The Georgetown, S.C. property hopes to reopen to members by August 27 after weather delayed the initial plan to reopen on July 1. The club recently installed new TifDwarf Bermudagrass greens on the course and has opened other amenities on the property in the meantime.
A two-year wait has been extended a couple of more months by weather conditions, but Wedgefield Plantation Country Club in Georgetown, S.C., is set to finally reopen to the public on September 1, reported The Sun News of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Sun News reported that Mitch Thompkins, a Georgetown native, has secured a five-year lease to operate Wedgefield from owner Harry Karetas and originally planned to reopen on July 1, following the installation of new TifDwarf Bermudagrass greens.
But weather delayed the delivery of the grass from Orangeburg until early May, The Sun News reported, and 14 of the club’s 19 greens—including a practice putting green—had to be redone. Heavy rain over several weeks further delayed the opening.
The Sun News reported that the course had been closed since June 2016, when former owner Ray Watts shut it, citing a lack of play and poor financial performance.
Prior to opening to members and the public, the course will host a nine-hole scramble tournament on August 23 that will serve as a volunteer recruitment event for The First Tee Coastal Carolinas, reported The Sun News.
The course will host a School Day Program for fourth-graders from 8-11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning September 30, and the After-School Program for children ages 7-14 from 4:30-6 p.m. on Mondays for eight weeks beginning September 10, reported The Sun News.
Thompkins hopes to reopen for members on August 27 after bunkers are redone with new sand, reported The Sun News.
Thompkins pre-sold memberships late last year and has about 95 members, reported The Sun News. He told the newspaper that he has also sold a “couple dozen” corporate memberships to companies that pay an annual fee to allow their employees to play for a cart fee
Other amenities on the property have already opened, reported The Sun News. The Manor House restaurant has been open since February, the pool has been open all summer, and the pro shop is open.
Thompkins is anxious to finally reopen the 7,034-yard Porter Gibson and Bob Toski design that opened in 1972, reported The Sun News. “It will almost be like having your first child,” said the father of two adult daughters.
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