A number of golf courses on the Grand Strand are making improvements and repairs this summer.
Some have closed for their projects, while others have remained open.
Some of the projects taking place on the Strand, and how the golf market banded together to help others in the industry in Western North Carolina who are still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene:
King’s North fully closed
The back nine of the King’s North Course at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club closed on May 26 to renew a major two-summer renovation project on Arnold Palmer-designed course.
The front nine, which was renovated last summer, is now also closed. The full course is expected to reopen on Oct. 1.
To match what was done on the front nine last year, the back nine is getting more open areas and waste areas, bunkers will become more visible and dramatic, a number of bunkers are being eliminated from the par-4 18th hole, and the greens are being expanded and changed from Champion ultradwarf Bermudagrass to TifEagle ultradwarf Bermuda.
The front nine has remained open in order to keep 36 holes open at the 54-hole Myrtle Beach National facility at all times during summer aeration. Nine holes of the West and Southcreek courses were aerated at a time, and the King’s North front nine was paired with the other nine holes in each case in June and early July.
The King’s North front nine closed on Tuesday as all aeration is complete.
“It will be great to have a pristine King’s North front nine with no play on it for [more than two months], and when it’s ready to open up the front nine will be mint and the back nine will be ready to go as well,” said Justin Binke, director of sales for Founders Group International, which owns and operates 21 Strand courses including the three at MB National.
Clubhouse renovations at MB National are still being discussed by FGI.
Prestwick improving holes
Prestwick Country Club closed Monday to aerate its greens, and plans to remain closed until July 27 in order to improve the 17th and 10th holes.
The project on the 531-yard, par-5 17th hole is designed to improve the drainage in the fairway in the second-shot landing and third-shot approach area near a creek that runs along the left side of the fairway and fronts the hole’s green.
According to Prestwick general manager Jay Smith, the plans are to raise the fairway a foot and lift the drainage and irrigation up to keep that area as dry as possible. The course may have some ground under repair on the 17th for a short time after reopening.
“It’s a beautiful hole as it is and people really like it,” Smith said. “This will make it even better, more fair at least.”
In addition, a small bunker to the front left of the 10th green has been filled in and eliminated. Due to the slope of the green and fairway, the bunker would collect water during heavy rain.
It’s the third year of renovations at Prestwick, as over the past two years the bulkhead retaining walls along water on holes 4, 5, 9, 16 and 18 were rebuilt, a narrow bunker was added to the inside of the bulkhead on the left side of the par-3 16th green, and the clubhouse received new floors and patio furniture.
Greens care at Litchfield, Wild Wing
FGI has been doing work on greens at a couple of its other facilities this summer, as well.
Beginning on June 22, the greens on Litchfield Country Club’s seventh, ninth and 10th holes were stripped and resodded, and temporary greens were set up on all three holes.
Those greens have now reopened, as they recovered nicely, Binke said.
Wild Wing Plantation’s Avocet Course has been closed for approximately a month to give its greens more time to heal and grow in following aeration that began in mid-June. The course will reopen on Tuesday, July 22.
“It’s kind of proactive maintenance there,” Binke said. “It’s been closed for a little over a month just to give those greens extra time and some TLC to be ready to go next week.”
Closed for summer renovations
In addition to the King’s North Course, two other courses and a portion of a third are shut down this summer for major renovations.
The municipal Whispering Pines Golf Club closed in May and is expected to reopen on Sept. 1 with regrassed Sunday ultradwarf Bermudagrass greens, Bimini Bermuda tees and fairways, new bunker sand and additional improvements.
The Maples Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, N.C., closed in May and is expected to reopen in mid-September with new TifEagle ultradwarf Bermudagrass greens and several other improvements.
The Mackay nine holes at the 27-hole Thistle Golf Club closed on June 2 and is expected to reopen by Sept. 8 with new TifEagle greens and a new waterfall between the clubhouse and bag drop. The property’s other 18 holes are open.
A helping hand
Numerous courses that are members of the Golf Tourism Solutions (GTS) marketing and technology agency that promotes the Myrtle Beach market joined forces to help their brethren in Western North Carolina.
Approximately $20,000 was raised through an online auction for those impacted by Hurricane Helene in that area’s golf and hospitality industries, whose recovery is still ongoing from the storm that ravaged the area last September.
GTS members donated over 60 experiences ranging from rounds of golf to beachfront stays for the online auction that ran through June 1. All proceeds were donated to three established non-profit organizations in Western North Carolina: Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund, N.C. Hospitality Workers Relief Fund, and the National Golf Course Owners Association.
The auction was hosted by Play Golf Myrtle Beach.
“Our community always rises to the occasion when our neighbors are in need,” said Dave Genevro, chairman of GTS and general manager of Barefoot Resort, in a GTS release. “Many of us have friends and colleagues in the Western North Carolina region, and we remain committed to their ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts.”
To make a donation or learn more, visit www.playgolfmyrtlebeach.com/relief
