Myrtle Beach Moves

Five Grand Strand courses ready for the peak spring season after completing enhancement projects.

Five Myrtle Beach-area courses are welcoming golfers for the peak spring season following the completion of winter projects and two other courses announced plans for major renovations beginning this summer.

Here’s a look at the work that has been completed in recent months:

• Prestwick Country Club replaced the bulkhead that helped maintain the greens on holes nine, 16 and 18. The new bulkhead supports the putting surfaces and provides the trio of holes with more visual appeal. The Prestwick team also added a new bunker on No. 16 that runs the entire left side of the green, helping keep some balls out of the water.
• Caledonia Golf & Fish Club completed a $250,000 project that widened fairways and landing areas via a scrub and non-feature tree removal effort in the interior of the layout. The work will improve turf condition, enhance sightlines and make it easier for golfers to locate their ball.
• True Blue, Caledonia’s sister course, is being restored to architect Mike Strantz’s original specifications thru scrub and non-feature tree removal. Thousands of native grasses are being transplanted to accentuate natural areas while opening up sightlines. True Blue is also replacing asphalt cart paths with concrete around selected tee and greens complexes, in addition to expanding the practice area.
• One of the area’s most scenic courses, Rivers Edge is reshaping the green surrounds on the stunning 18th hole, which plays along the Shallotte River. Among the enhancements is a rock feature that includes a set of stairs leading from the 18th green to the clubhouse. The first stage of a comprehensive bunker project has also been completed. Bunkers on holes one, six, seven, nine, 14 and 18 have undergone a complete renovation that features new shaping, drainage and sand. The bridges at Rivers Edge were also improved, making for a smoother cart ride.
• Thistle Golf Club, inspired by its namesake design in Scotland, is installing new, PermaEdge stacked sod bunkers, enhancing the experience at the 27-hole facility.

In addition to the winter work, a pair of courses have already announced plans for substantial summer renovation projects.

• Grande Dunes Resort Course will close on May 16 for a greens, bunker and clubhouse renovation project. Architect John Harvey, who worked with Roger Rulewich on the original design and construction of the course, will restore the new TifEagle Bermudagrass greens to their original size, adding nearly 40,000 square feet of putting surface. Every bunker on the course will be renovated and have a Capillary Concrete bunker-liner installed, significantly enhancing drainage and playability.
• River Hills Golf & Country Club plans to close on June 20 for a two-month project that will see new TifEagle Bermudagrass greens and Capillary Concrete bunkers installed. At the heart of the effort will be the restoration of the greens to architect Tom Jackson’s original specifications, which will expand the total putting surface on the course by 40 percent.