Matt Bettencourt, the 2008 Nationwide Tour Champion

The top 60 money winners from this year’s Tour will head to Charleston October 19 – 25 to compete in this season-ending event, but only 25 will earn their PGA Tour cards for the 2010 season.

Event organizers recently met with local media and golf insiders — including Matt Bettencourt, the 2008 Nationwide Tour Champion — to discuss plans for this year’s event.

Denis Gallagher, Daniel Island resident and president of STAEF, and Kevin Canning, Exec. Dir. of the Nationwide Tour Championship

Besides the main tournament, other plans for the week include Pro-Am competitions, afternoon and evening music performances and special events, a junior’s golf event and an area where spectators can watch the tournament while keeping up with the weekend’s football games.

Watch the video below for a brief look at what 2008 Nationwide Tour Champion and current PGA Tour player Matt Bettencourt had to say to the media this week about this year’s venue and the Nationwide Tour Championship experience:

The event’s “Tickets FORE Charity” program is ensuring that 100% of proceeds from ticket sales go to over 40 local non profit organizations. Tickets can be purchased by calling (800) 677-2293 between 9:00 am – 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. For further ticket details, click here.

For questions or more information about the event, please contact Margaret Shaw at (843) 849-3154 or e-mail at Margaret.shaw@familycirclecup.com.

Golf Digest magazine’s most recent ranking of the country’s best golf instructors by state is out, and the Daniel Island Club’s Director of Instruction has landed in the top ten for South Carolina. Ballots were distributed to more than 1,000 instructors throughout the state, asking them to rank their peers on a grade-point scale from 1 to 10. This year, Ron Cerrudo is number five on the list.

 Ron has been helping members and guests at the Daniel Island Club’s expansive practice facility improve their game since 2003. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, he settled on Hilton Head Island, where he developed a successful following as a golf instructor, before coming to Daniel Island.

You can check out some of Ron’s tips and pointers right here on My Island Town, where we periodically post his insights in a series called “The Practice Range.” The latest tip – “How to Play in Wet Conditions” – was just posted today.

Congratulations, Ron!

The following video provides a good overview of what we have to look forward to this fall. Check it out, and visit PGATour.com for more video and Nationwide Tour coverage!

If you read Travel+Leisure Golf magazine, you may have noticed in the January/February issue that Daniel Island Park has again been named one of “America’s Top 100 Golf Communities”. This is the fourth consecutive year that the editors at T&L Golf have recognized our island’s golf neighborhood as one of the most desirable in the country.

Not that we’re surprised. Daniel Island Park is a unique and highly desirable location for those interested in a country club lifestyle. This sea island setting offers the conveniences of on-island shopping and dining, resort-style amenities (the Daniel Island Club’s nationally-ranked golf courses… a breath-taking clubhouse… active tennis program… two beautiful swimming pools… the list goes on…) and a Charleston address. It’s a combination that simply can’t be matched. And what many people don’t know is that the majority of the residents and club members here call Daniel Island their permanent home.

It’s not a golf “get away,” but rather a real community in its truest sense, where neighbors get involved at the club and beyond on a daily basis. Now that’s our idea of a great golf community!