The Myrtle Beach golf industry is bouncing back following an outbreak of winterkill damage that caused over a dozen courses to close at least nine holes for greens renovations. Four of the courses have reopened with new greens, and others in the market are nearing a reopening.

The Myrtle Beach golf market is starting to get back to full strength following an outbreak of winterkill damage that caused more than a dozen courses to close at least nine holes for greens renovations, reported The Sun News.

Four of the courses have reopened with new greens and others in the market are nearing a reopening, are in the midst of renovations or have largely recovered as Bermudagrass thrives in the summer heat, reported The Sun News.

Winterkill is a term used to describe grass that is damaged or killed by harsh winter conditions. It affects warm-season grasses, and warm-weather Bermuda is the predominant turf on greens, tees, fairways and roughs in the Carolinas, reported The Sun News.

It’s believed the widespread winterkill was caused by an ice storm and several consecutive days of below-freezing weather in early January, and may have been exacerbated by frosts in March following a warm February, reported The Sun News.

International Club of Myrtle Beach, Aberdeen Country Club, Panther’s Run Golf Links and Lion’s Paw Golf Links have all reopened 18 holes with new greens, reported The Sun News.

International Club in Murrells Inlet closed on Memorial Day and reopened on July 16^th with Sunday ultradwarf Bermuda greens, reported The Sun News.

“This was something we needed to do for a while; it wasn’t just the winterkill that did it,” said the International Club’s General Manager. Doug Donner. “It’s amazing how quick it has grown in, and [the greens are] in great shape.”

Panther’s Run at the four-course Ocean Ridge Plantation in Sunset Beach, N.C., closed on June 4 and reopened July 19th with TifEagle ultradwarf Bermuda greens that replaced MiniVerde Bermuda, reported The Sun News.

“We have to make a big splash for next spring, because spring hurt us this year,” Powell said.

Lion’s Paw closed on June 4 and reopened on June 15 with 10 new greens that were sodded with MiniVerde ultradwarf Bermuda to match the course’s other eight greens, reported The Sun News.

“We’re excited to have everything back up and running and be back to 100 percent,” Powell said.

Aberdeen Country Club closed June 9 and reopened 18 of its 27 holes on July 9 after seven greens on the Woodlands and Meadows nines were replanted with TifEagle sprigs, reported The Sun News.

Aberdeen’s Highlands nine is still closed, as its ninth green has been sodded and other greens continue to recover, and it could reopen next week. Some painting and cleaning was done while the entire course was closed, reported The Sun News.

The Bay nine at the 27-hole Sandpiper Bay Golf Club in Sunset Beach, N.C., is expected to reopen late next week with new Sunday Bermuda greens, and the course has a full 18 holes with the reopening of four greens with Sunday Bermuda on the Sand nine. Temporary greens were being used since the greens closed in early June, reported The Sun News.

All but one green at the 54-hole Sea Trail Plantation in Sunset Beach, N.C., are open after a number of greens were sodded with Champion Bermuda last month. Six temporary greens were being used on the Byrd and Jones courses, and all but one on the Byrd Course are no longer needed. That green should reopen within a week, reported The Sun News.

Long Bay Club in Longs is expected to reopen within a couple weeks. It closed on June 14 to allow its Champion Bermuda greens to recover, reported The Sun News.

Brick Landing in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., is the most recent course to close for renovations and is replacing its Jones Bermuda greens with Sunday Bermuda. The course closed on June 28 and has an anticipated reopening on Sept. 12, reported The Sun News.

Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links, Tradition Club, Myrtlewood Golf Club’s PineHills Course, Indigo Creek Golf Club, Diamondback Golf Club and Legends Resort’s Moorland Course are all also replacing greens and are expected to reopen later this summer, reported The Sun News.