The grandeur of The Granddaddy: Pine Lakes.
Known as The Granddaddy, Pine Lakes International Country Club was the first Myrtle Beach golf courses, marking the beginning of what has become one of the country’s best golf destinations.
Originally designed in 1927 by Robert White, a Scotsman from St. Andrews and the first president of the PGA of America, Pine Lakes has maintained a connection to its roots, making it quite a different experience from all the other Myrtle Beach golf courses on the Grand Strand.
In addition to its elegant, Southern-colonial clubhouse, the entire staff is attired in Scottish kilts, knee socks and dress jackets to honor its founder’s heritage. Indeed, a lot of courses talk about “white glove” service, but here, it’s not just a description, it’s a part of the uniform.
The course itself, a traditional parkland layout with undulating, tree-lined fairways is on the shorter side at 6,600 yards, but it emphasizes accuracy and clear thinking over distance and brute strength. How’s that for an example of how everything old becomes new again?
Unfortunately, what was also known as a largely house-less layout will soon be be dotted with up to 322 houses, condos and rental properties. The course recently closed to begin development which will also involve the renovation and/or rerouting of certain holes.
We only hope that when the course reopens (scheduled for September 2008), it will have the same charming appeal for which it became known.
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