beach between Hwy 17 Bus. & Hwy 17 Bypass.

No, it's not a mall. You won't be trapped inside itching to get out.

Trust me. If you like to eat, you need to find this culinary oasis. From Chinese-chic P. F. Chang's to the cool micro-brewery Gordon Biersch -- you won't find anything like these eateries anywhere else in Myrtle Beach.

You want atmosphere? The Market Common's got it. This beautiful little mini-town seems to have just popped up out of vacant fields, all shiny and new. Its buildings link together to form a stylish cityscape of shops, retaurants, wide sidewalks and comfortable park benches.

Locals started flocking to The Market Common shortly after it opened for business last spring. Lots of events lured them in. Now, with tourist season gearing up, locals expect to be joined by a steady stream of out-of-towners.

To launch the season with a bang, The Market Common will host its first birthday bash on April 4. They're rolling out the red carpet for visitors, so stop by and partake of the celebration. Most of it's free.

Here's the lineup of activities: at 4:00 p.m. everything gets off and running with family-friendly stuff like face painting, carriage rides, and some guy who bills himself as Mr. Wonderful the Magician. If that's not enough to tickle your fancy, look for an artist drawing caricatures and a juggler roaming the streets. But don't get freaked by the living statue while you're scarfing free food from the little town's very own “Taste Of The Market Common.”

Like all good parties, this one will end with a blast as the skies light up with fireworks at 8:30 p.m.

After a day laying on the beach or chasing errant shots around the links, wouldn't it be nice to cap off your Saturday with a trip to The Market Common? After that, you'll really have something to talk about when you get home.

Check it out: www.MarketCommonEvents.com.

HOW TO CHASE AWAY THE RECESSION BLUES WITH A BUDGET GOLF VACATION AT THE BEACH

Sick of winter and ready for a break? Got spring fever but feeling broke?

With The Masters right around the corner, you know you want to get away with the guys and get your golf season off the launching pad at some warm Carolina resort.

Think you can't afford it? Wrong.

I know. It's hard to justify heading to Hilton Head or Kiawah Island for a spirng break. Greens fees there are well north of $100.

But you can get your 2009 warm-weather break for cheap on other Southern fairways. There's always Myrtle Beach. It's the bargain basement of golf destinations, right? Well, not so much anymore – unless you know where to look. You can go all pricey on the “Grand Strand” playing Top 100 courses. Or you can low ball with some pretty nice tracks.

Me? I'd build a vacation with a little of each.

You can read all about Top 100 courses in Myrtle Beach in the golf magazines. I'll spare you the recap. What's tough is identifying the QUALITY courses at the bottom of the cost chain. Who wants to head south to play a dog track?

So, here's some help. A few tips on how you can get more for less.

There's a little course with a whimsical name and logo that doesn't get much love from the critics. But regular golfers who tee it up there adore the place. It's Possum Trot Golf Club. This little-known layout tucked off Highway 17 is beautifully maintained. Its greens are way better than those at a lot of the pricier courses nearby. And, the folks who run the place treat every visitor like royalty. In fact, Possum Trot is known as the “Friendliest Course On The Beach.”

Best of all, greens fees with cart are around $60. Got your attention, now?

Possum Trot has been around for a long time. It's a basic golf club. You're not going to see a big, fancy clubhouse there. Who wants to pay for that anyway? You don't tee it up on a grand stairway. You're looking for a good golf course. Possum Trot delivers.

It will remind you of England's great courses. Spacious fairways. Formidable par 5’s. Tricky greens. Then, there are the flowers. They're everywhere, like an English country garden.

Intrigued? Here's how you can build a great vacation around Possum Trot and play some of the beach's best for a lot less than you're pay for a couple rounds at Hilton Head or Kiawah. How does a 3 night/4 rounds stay-and-play package for around $300 sound? Play Possum Trot, then head on over to the breathtakingly beautiful Glen Dornoch along the Intracoastal Waterway. Fill out your trip with rounds at Heather Glen and Shaftesbury Glen.

Spend you nights in a beautiful villa. Enjoy free range balls, complimentary breakfast and discounted replays.

You can chase away those recession blues – even if you don't have a lot of green. Check it out at http://www.glensgolfgroup.com/specials/?id=25.