 REPORTER'S NOTEBOOKNick Price hits
|
| Myrtle Beach FREE Package Quote Call: 1-866-409-2177 |
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Oct. 29, 2003) -- At least one new course scheduled to open along the Grand Strand in the next three years will be closed to the public. Burroughs and Chapin, owners of the planned North Course at Grande Dunes, recently announced the Nick Price/Craig Schreiner designed layout would be a non-equity private facility for members only.
|
Grande Dunes existing 18-hole layout was crafted by former Robert Trent Jones Sr. right-hand-man Roger Rulewich. The captivating circuit, with a number of holes playing along the Intracoastal Waterway, has garnered local, regional and national recognition since opening in 2001.
Price and Schreiner said the North Course will be a drastic departure from the brawny, 7,600-yard Rulewich design. The par-71 course will tip out at 7,000 yards and will feature four sets of tees. Bucking the recent Tif Eagle Bermuda trend, the greens will sport L93 bent grass and will average nearly 7,000 square feet.
The front nine reportedly will be routed through one of the property's housing developments. But purists will relish the back nine, which is slated to be home-free and will include a 17th hole with a green complex snuggled next to the Intracoastal Waterway.
Word Tour Golf Links named Course of the Year
As if a near sweep of the Sun News 2003 "Best of the Beach" awards in the golf course category wasn't enough, International World Tour Golf Links has racked up another accolade -- this time on the national front. The popular 27-hole facility off U.S. 501 recently was named 2004 national golf course of the year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.
World Tour was named the 2003 Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association course of the year in July, thus qualifying it for the national award. World Tour is the first Grand Strand course to receive the national honor. Courses were judged on the quality of layout, maintenance and management, and contributions to the community and the game of golf.
Shore Group to shore up after bankruptcy
Shore Golf Tour, purveyors of Cypress Bay Golf Club, Carolina Shores Golf and Country Club and Colonial Charters Golf and Country Club filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month, marking the third such filing in the Grand Strand in the past two years.
Shore is owned by Mike Matheny of Cary, N.C., who purchased Carolina Shores and Colonial Charters and began leasing Cypress Bay from owner Thurmond McLamb in 2002. Matheny has indicated he has no plans to close the courses and intends to continue operating the North Strand tracks through the debt reorganization.
Among Shore's 267 creditors is Grand Strand marketing machine Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, which claims Matheny owes $67,500 in past dues. Matheny is disputing the amount, claiming the three facilities were not member courses in 2003.
Robber's Roost goes residential
North Myrtle Beach City Council candidates came together Thursday night (Oct. 23) to debate, among other things, the future of Robber's Roost. The golf course has been closed since the spring and the Tilgham family has repeatedly said they have no plans to reopen it.
All signs point to Robber's Roost being redeveloped as a residential area, and not a strip shopping center a la Gator Hole. The hot-button issue for facing city council candidates was the type of residential land use. Candidates on hand at the North Myrtle Beach Community Center were asked if they favored multifamily homes.
The incumbent City Council voted unanimously last month to rezone the land under the course to R-1, which allows for single family dwellings parks and golf courses. The Tilgham family has expressed an interest in being involved in the redevelopment of the land and has offered preliminary plans for a planned unit development (PUD) that would include both residential and commercial land uses.
Overseed Update
Crow Creek Golf Club will complete its annual fall overseeding on Oct. 27 - 31. The tees will be done first, followed by the fairways. The Rick Robbins designed course in Calabash, N.C. sports bentgrass greens that require no overseeding. The majority of the Strand's 117 courses overseed in Oct.
"We try and wait as late as we can to get our peak golf season in and it works out well for us," said general manager Patrick Crean.
The course will remain open next week during the overseeding. Tee times will be delayed Wednesday and Thursday until 8 a.m. Play will be restricted to cart paths for 10-14 days following the completion of the project.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
Black Bear Golf Course