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Summer preview:
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"Golfers will find perfect conditions when they get here in September," added Young.
Oyster Bay is a Dan Maples design that opened back in 1983. The scenic marshland layout has undergone a handful of spot improvements over the years, but never a facelift of this magnitude. All 18 greens will be returfed with TifEagle Bermuda, and Young said the infamous green on the par-4 13th could be re-contoured to lessen its severity.
"Oyster Bay has some wonderful contours in the greens, so we wanted to leave them along for the most part," Young said. "It seems a shame to tear up the greens because they are in the best shape they have been in years. But we have an opportunity to install a state of the art turf that will pay off in the long run."
In addition to the new TifEagle greens, Oyster Bay will receive 18 revamped tee boxes, some overdue tree trimming and miscellaneous clubhouse improvements. According to Young, Moorland's overhaul will be a bit more drastic. Not only will all 18 greens be returfed with TifEagle, six greens (on holes one, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18) will be rebuilt will less severe contours.
"Those greens were already too severe," Young said. "They would be un-puttable with (faster) TifEagle on there running nine or 10 on the stimpmeter."
Moorland's
waste and greenside bunkers will also be recut and resanded -
a standard maintenance procedure for a course approaching its
15th birthday. The layout was crafted by P.B. Dye, Pete Dye's
nephew and opened in 1991 shortly the Heathland course. The Parkland
course - a Tom Doak, Mike Strantz hybrid - opened in 1993 to round
out the triumvirate.
Young says he'll assess rates at both courses while they are closed for renovations.
"We aren't going to bump them 25 percent," he said. "Our philosophy is that we'll move rates a little at a time."
The Pinehills course at Myrtlewood will be shuddered from June 21 to July 22 while its struggling bentgrass greens are transitioned to TifDwarf Bermuda. The hardy grass was installed on the Palmetto course last summer and has performed well thus far. When it reopens, the Arthur Hills designed layout will charge $54 for 18 holes and a cart in the morning and $39 after noon.
The syrupy slow, oppressively hot days of June, July and August have traditionally been prime time for golf course renovations along the Strand. However in recent years, rounds have increased substantially due to the influx of family vacationers and golfers looking to shave a buck or two off peak spring rates.
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Advance summer bookings are up across the beach, according to a number of courses and golf packagers.
"It really doesn't seem like an off or shoulder season anymore," said Carson Courage of Myrtle Beach Golf Directors, a golf package company based in North Myrtle Beach.
The busy summer comes on the heels of a record setting spring golf season. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday reported 536,266 rounds played in April, breaking the previous record for the month set in 2000 by 28,264 rounds. Rounds played in March and April totaled 1,075,762, nearly 40,000 more than the previous best two-month span.
Rounds have increased in Myrtle Beach in 10 of the past 12 months, a stark departure from 2002/2003 when rounds decreased for 12 consecutive months. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the region's golf marketing consortium, credits improved course conditions, good weather and additional airline service for the recent rebound.
Rain during March, April and May year to date has been scant. And an invasive disease that infected acres upon acres of Bermuda grass on local courses has been eradicated. Hooters Air, a locally based low fare airline, recently added new service from Gary (Ind)/Chicago International Airport. Service from Cleveland and Chicago will come on line soon, by way of Hooters and Continental.
Leopards Chase