As part of the Atlanta Braves' newest Class A affiliate state-of-the-art ballpark, a playground for the community fit right into the organization's philosophy. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans Professional Baseball Club, The City of Myrtle Beach, and The Optimists Club of Myrtle Beach equally contributed funds to construct the playground and volunteers from the Myrtle Beach Fire Department assisted in the on-site assembly of the play equipment.

The playground itself came to life late in the project's construction schedule. The site for the playground was originally designed as a palm tree grove / plaza at the stadium's South Gate (down the first base line). As a matter of fact, the grove of palms had already been painstakingly laid out and was being installed when the playground idea was brought to light in a construction meeting just two months before Opening Day. Construction of the palm grove was immediately halted and site design for the playground began.

Challenges brought about during the stream-lined programming and design development phase included: space restrictions; safety; barrier-free access; game day and non-game day access to the playground; integration of the play equipment and site furnishings with the architectural style of the stadium; integration of the playground into the site; storm water drainage and budget. The current plan evolved after several preliminary design studies, which accounted for all program elements.

The playground site is nestled close to the Pelican's Porch picnic area, where birthday and t-ball parties are regularly held. This location promotes better pedestrian circulation in and out of the stadium and a strong visual relationship with the ball field and adjacent lake area. The play equipment is oriented to take advantage of the sloping terrain for barrier-free access. Safety zones were respected while defining use areas within the small site to create areas for: play on the equipment; free roam areas for the large game day crowds; seating areas for rest and social interaction; and lush tropical landscaped areas for aesthetics, shade and spatial definition.

Budget played a role in the selection of the safety surface material. Double mulched hardwood was used in lieu of sand so that kids would be sand-free as they went to and from the ballgame. The hardwood mulch also blended nicely with the mulch already being used in the planting beds and provided a more stable surface for barrier-free access. Resilient surfacing was specified at sidewalk interfaces with the transfer module and the bridge/ramp.

Site drainage was a necessity because the playground site was originally the lowest point on the property and underground water was naturally draining there. The native gumbo clay soil, which made for nearly zero percent percolation of surface water, was excavated and replaced with previous soil and gravel. Yard inlets and a herringbone pattern subsurface drainage system were provided to transport ground water and storm water runoff into the adjacent lake.

Controlling access to the playground presented one of the trickiest challenges. The playground is available as a public park year-round and is utilized for the ballpark during the 70 or so scheduled home games. Keeping the public out of the stadium when it is closed and in the ballpark when it is open while maintaining playground access was the goal, along with the safe control of the children while in the game day mode. A four-foot high ornamental aluminum fence was selected to match the eight-foot high fencing used around the rest of the stadium facility. The shorter fence height was used to keep the small playground site from feeling "caged in." One of three existing eight-foot exit gates at the stadium's South Gate opens directly into the playground and a free form sidewalk meanders to the outer four-foot playground gate. The taller stadium gate is closed except for game day and the shorter playground gate is open except during games. A Pelicans staff member is stationed at the playground during the game for additional control and only at the end of the game is the outer playground gate opened, allowing free exit of fans from the main concourse through all three exit gates at the stadium's South Gate.

Dollar for dollar, the playground gets equal billing with the other action at the ballpark, and on any given game night one will see it bustling with children.

Another play area of interest at the stadium is the Grissom Memorial Youth Diamond Fund Plaza, located down the third base line on the main concourse. The playground is named in honor of the late Mayor of Myrtle Beach, Bob Grissom, whose leadership and dream was instrumental in bringing professional baseball back to the beach. The plaza is a quarter-scale replica of the ball field, made of appropriately-colored concrete unit pavers. The pitcher's rubber, home plate and bases are full scale and, for nostalgia, are made from White Georgia Marble quarried near the home of the Atlanta Braves. As the concrete and marble pavers are sold, the proceeds are used to help fund the construction of new ball fields for the youth in the area. But one doesn't have to look far to see the kids play ball. The plaza is a big hit with the older kids at the game, where they can regularly be found playing a game of stickball and making believe they are part of "the show."