Legends Golf Resort is making a major addition to its three-course facility.
The Piper, a new nine-hole par-3 course designed by Ken Baker of Baker Golf Design, is nearing completion and is scheduled to open to the public on Oct. 2.
The short-course experience behind and to the side of the clubhouse will have a Scottish flair, in keeping with the three 18-hole courses at the golf resort off U.S. 501, and will feature lights, music, and food and beverages.
“As golf continues to embrace shorter, more social formats, The Piper positions Legends at the forefront of where the game is heading,” said Bradley Vaughan, Legends Golf Resort sales and marketing manager. “It transforms our resort from a collection of great courses into a complete golf destination.”
Legends Resort features the Heathland, Parkland and Moorland 18-hole courses, and the Legends Group also operates Heritage Club in Pawleys Island and Oyster Bay Golf Links in Sunset Beach, N.C.
The courses are known for their inclusive rounds that include breakfast, lunch and two drinks for visiting golf package players while also offering free range balls to golfers on stay-and-play packages with lodging in resort condos and villas.
The 12-acre Piper is being built within the resort’s 30-acre practice facility and will be close to the resort’s lighted grass and mat range, a 50,000 square-foot putting green and short game area.
“The Piper is more than a golf course, it’s the next evolution of the Legends Golf Resort experience,” Vaughan said. “Legends has always been known for value, variety and an all-inclusive golf vacation, and The Piper builds on that tradition by giving guests another reason to stay, play and connect while on the property.”
The Piper name is inspired by the wandering musicians of Scottish folklore.
The layout is being designed to challenge players to think creatively around the course, with holes ranging from 54 yards to 122 yards. It will offer an opportunity to be its own standalone entertainment, a warm-up round, or bonus holes following a round.
The course can be viewed from the clubhouse’s elevated back patio.
“With The Piper, we set out to create holes that are visually engaging and memorable, but also fit with the landscape and atmosphere that we’re looking to highlight at the resort,” Baker said in a press release. “That inspiration comes to life through the routing of the course, with a links feel and drama happening on the ground rather than in the air. Entries into the greens are open to encourage creativity and shot-making. We’re creating a place and experience that encourages fun, connection and camaraderie.”
The Piper will be fully lit for evening rounds with three-hole loops, will feature music, and will have multiple food and beverage outlets throughout the course.
Vaughan said the light poles should be operational by the opening, the installation of speakers before the opening is to be determined, and food and beverage outlets should be completed by next spring.
Pricing for The Piper course was still to be determined as of early September, Vaughan said.
“The Piper is a course that we’ve envisioned for a long time at Legends,” said Legends Golf Resort director of operations Larry Woodberry in the release. “We expect it to bring new energy to the resort and resonate with our guests, especially those who are looking to add to their afternoon and evening itineraries. The Piper reflects what our guests and today’s golfers want – a social, playable golf experience where groups come together for friendly competition, music, food, drinks and a relaxed atmosphere.”
The Grand Strand has two other par-3 facilities in the 18-hole Aero Club Short Course near Myrtle Beach International Airport, which features music through speakers throughout the course and is lighted for night play, and Tupelo Bay Golf Center in Garden City, which has a nine-hole par-3 course that is lighted and also has an 18-hole executive course consisting of par-3s and short par-4s.
Myrtle Beach also has a pair of off-course indoor/outdoor facilities in Topgolf and PopStroke, as well as a handful of indoor facilities featuring golf simulators.
