Tidewater Golf Club's Environmentally
Friendly Approach
to Site Development

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

On the other hand, golf courses are viewed by many as natural sanctuaries where of hundreds of species of plants and animals reside, protected from the wrath of more intensified commercial development.

True, subscribers to the latter point of view are typically golfers, but there is some merit to the argument, no matter what your politics and persuasions. Tidewater Golf Club in North Myrtle Beach has made every effort and then some to endear itself to both the golfing community and the community at large through its environmentally friendly approach to site development.

Tidewater is blessed with a natural setting of oaks and evergreen pines, and the overall layout of the course gives the appearance of being dropped into its existing environment, rather than imposed or contrived into the landscape.

In fact, Ken Tomlinson's Intracoastal gem may be environmentally sensitive enough to make a Sierra Club member stand up and applaud, and the same can be said for the recent redesign of the course that kept one of the Grand Strand's most highly touted tracks closed for three months.

While most of the remodeling took place within the boundaries of the existing layout, some bunker remodeling and other aesthetic and strategic improvements required the removal of some of the courses most valued trees.

"We have been transplanting all the trees that are valuable to the course and to the natural environment," says Tidewater superintendent Bob Grounke. "So far we have replanted thirty-five trees around the course, mostly Laurel Oaks and a couple of Angel Oaks. The owner of this property had the idea, and so did the designer (Tomlinson).

But it's not just the golf course at Tidewater that sets an admirable standard for environmental sensitivity. Sure, there are hundreds of residences surrounding the course and the entire property, but chances are you will barely notice. Unlike other developments throughout the Grand Strand, Tidewater has placed a premium on the environment, with natural vegetation coming first and houses coming second.

Chances are, you will only notice a few homes here and there as you make your way through the first few holes of the front nine, and a good number of holes on the back. Sure, there are a few holes lined with townhouses and condos, but for the most part, Tidewater's development is as subtle and as fluid as a Fred Couples golf swing.

So if you are lucky enough to have Tidewater on your Myrtle Beach golf vacation docket, take heart - no need to feel guilty about teeing it up on this eco-layout. Using the erasers on the golf cart pencils? That's another story.

For tee times at Tidewater, call 843-249-3829.