World-renown Myrtle Beach course unveils changes in preparation for 2014 PGA Professional National Championship
September 5, 2013, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, the classic Robert Trent Jones design that put Myrtle Beach on the world golf map, reopened Aug. 31 with pristine new Champion Bermuda greens and a few other strategic changes.
Rees Jones, son of the Dunes Club’s architect and highly acclaimed for his work renovating seven U.S. Open layouts, oversaw the changes on a Dunes Club course that has graced many national top 100 lists and will host the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship, June 22-25. He said he considers the Dunes Club to be one of his father’s “true masterpieces.”
“It has been one of the highlights of my career to have had the opportunity to restore and enhance the original design intent,” said Rees Jones. “The course is now positioned for play by today’s golfers.”
The recent choice of many top golf courses in the Southeast, Champion Bermuda putting surfaces can be maintained at a higher quality throughout the year with faster speed than bent grass.
Other improvements completed over a 90-day period included a 50-percent expansion of the driving range; creation or extension of back tee boxes on eight holes; and new or rebuilt bunkers on Nos. 1, 7 and 11. A beautiful new brick bridge crosses over the water that runs in front of the opening tee and the 18th green.
An improvement golfers especially should enjoy is a new tee complex right of the previous tee box at the dogleg-left No. 2 that gives them a better opportunity to cut yardage off the long, difficult par-4 hole.
With 185 yards added to its back tees, the course now stretches to 7,370 yards. About 30 yards were added to the world-famous par-5 13th hole, “Waterloo,” extending it to 620 yards from the back tees.
About The Dunes Golf and Beach Club
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club was formed in 1947 by the Myrtle Beach area’s local businessmen. Since its inception, it has proven to be a world-class course, offering the best in golf and service. The Dunes Club hosted the final stage of the 1973 PGA Tour Qualifying School that yielded some of the best-known golfers in the game such as Gary McCord, Ben Crenshaw and Gil Morgan.
It was the host to the prestigious Senior Tour Championship from 1994-1999. The Robert Trent Jones course has been named one of the nation’s “Top 100 Courses” by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek, and the famed 13th hole, known as “Waterloo,” has been selected by Golf Digest as one of the “Best 18 Holes in America.”
The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, the premier golf course in Myrtle Beach and the only one with ocean views, is located at 9000 North Ocean Boulevard. The Dunes Club accepts outside play from members of other PGA-recognized private clubs and golfers booking through its partner providers.
For more information, visit TheDunesClub.net. To find out how to book tee times, call the pro shop at (843) 449-5914.
Contact:
John Brasier or Erin Barrett at The Brandon Agency, (843) 916-2000
jbrasier@thebrandonagency.com, ebarrett@thebrandonagency.com
