Myrtle Beach’s oldest golf course to reopen, be more inviting to the public
Pine Lakes Country Club reopens this upcoming week after being closed for renovations for about 2 1/2 months, and in addition to showing off course improvements the club aims to be more inviting to the public.
Myrtle Beach’s oldest golf course, which opened in 1927 and is affectionately known as The Granddaddy, was closed by owner Founders Group International primarily to change grass on the greens and rebuild bunkers.
The club, which has a large membership in addition to being open for public play, will reopen for a member event Monday afternoon and to the general public on Tuesday.
It will reopen with a calendar of events intended to attract more public use of the grand clubhouse, restaurant and facility.
The first of a planned monthly -- if not more frequent -- Sunday brunch will be July 18, happy hour specials are being added, and the club hopes to host more group events.
“One of the goals with Pine Lakes is to really kind of continue to evolve it as a focal point of Myrtle Beach life,” said Steve Mays, president of FGI, which operates 21 courses on the Grand Strand. “People love coming to Pine Lakes, but a lot of times they only come when they’re invited, whether they’re invited to a wedding or other social functions. So we really want to give other opportunities for people to come in the clubhouse and participate in all the activities we have out there.”
Pine Lakes was designed by Robert White, the first president of the PGA of America, and its clubhouse was designed in Classical Revival style by Raymond Hood, who also designed New York City skyscrapers.
It is considered the birthplace of Sports Illustrated, and the course and clubhouse are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunday Ultradwarf Bermudagrass, which FGI has installed over the past few years on both courses at Myrtlewood Golf Club and Tradition Club, has replaced Seashore Paspalum on the greens. The greens were also enlarged back to their size in 2008-09 when the Paspalum was first installed, which will open up more pin placement options.
The bunker renovations were overseen by course architect Craig Schreiner, whose home is off one of Pine Lakes’ holes.
The sand in Pine Lakes’ 25 bunkers was upgraded, the bunkers were rebuilt to modern specifications, drainage was improved, some deep bunkers were made more shallow and more playable, and the top of bunker faces now hang over the sand and feature Zoysia grass, which Schreiner said will create stability.
Schreiner also reintroduced some character into the bunker designs with contours, ridges and reshaping.
“It’s been a lot of work since late April to get it to the point we are and we’re happy where we are,” Mays said. “The greens look great, the bunkers look fantastic and we’re excited about the product we’re going to put out there. We think it’s really going to take Pine Lakes kind of to that next level.”
While the course was closed, parts of the clubhouse were repaired and painted, and the tee box on the 370-yard par-4 ninth hole was moved to the right to add some length and lessen the dogleg on a hole featuring water on the left off the tee. “It improves the angle of the hole and makes it a much better hole,” Mays said.
Streaming Myrtle Beach channel created
Golf Tourism Solutions, the marketing and technology agency that promotes the Myrtle Beach market, has launched Myrtle Beach Golf TV, an over-the-top streaming channel available on Roku and Amazon’s Firestick.
The free channel provides viewers a comprehensive look at the Myrtle Beach golf scene, featuring course profiles, episodes of the Charlie Rymer Golf Show, Paige Spiranac enjoying area golf and attractions, and more. To subscribe, search Myrtle Beach Golf TV on either a Roku or Amazon Firestick.
“Viewing habits of golfers, like all of society, are changing, and the launch of Myrtle Beach Golf TV will allow us to provide stories, news and unforgettable real-time visuals from Myrtle Beach,” said Bill Golden, CEO of Golf Tourism Solutions.
The Roku Channel features three feeds. The primary feed spotlights course videos, tournaments and possible activities on a Myrtle Beach golf trip.
The channel is also home to the Golf Instruction Zone, which features tips from some of the game’s best teachers, including Allen Terrell of the Dustin Johnson Golf School and Ted Frick of Classic Swing Golf School.
The Charlie Rymer Golf Show will have its own special section with episodes being uploaded weekly. The Charlie Rymer Golf Show, which debuted in April on CBS Sports Network, has featured guests such Johnson, Sir Nick Faldo and John Daly. The show’s first three episodes are already available on the channels.
More information on Myrtle Beach Golf TV is available via Roku and Amazon.
Terrell named Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher
Allen Terrell, Director of Instruction at the Dustin Johnson Golf School at TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, has been named one of “GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers in America” by Golf Magazine.
Terrell was Dustin Johnson’s college coach at Coastal Carolina and has worked with him for the past 18 years. He helped Johnson develop from an under-recruited college player into the world’s top-ranked golfer, but also helps students at all levels of the game.
Terrell oversees a thriving kids program at his school and also instructs competitive juniors and professionals including young pro Akshay Bhatia, the former top-ranked amateur in the world. Terrell’s approach to instruction has helped countless players improve their game.
Another of Terrell’s students, U.S. Air Force Veteran Kyle Westmorland, qualified and made the cut at the U.S. Open.
At the heart of his coaching philosophy is teaching players to own their swing. Terrell embraces the role of technology in instruction and adapts his instruction for each student.
“It’s an incredible honor to be ranked among America’s Top 100 Teachers by GOLF,” Terrell said in a release. “Our goal at the Dustin Johnson Golf School is to create a plan to help each individual golfer maximize his or her potential and it’s humbling to see that work recognized by one of the game’s most respected voices.”
Terrell was one of just 12 teachers this year added to Golf Magazine’s list. He is one of six instructors from the Carolinas PGA Section and the only one from the Grand Strand.
Terrell was also named the 2020 Carolinas PGA Palmer Maples Teacher of the Year and has been regularly recognized by Golf Digest as a Best in State instructor.
Terrell has been instrumental in the development of the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship - a top junior golf tournament in the world that boasts one of the strongest fields in the nation each year.
GOLF’s biennial list is selected by the Top 100 Teachers Credentials Committee and is the only national golf instructor search that combines outside academic and PGA peer review.
Candidates are screened against a set of criteria evaluating their teaching experience and accomplishments, student portfolio and peer ratings, along with their overall commitment to the growth of the game, both through volunteerism and their ability to use digital platforms.
