Tidewater in Myrtle Beach Gets New Look in Advance of Peak Season


Tidewater Golf Club in Myrtle Beach reopened October 1 after an extensive restoration of its greens. The course, which plays along the Intracoastal Waterway and Cherry Grove Inlet, installed new Miniverde Bermuda grass putting surfaces as part of a broader course-enhancement project.

Management also hired a company to study drainage and perform a soil analysis on each greens complex. The result is vastly improved drainage and a new soil profile that ensures the course's greens will have optimal conditions in the short and long term.

"We are extremely excited," said Archie Lemon, Tidewater's general manager. "At Tidewater, we have a beautiful layout; it's second to none. Now our greens are back up to the standard we want them to be."

Tidewater closed for the project on June 9 to enhance the course's playability and already dramatic aesthetics. Among the improvements was the widening or lengthening of every fairway on the course. The notable expansions included:

• The fairway on the par-5 eighth was lengthened by 60 yards, bringing it much closer to the tees.
• The landing area for the second shot on the par-5 16th was widened by 20 yards.
• The 18th hole, one of the Grand Strand's toughest par-4s, had its fairway widened by 10 yards in the landing area.

The greens were also restored to their original sizes, which netted Tidewater an additional 10,000 square feet of putting surface.

An additional three and a half acres of sod was laid on the course outside of playable areas, more than 400 trees were removed, and the bunkers all received new sand. 


The project was spearheaded by Kris Spence Golf Design. Spence, who oversaw the renovation of Sedgefield Country Club, host of the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, is renowned for his golf course restoration work.

Tidewater was the first layout ever named best new course in America by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, and raised the profile of the Myrtle Beach golf community after its 1990 opening.

Nine of the course's 18 holes play along either Cherry Grove or the Intracoastal Waterway. Tidewater's signature hole is the par-5 13th, which offers a view of the inlet and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. 



For more information, visit www.tidewatergolf.com.