A few courses on the north end of the Grand Strand are undergoing renovations and improvements this winter, and a couple have closed some or all of their holes while the work is being done.
The back nine of the Arnold Palmer-designed Rivers Edge Golf Club is closed while work is ongoing, while the Maples Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort is completely closed to improve playing conditions.
Tidewater Golf Club is among the courses making improvements while remaining open.
Rivers Edge Golf Club
Rivers Edge head pro Dan Miller said the entire back nine should reopen by the end of December, though eight of the holes could reopen sooner – as early as late next week.
Wooden bulkheads are being repaired and restored on holes 9, 15, and 18, and the 200-yard par-3 15th hole that features a long carry over wetlands and runs along Copas Road is having artificial mats on the tee boxes replaced by natural grass.
The 15th’s white tee box has suffered erosion and is being rebuilt, as well, and a durable TifTuf Bermuda is being installed on the tee boxes.
The signature par-5 ninth hole will close after the back nine reopens to replace its bulkheads.
Golfers have been playing the front nine twice at a discounted rate while the back nine has been closed.
Miller said it is possible the back nine will reopen within the next couple weeks while work is being done on the ninth and 15th, so in that case 16 holes will be open until the work is completed on the two holes.
“That’s probably the more likely of the scenarios,” Miller said.
The course in Shallotte, N.C., is also being overseeded wall-to-wall to provide optimal conditions during the busy spring golf season.
Over the past year, Rivers Edge has undergone other upgrades to the clubhouse, cart paths and bunkers, and has added complimentary valet parking and new Club Car Visage hole GPS technology golf carts.
Sea Trail Maples Course
The latest in an ongoing multi-million dollar transformation of the three-course Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, N.C., is work this winter on the Maples Course, designed by Dan Maples.
The course is currently closed to improve playing conditions, and some tree removal and limbing is part of it, as is the overseeding of tees, fairways and green surrounds that should have the course in good shape for the spring golf season. The Maples Course is expected to reopen shortly after New Year’s Eve.
The course is scheduled to close again this upcoming summer for more significant renovations that will include the changeover on the greens from bentgrass to an ultradwarf Bermudagrass.
Improvements over the past year at Sea Trail include a renovated convention center, rebuilt Jones/Byrd clubhouse, new dining experiences, and new short-term rental complexes.
The Byrd Course reopened Oct. 19 following a major summer renovation that included new TifEagle Bermuda greens, bunkers, cart paths, and other work.
Tidewater Golf Club
Tidewater is in the midst of a major bunker renovation project, during which bunkers are being reshaped and remodeled while receiving improved drainage and new sand.
Seven holes are complete, and the project is on schedule to continue into mid-February. One hole is being done at a time and the course will remain open throughout the project.
“It looks fantastic and more modern,” said Tidewater general manager and head pro Chris Cooper.
About one-third of the course’s bunkers are being removed – consisting almost entirely of fairway bunkers – and the remaining bunkers are being reduced an average of 30 percent. A few fairway bunkers are being combined as well.
Greenside bunkers being removed include one to the left of the par-4 fourth green and one to the right of the par-5 13th green. Both sizable bunkers buffer the greens from marsh below, alongside the holes.
Cooper said those banks are being sodded with grass, slopes will be lessened and rough will be grown to help stop balls from reaching the marsh.
International Club of Myrtle Beach
Rivers Edge and Sea Trail’s courses are part of the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail, and one of the East Coast Golf Management trail’s other courses on the south end of the Strand has also experienced some improvements and additions.
International Club of Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet recently opened its new restaurant and bar named The Venue, which offers craft cocktails, local brews, and a new and expanded food menu.
It currently has limited hours, but extended hours and a dinner menu are coming soon.
The Venue is part of a major clubhouse renovation completed this past year, which also includes a pro shop.
Additional course upgrades include cart path repairs, new bridges, and new Club Car carts with Visage technology.
