A Myrtle Beach area, Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course has reopened. What they changed.
CORRECTION: The first week since re-opening was incorrect in an earlier version of the story. Long Bay’s first week since re-opening is Aug. 14 to Aug. 19. (Updated: 11 a.m. 08/15/2023).
After months of renovations and about $200,000 spent, a Myrtle Beach area golf course is ready to be played once again.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Long Bay Golf Club reopened to the public Monday, Aug. 14 according to a press release by the course’s parent company Founders Group International. The course closed May 22 Head Golf Professional Brandon Mensinger said.
Mensinger added the course had its first member event/tournament Sunday, Aug. 13. Long Bay Golf Club is located at 350 FoxTail Drive.
The course closed for repairs. Mensinger said the links had not had their greens resized or reseeded in 17 years.
Greens can go 10 to 15 years without being reseeded and resized, Mensinger said.
After a rough winter and minimal grass growth in the spring, the decision was made to upgrade the course.
“(The greens) were at the end of their lifespan,” Mensinger concluded. “So, we decided we’re going to go ahead and pull the trigger.”
The previous grass was removed from every green at Long Bay, and a new Tifeagle Bermuda grass was installed. The grass areas surrounding the greens, also known as collars, were also re-sodded with a new Tahoma 419 Bermuda grass, according to the press release.
The practice green and chipping green were also redone, and the entire project increased the amount of total putting surface at Long Bay from 70,000 square feet to about 110,000 square feet.
The additional green area restored the course’s putting surfaces close to its original size when the Nicklaus-designed course first opened in 1988.
“Through mowing practices, it shrinks those greens,” Mensinger said. “So, we went in and scalped out a little bit further than what we had to bring it back to that original size.”
Mensinger added the renovations cost about $200,000 and the bulk of the projects have been completed.
“There’s obviously a lot of buzz locally,” Mensinger added. “By the time we get to September and October, we’re going to be very busy.”
People are already signing up to play on the upgraded course.
Since re-opening, Long Bay has about 320 rounds booked for the week of Aug. 14 to Aug. 19, Mensinger said.
He predicted the course would have 750 to 900 bookings a week during Sep. and Oct.
Get to know Long Bay Golf Club
Long Bay has several staples of a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. Filled with uneven lies throughout the fairway and mounding, the course provides several challenges for players to navigate.
“You can play the golf course, hit the ball down the middle all day long, and you might not have an even lie all-day,” Mensinger said. “So plenty of undulation on the golf course.”
Despite the increased putting area, the course still has smaller greens, Mensinger added. He compared Long Bay to another Nicklaus-designed course in Pawleys Plantation on Pawleys Island.
The way to succeed at Long Bay is with precision golfing.
“It’s really an iron player’s paradise,” Mensinger said. “If you’re a good iron player, you’re going to tear this golf course up. You’re going to love it.”
One hole to watch for is 13. Mensinger’s favorite, 13 is a par three 156 yards to the green from the black tees. While every shot requires attention to detail, ball placement is essential on this hole.
The green is an island surrounded by water, and an errant shot could rack up penalty strokes for frustrated golfers.
The course can accommodate 250 rounds of golf a day, Mensinger added.
People interested in playing the course can go to the Long Bay website and book a tee time there.
This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 4:11 PM.
