East Course at Pearl Golf Links Reopens With New Greens
The East Course at the Pearl is the latest Myrtle Beach golf course to add its name to the list of layouts making the switch to MiniVerde Bermuda grass greens.
The East Course, a 4-star layout, according to Golf Digest’s prestigious Best Places to Play guide, reopened on Saturday, October 1 and the early results are positive.
After closing in August, the old bentgrass greens on the East Course were fumigated and the greens complexes were sprigged with MiniVerde. The grow-in process was ideal and the course was ready for play six weeks later.
In addition to the installation of new greens, a couple tee boxes were redone and selected trees were removed.
The Pearl’s West Course remained open and still has bentgrass greens. A 36-hole facility located just across the state line in Brunswick County, N.C., the Pearl offers scenic views of the Calabash River and a memorable test of golf on both layouts.
The courses at the Pearl were designed by Dan Maples and opened in 1987. It was the first multi-course facility on the North Strand and helped paved the way for the golf boom in Brunswick County.
Eight Myrtle Beach golf courses have installed new greens this summer and all of them have converted to either MiniVerde or Champion, two of the most progressive ultradwarf Bermuda strains. The ultradwarf grasses replicate many of the best qualities of bentgrass and they thrive in the heat, hence their surging popularity among Myrtle Beach golf courses.
MiniVerde is the putting surface of choice at TPC Sawgrass and East Lake Golf Club, home of the recently completed PGA Tour Championship. Atlantic Athletic Club, host of the 2011 PGA Championship, has Champion Bermuda.
The Fazio and Norman Courses, River Club, West Course at Myrtle Beach National, Lion’s Paw at Ocean Ridge Plantation, Quail Creek and Avocet at Wild Wing were the other Myrtle Beach golf courses that installed new greens this summer and all have reopened.
