The 56-year-old, semi-private course in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. closed on July 14 to transition its greens from bentgrass to Champion ultradwarf Bermuda. It plans to reopen on October 1. The project was expedited after some greens were affected by a gassing process to control nematodes.
The Board of Directors for the semi-private Surf Golf and Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., had a renovation project planned within the next two years that was going to include redoing greens, reported The Sun News of Myrtle Beach, S.C. But a mistake made on some greens while a company was gassing for the control of nematodes, a plant parasite, brought the project on sooner, according to the club’s Head Golf Professional, Mike Guy.
As a result, The Surf Club closed on July 14 and will be changing its greens from bentgrass to Champions ultradwarf Bermudagrass this summer, The Sun News reported. The club now plans to reopen for members on October 1 and for outside and package play thereafter.
“We didn’t have much choice. We were hoping to do them in the next year or two and [the damage from the nematode gassing] kind of expedited the process,” Guy said. “We’re a little late in the game, but we think we’ll be all right.”
The Surf Club’s course is a George Cobb design that opened in 1960 and ranks as the third-oldest course on the Myrtle Beach area’s Grand Strand, behind Pine Lakes Country Club and The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, The Sun News reported.
With the area’s Sea Trail Jones Course also closed this summer for renovations that include a transition from bent to Bermuda greens—that course is scheduled to reopen on September 6— only eight of approximately 90 public-access courses on the Grand Strand will have bentgrass greens, The Sun News noted.
It has been nearly 20 years since The Surf Club’s greens were previously redone, and Guy said his course’s greens came out of the flooding in October that affected many area courses in good shape, as did the fairways, despite a few on the front nine being under water for about 19 days.
The Surf Club has approximately 450 golfing memberships that include nearly 900 golfing members, Guy told The Sun News. It became totally private in 2005, but in the past few years it has allowed outside play outside the daily hours of 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that are reserved for members.
While the Surf Club course is closed, drainage will be improved at the entrance of greens to allow run-up shots, The Sun News reported. Bunker sand was already replaced this past fall and winter. “Everything else is spectacular. The fairways are great,” Guy said.
A clubhouse renovation project that began on January 1 is also ongoing, The Sun News reported. The club is spending $1.5 million on a new pro shop, locker rooms and grill, as well as the construction of an indoor-outdoor bar that will serve the back patio and indoor grill area. A temporary pro shop has been located on the east side of the building near the tennis courts and pool.
A partial redesign of the par-5 10th hole may be coming in the next couple years, Guy said.
Other private courses in the area have offered Surf Club members playing privileges and some public courses have offered special rates, The Sun News reported. “Everybody has been great,” Guy said. “It’s a chance for our membership to go play a number of courses they don’t get to normally play.”
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