 GOLF COURSE REVIEWS:
A glimpse behind the gates of the Reserve Golf ClubBy Shane Sharp, Contributing Writer PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (Dec. 22, 2002) -- Tom Doak, Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore have nothing on Greg Norman. The Shark was a minimalist designer before being a minimalist designer was cool. His work at the Reserve Golf Club -- just 20 minutes south of the neon lights and carnival rides of Myrtle Beach -- is proof positive of Norman's traditional design philosophy. His status as one of the modern era's most capable player/architects is firmly cemented here among the pines and hardwoods of the Waccamaw Neck. Much to the chagrin of the traveling golfer, Norman's a-natural masterpiece is only in play for discerning (and financially secure) folks looking to join an exclusively private golf course community. But like so many things that are off limits, a glimpse inside the ropes is a temptation that is impossible to pass up.
If you've ever played the Tradition Golf Club or Willbrook Plantation, you've seen the signs for the Reserve Club and even caught a glimpse of its gated entrance. What you haven't seen is what's waiting inside -- the Shark at his minimalist best. Norman has crafted a golf course devoid of homes, cart paths, ball washers and even hole signs at the tee boxes. Also missing is any semblance of rough -- a Shark design trademark that some say stems from his adoration of Augusta National. "Rough can actually make a course easier for higher handicappers," says head professional Donald Clement. "Rough can stop a ball that is headed into the woods or out of bounds." The wide, closely cropped fairways aren't the only tributes to Augusta National architects Allister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones. Greenside bunkers are filled with fluffy, white sand that crisply defines each green complex. The areas around the greens are turfed with Tif Eagle Bermuda and are mown so tight that golfers have a variety of shot options for getting up and down.
And evidentially, an appreciation for turf grass selection as well. The tee boxes at the Reserve are outfit with GN-1 (Greg Norman-1) Bermuda, a grass engineered specifically for balmy, coastal conditions that is reputed to have a divot healing speed twice that of other strains of the grass. The putting surfaces are Penn G-2 bentgrass with 22-inch collars that conjure up even more creativity around the greens. More parts Sandhills than Lowcountry, the Reserve is walled in by longleaf pines, and waste bunkers and native grasses adorn the majority of the holes. Norman also utilizes white sand "stacked sod-walled" bunkers into the layout to provide a stunning contrast to the flat, brown sand waste areas. "It makes it easy to distinguish. The white sand is a hazard where you can't ground you club and the brown sand isn't," says Clement.
The club's members are rumored to be pretty good sticks, many of whom also carry memberships at prestigious clubs in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, N.C. The lower handicap members can appreciate the Reserve from the tips, where it plays to 7,108 yards and a slope of 136. The average golfers typically see the course from the member's tees, which play to a manageable 6,068 and minimize the number and length of forced carries.
Members have dibs on cozy clubhouse that features some of the best golf course chow in the South Strand (we recommend the soup). In the winter months, an attendant keeps a four-alarm fire kindled in the outdoor patio fireplace, and a halfway house is conveniently located off to the side. Norman's design team and the Litchfield Company were also savvy enough to realize that private clubs necessitate top-notch practice facilities. The Reserve Club features one of the widest practice ranges at the beach, a short game area with practice bunker, and a true-rolling practice green. "You don't pay to join a private club and then not be able to work on your game," Clement says. And your game is all you'll need to work on should you join, because the Reserve Club has taken care of the rest. MembershipsThe Reserve Club currently offers two levels of memberships, the Reserve and Golf. The Reserve membership initiation fee is $32,500 and the Golf initiation is slightly less, at $22,000. The Reserve is a "full" membership allowing for unlimited greens fees throughout the year and carries monthly dues ranging from $195 (individual) to $350 (family). The Golf membership is designed for second homeowners, and allows for up to 26 greens fees per year. Dues range from $140 to $200. Real EstateTownhomes at the Reserve Club range from $280,000 entry level up to $900,000 for waterfront units. Golf villas start at $325,000 and work up to $700,000 depending on size and location. Single-family homesites and homes range from $500,000 to over $1 million. A full-scale marina with access to the Intracoastal Waterway is also available for members who want to take advantage of the Reserve Club's maritime setting. The course and the 750-acre community have garnered a reputation as one of the most environmentally friendly developments in the Southeast. Its location along the Waccamaw Neck is one of the most pristine sites in the Grand Strand, and the area is stocked with hundreds of native, Lowcountry species. The Litchfield Company, the pioneers behind the project, invested over $1 million on archaeological and endangered species surveys and even consulted with the local chapter of the Sierra Club during the design of the course. |
The Reserve Golf Club in 
"Greg has a great appreciation for traditional design elements and shotmaking," Clement says. 
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