Saved by residents and members, this renovated golf course near Myrtle Beach reopens
The Links at Brick Landing, a golf course that was saved by its residents and members, has reopened after those collective owners made further investments in the property for renovations.
The course in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., had been closed since May 19 for work that included the sprigging of more than 80%of the putting surfaces. It reopened to the public last week after initially opening for a few days to members.
“We’ve been going slow and steady, if you will, to put on our best face when we reopen,” said Brick Landing volunteer marketing coordinator Kevin Finnerty, who is a member and one of 56 investors. “We had a good product when we had to shut down on May 19 and we want to bring golfers back to a better product.”
Two of the course’s greens were fully sprigged and another 12 were partially sprigged with Sunday ultradwarf Bermudagrass. Four greens didn’t need to be replanted.
Last week’s reopening is the second in nine months. Former owner Larry Doyle, who purchased Brick Landing in 2011, had been attempting to sell it before he closed it on Jan. 1, 2020 to avoid losing money on its operation in the winter.
A group of stockholders organized under Community Partners Golf LLC purchased the closed course late last year and temporarily reopened in November, knowing more renovations were needed after having agronomists look at the condition of the grasses.
The greens were overseeded with poa trivialis for the winter so the extent of the work required on them wasn’t discovered until the poa died off and warm-weather Bermuda reemerged late in the spring.
“We knew when we bought it that we were going to have to do that,” said Gene Bonstein, a board member and the club’s treasurer. “The greens basically went to pot after the course closed the first of last year.”
Improvements over the past couple of months were also made to cart paths, bunkers, tees, fairways and drainage. Shrubs and bushes were trimmed and a number of trees were removed around greens to help the putting surfaces maintain health.
“It’s amazing how together the members are, how excited they are, and just how understanding they are,” said Brick Landing head pro Trey Maughan, who was hired from Kansas City, Missouri, about a year ago. “No one wanted to play this golf course more than the members, but at the same time, nobody was willing to wait longer than the members. If I told them we had to close for another month, they would be so disappointed but completely understand and be willing to wait.”
Each Brick Landing stockholder paid $5,000 per share. Some have multiple shares, and each of the six members of the board of directors owns at least six shares.
The majority of the investors are residents around the course but some are from outside the community, and most have become members. The club has more than 150 members and is accepting more without a residence stipulation.
“It’s a great effort, and there are people who invested who don’t even play golf,” Bonstein said. “They are interested in the value of their homes, so there was a lot of interest in keeping this thing going. We have an interest in the success of the golf course other than making money. It’s not that we don’t want to make money, but we’ve got some other advantages to having this golf course open.”
Bonstein said Community Partners Golf is the 10th owner of the course, a scenic 6,600-yard Mike Brazeal design along the Intracoastal Waterway that opened in 1987.
“We’re tired of having outsiders run the place and not having a say,” Bonstein said.
The restaurant in the grand 11,000-square-foot clubhouse, Seabreeze Bar & Restaurant at Brick Landing, is being operated by the owners of the Purple Onion in Shallotte, N.C., and has been open throughout the recent golf course closure.
The course’s future is bright based on its owners and their stake in the course’s success from multiple perspectives. Residents and members often pitch in to help with cleanup and other maintenance issues at the course.
“A member with skin in the game is usually a good member,” Maughan said.
Haney to appear at Myrtle Beach World Am
The 38th annual PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship, being played August 30-Sept. 3 on 55 Myrtle Beach area courses, will welcome Hank Haney and a few other celebrities.
Haney, one of golf’s most acclaimed teachers and the former swing coach to Tiger Woods, will be a featured guest at the World’s Largest 19th Hole expo and cocktail party on Aug. 31 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Other notables appearing at the 19th hole over the course of the week are Golf Channel reporter Chantel McCabe, former Golf Channel personality Charlie Rymer, world billiards champion Ewa Mataya Laurance and Brian Katrek and John Maginnes, who will host their SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show at the convention center.
Haney will be a speaker on the main stage and will share stories of his life as a golf coach to more than 200 PGA Tour players. Haney will also have a meet-and-greet at the Blade & Bow VIP Lounge and compete in a long putt competition against tournament players to raise money for Project Golf, a Myrtle Beach-based grow-the-game initiative.
Entertainment at the 19th Hole includes the bands Bounce, Southside Station and Right to Party and a karaoke night.
A 72-hole, net stroke play event, the World Am has attracted more than 3,500 registrants from all 50 states. The Grande Dunes Resort Course will host this year’s championship round for flight winners.
PGA member, Navy vet Diaz leading Project Golf
Angel Diaz, a PGA professional and retired Navy veteran, is the new director of Project Golf, an initiative of the Golf Tourism Solutions technology and marketing agency that promotes the Myrtle Beach golf market.
Project Golf is headquartered in a golf learning center on the Barefoot Resort driving range.
It is dedicated to increasing access to and providing sustained enjoyment of the sport, including quality instruction, with an emphasis on junior golfers, military veterans — particularly disabled veterans who can use golf as a means of therapy — and prospective players who previously may not have felt comfortable at a golf course.
“As a PGA member and a retired Navy veteran, he is uniquely qualified to lead Project Golf forward,” said GTS president Bill Golden in a release. “His understanding of the game, creativity and leadership skills will help us continue to expand the reach of Project Golf here in Myrtle Beach and beyond.”
After serving for 22 years, Diaz, who also has a Bachelor’s degree, graduated from the Golf Academy of America and worked for eight years as a PGA professional in the Myrtle Beach area at True Blue Golf Club, TPC Myrtle Beach and the private Wachesaw Plantation Club, where he was the lead assistant.
Local spends a week learning from Arthur Blank
Anna Brown of Pawleys Island and The First Tee of Coastal Carolinas participated last week in the inaugural five-day First Tee Leadership Summit hosted by PGA Tour Superstore owner Arthur M. Blank at his West Creek Ranch in Montana.
Blank is also a founder of Home Depot and owner of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Brown was one of 40 teens selected from First Tee chapters across the country. The summit included outdoor activities and leadership concepts that were explored during The First Tee Leadership Series in the spring, which was a prerequisite for selection.
Brown, 15, volunteers in her community with nonprofits that provide food for those in need, was a member of the Waccamaw High varsity golf team, is on the Waccamaw High student council and is a member of a variety of other community service clubs.
Wachesaw 4-Ball accepting top mid-ams and seniors
The 12th Wachesaw Plantation Club 4-Ball Invitational Championship will be held Oct. 15-17 at the private club in Murrells Inlet.
The 54-hole event has three scratch divisions in mid-amateur (age 25 and older), senior (55-plus) and super senior (65-plus). The first 52 teams will be accepted first-come, first-serve, and an additional eight will be selected by the tournament committee.
The 4-Ball annually attracts a strong field of two-man teams from several states and costs $695 to enter. Entries are due via delivered mail by Oct. 1. For more information contact Wachesaw head pro Joe Gagliano at wpcgolf@wachesaw.com or 843-357-1500.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 9:52 AM.
