Dye Course at Barefoot Resort Reopens After Installation of New Greens

Duane Whittle, Barefoot Resort & Golf’s superintendent, is starting to enjoy the summer months.

Whittle oversaw the recent installation of new Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass greens on the Dye Course at Barefoot, a transition that will improve the golf course and reduce his stress level when the temperature rises each summer. The Dye Course, which has been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest, reopened to the public on July 16 and the new greens are outstanding.

“Everything went well,” Whittle said of the conversion, which began when the course closed on May 21. “The greens are firm and getting faster every day.”

The Dye Course joins the Fazio and Norman courses which received new Champion bermudagrass last summer, and the Love Course is currently closed for the installation of Champion greens (Love Course is slated to reopen on September 10).

The new ultradwarf bermudagrasses have become the dominant putting surface in the South, where the summer heat makes the maintenance of bentgrass very difficult, at best. Bermudagrass thrives in the heat and the newest strands, particularly Champion and MiniVerde, deliver an outstanding putting surface.

“It has become as good a putting surface, or better, than bent, especially for this area,” Whittle said. “It’s the future for this region. (Champion has) durability and you don’t get ballmarks. It stays firmer, especially during the summer, giving players a more consistent surface.”

The annual host of the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am, the Dye Course has become one of the area’s most popular layouts. Designed by the legendary Pete Dye, the course offers stunning views and has earned its reputation as one of the best Myrtle Beach golf courses.

While the golf course offers a significant challenge to players of all ability levels, it’s imminently playable.