The Little River, S.C., golf course will be the longest in the state and one of the longest in the nation with back tees measuring more than 8,100 yards. The tees are elevated and surrounded by wire, cord and sweet grasses to make them resemble bird nests, and are expected to be ready for play in late July or early August.
The Myrtle Beach golf market will soon have the longest golf course in South Carolina and one of the longest in the nation, as new “Perch” tees have been added and are growing in at Eagle Nest Golf Club in Little River, S.C., that will give the layout a new back tee yardage of more than 8,100 yards, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Online reported.
“The Grand Strand needs this, and Eagle Nest is a good place for it,” said Rick Elliott, who owns the course along with his mother, Anne. “It has created an opportunity for the professional golfer to play there, and I think we need that. At some point there’s no reason we can’t have a tournament in this area.
“Now all I need is Dustin Johnson to step on the first tee of the perch tee boxes and see what he can do with it,” Elliott said.
The perch tees are elevated and surrounded by wire, cord and sweet grasses to make them resemble bird nests. They are expected to be ready for play in late July or early August, once Bermudagrass has time to fully grow in, Online reported.
The par-72 Gene Hamm design that opened in 1972 is currently 6,900 yards from the tips, Online reported.
Elliott said the perch tees aren’t likely to be open for public play most of the time, though they will be there for potential tournament play and “there will be some holes we will have open for the general public to give it a go, like the 18th hole,” Elliott said.
In addition to the new back tees, Eagle Nest is adding Super Senior and U.S. Kids golf tees, so the new back tees and forward tees will give Eagle Nest seven tee boxes ranging from 3,679 to 8,168 yards, Online reported.
“We’re going to be the longest golf course in the state by a good bit and top 20 in America, but also more importantly we’re probably going to be the shortest golf course in the state,” Elliott said. “We’ll provide a tee box for all golfers: men, women and kids. You can get it all at that one course, and we can do that with good conditions and friendly service.”
Course operators are looking to build two more tee boxes that will push the yardage over 8,200 yards, Online reported.
An improvement project at Eagle Nest began last June. The course has repaired drainage around greens and fairways with updated technology, cleaned lakes and lake banks, and is rebuilding cart paths by milling down existing paths and utilizing limestone crushed rock to give the cart paths a natural and rustic look. Work on sand traps beginning June 1 will be among be the final touches, Online reported.
“I’m investing in it because I believe in golf in this area,” Elliott said. “It’s important to the courses, people who live here and people who come to visit to play golf.
“I’m positive on golf on the Grand Strand. It’s coming back. We see it starting to reemerge,” Elliott said. “We believe by putting our course in the best condition possible, then we will emerge and the Grand Strand will emerge as a continued leader in golf in America. That’s what we’re focused on. Golf is going to be good and should be good for our area.”
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