Venerable golf course reopens after major redesign

on Friday,March 20,2009 19:03

Pine Lakes Country Club, Myrtle Beach''s first golf course, reopened last week after a 20-month restoration project.

In accordance with the design by nationally-known golf restoration architect Craig Schreiner, the course was restored to its early 20th century grandeur.

Schreiner opted to preserve 16 of the original golf-view corridors and to enhance the playability by planting SeaDwarf seashore paspalum grass and enlarging the tee box area.

The project also added native waste areas and utilized environmentally friendly irrigation systems.

In addition to that, a new 6,000-square-foot wing was added to the perimeter of the clubhouse to house the pro shop and locker rooms, the Robert White Pub, the grill kitchen and an outside patio.

There is also a new History Hall created to display memorabilia from Pine Lakes'' first days.

Burroughs & Chapin, the company currently running the club, has also preserved the integrity of the original Pine Lakes Clubhouse, which was designed by Henry Bacon McKoy after he completed the Lincoln Memorial.

Pine Lakes Country Club opened in 1927 as the Ocean Forest Golf Club. The first Myrtle Beach golf resort, it was designed by Scottish native Robert White and became a favorite destination for golfers and families.

The current redesign project lasted 20 months and cost $15 million.