Golf Travel News 21 October 2023

Golf Travel News 21 October 2023

In golf travel news this week are items from Myrtle Beach, Eagle Ridge, Metro Detroit, McLemore, The Peninsula Club and Fairmont Austin.

• Rivers Edge Golf Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course Of The Year
• Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa Receives Esteemed Stella Awards In Three Categories
• Pawleys Plantation Reopens After Dramatic Greens, Bunkers Restoration Project
• KemperSports Selected to Manage Tanglewood Golf Club
• McLemore Unveils Name, Branding, Memberships for Its New Course
• The Peninsula Club Breaks Ground on Next-Generation Golf Renovation 
• FAIRMONT SPA AUSTIN LAUNCHES SPA AFTER DARK: AUSTIN TWILIGHT TREATMENTS

Rivers Edge Golf Club Named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course Of The Year

SHALLOTTE, N.C. – Rivers Edge Golf Club, an acclaimed Arnold Palmer design, has been named 2023 Golf Course of the Year by the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association (MBAGCOA).

The dedication of the staff at Rivers Edge and the leadership of East Coast Golf Management have helped make the course one of the Myrtle Beach area’s most sought-after tee times, and the commitment of owner Sandesh Sharda to further enhance the experience has Rivers Edge positioned for even bigger things going forward. 

“It’s a tremendous honor to be named Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year,” said Chris Hendrick, vice president of operations for East Coast Golf Management. “This award is a testament to the hard work of general manager Jason Monahan and the entire staff at Rivers Edge. They have worked tirelessly to provide the customer service and course conditions that are the equal of the scenery at Rivers Edge.” 

Playing along the Shallotte River, Rivers Edge has been ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest and the layout is on every list of Palmer’s best, but more importantly is the layout’s popularity with golfers. 

The MBAGCOA evaluates Golf Course of the Year nominees on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game. By virtue of winning the award, Rivers Edge becomes a candidate for state and potentially national honors.

Rivers Edge succeeds Tidewater as the MBAGCOA Course of the Year. The National Golf Course Owners Association implemented the award in 1996 and the MBAGCOA has since nominated courses from the Myrtle Beach area. 

Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa Receives Esteemed Stella Awards In Three Categories

GALENA, Ill. (Oct. 16, 2023) – Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, located in The Galena Territory, is honored to announce that it is the proud winner of the 7th Annual Stella Awards from Northstar Meetings Group. The destination resort received three Stella Awards – Silver Medal in the Best Renovation in the Midwest for Stonedrift Spa, Bronze Medal as the Best Golf Resort in the Midwest, and another Bronze Medal for the Best Sustainability Initiative in the Global category. The Stella Awards are the meeting industry’s highest honor, recognizing hotels, convention centers, conference centers, airlines, cruise lines, DMOs/CVBs and DMCs that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and event professionals.

“We are ecstatic to receive such a prestigious award again this year, as the Stella Awards reinforce the level of excellence that Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa delivers to all resort and golf guests each day,” said Colin Sanderson, director of sales and marketing at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. “We’re especially proud of the Silver Medal for the Best Renovation in the Midwest for the new 12,000-sq. ft. Stonedrift Spa that transformed the resort into a true 21^st century destination that is both luxurious and incredibly accommodating.”

Pawleys Plantation Reopens After Dramatic Greens, Bunkers Restoration Project

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus design renowned for its beauty and challenge, reopened October 2 after a comprehensive greens and bunkers restoration project. 

Founders Group International (FGI), Pawleys’ parent company, contracted with Nicklaus Design Group and its Design Associate Troy Vincent to lead a project that has modernized one of the area’s most popular courses while maintaining the integrity of Nicklaus’ original work. 

Pawleys closed May 22 and golfers were welcomed back to a layout that received a dramatic facelift just as Myrtle Beach enters its peak fall season. 

Highlights of the project include: 

● Every green complex and the surrounding fringe was stripped, tilled and restored to its original specifications, netting nearly 40,000 square feet of additional putting surface. 

● The new greens feature TifEagle Bermudagrass, an ultradwarf strain that has performed exceedingly well at other FGI layouts, including the Grande Dunes Resort Course and River Hills Golf Club.

● The collar around every green was resurfaced with Tahoma 31, a hearty variety of bermudagrass that can withstand close mowing and is resistant to mutation.

● The sprawling bunkers on holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 18 were replaced by smaller fairway bunkers, native areas and expanded fairways, enhancing the course’s playability for mid to high handicappers without reducing the challenge for more skilled players. 

KemperSports Selected to Manage Tanglewood Golf Club

Detroit-Area 27-Hole Daily Fee Facility Tabs KemperSports as Management Partner to Elevate Golfing and Guest Experience

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 22, 2023 – KemperSports, a leading golf, sports, entertainment and hospitality company, has been selected to manage Tanglewood Golf Club in South Lyon, Mich. KemperSports will leverage its vast experience built over more than 40 years in managing some of the country’s top public courses to deliver an enhanced golfer and guest experience by providing first-class customer service, elevated food and beverage offerings, innovative player development programming and social events.

“The state of Michigan and the Detroit area is known for great public golf and passionate golfers. We share that passion and are excited to work with Tanglewood Golf Club to build on its strong history,” said KemperSports CEO Steve Skinner. “The golf course has a great layout, and we look forward to elevating the customer experience and continuing to grow the game in the local community.”

Opened in 1991, Tanglewood Golf Club is a 27-hole daily fee facility designed by Bill Newcomb. The course is comprised of three different nine-hole layouts (North, South and West) set among beautiful natural surroundings and topography that offer a challenging but fun golf experience. Tanglewood’s three distinct nine-hole courses also make it a great host for amateur events and outings. Throughout its history, the course has hosted numerous Golf Association of Michigan championships and competitions as well as several Celebrity Pro-Ams. The scenic sixth hole on the West Course features a green shaped like the Lower Peninsula of Michigan that then leads players to the seventh tee box, which is shaped like the Upper Peninsula and is connected with a replica of the Mackinac Bridge.

In addition to the three courses, Tanglewood boasts an all-grass driving range and spacious chipping and putting area that are utilized by its strong junior academy and for other camps, clinics, private lessons and club fittings. Its full-service bar and restaurant is open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers views of the course from a beautiful terrace, not to mention, its unique waterfront Victorian gazebo, outdoor patio and banquet hall make the perfect setting for hosting any wedding, celebration or private event.

McLemore Unveils Name, Branding, Memberships for Its New Course

The Keep, a Bill Bergin-Rees Jones Cliffside Headlands Design, Set to Open Next Summer

(LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga.) – McLemore, the esteemed golf club and community located atop Lookout Mountain in Northwest Georgia, unveils a new name and logo for the club’s second course, The Keep.

Joining The Highlands Course at McLemore, The Keep is also a Bill Bergin / Rees Jones design that features stunning vistas and dramatic holes along the eastern side of Lookout Mountain. Currently under construction, The Keep is expected to open in summer 2024.

Inspired by the majesty of Europe’s imposing castles, the mountaintop course and stunning cliffside views  invoke the identity of those historic fortresses. The result is a name that honors that idea and establishes The Keep as a powerful but reserved entry into the golf landscape.

The Keep logo also draws inspiration from ancient history. The back-to-back lower-case ‘k’ is reminiscent of the Chi-Rho, one of the earliest symbols of Christendom formed by the first two letters of the Greek word ‘Christos.’ 

Already famous for the striking cliffside finishing hole at the Highlands Course, McLemore’s newest layout is situated 1,000 feet above the valley floor of McLemore Cove. One of the unique aspects of The Keep, apart from the cliff edge and the relative flatness of the grounds, is the wind. It shifts from a gentle breeze to westerly winds reminiscent of a coastal shoreline. The result is a mountain course with the feel of a headlands course. Bergin suggests as much when he refers to The Keep as “my ocean course.”

“We’ve been looking forward to announcing our plans for The Keep for a while now, and we are excited to invite members to take part in what will be an unparalleled golf experience,” says Duane Horton, President of Scenic Land Company, the developer of McLemore. “Nowhere else will you find two courses of this caliber with the breathtaking views and scenery as we have here atop Lookout Mountain. We believe the addition of The Keep to our already world-class offerings at The Highlands will make McLemore a truly national golf destination.”

More information on membership tiers, benefits as well as pricing can be found at https://www.themclemore.com/membership/the-keep.

Situated in the mountains of Northwest Georgia, McLemore’s lifestyle attracts discerning families who prefer to enjoy life “above the clouds.” The club features an 18-hole Bill Bergin / Rees Jones-designed golf course that boasts a finishing hole considered one of the best in the world and a short course ideal for every golfer.

Residences at McLemore are next-level, featuring custom-designed homes connecting with the spectacular natural beauty and breathtaking views to provide families an opportunity to enjoy life “above the clouds.” The club offers corporate and individual memberships with different categories built within each, and unique member events ranging from culinary to music.

For more information: www.themclemore.com.

The Peninsula Club Breaks Ground on Next-Generation Golf Renovation 

Beau Welling Design leading extensive golf and campus improvements

(CORNELIUS, North Carolina) – The Peninsula Club, the esteemed golf and country club located on the shores of Lake Norman just north of Charlotte, NC, broke ground on an extensive golf course renovation project on October 2, 2023.

Led by Beau Welling Design (BWD), the project is set to be completed by October 2024 and will feature significant renovations to both the 18-hole championship golf course as well as other facilities which will result in a brand new feeling and playing experience for the club’s membership. 

“After a couple of years of planning and preparation, we are excited to break ground on a project that will create a brand new feeling and playing experience for the golf course as well as other facilities for the club’s membership,” says Beau Welling, Founder and CEO of Beau Welling Design. “We are proud to add to the tradition of excellence that The Peninsula Club has curated for decades, and we believe this project will enhance the guest and membership experience both on and off the course.”

While the routing and footprint of the golf course will largely remain the same, many golf features are being adjusted to deliver a strategic, memorable and playable test of golf for the club membership. The renovation, which is being led by Beau Welling and BWD Senior Design Associate Chase Webb, includes major adjustments to the course strategy that encourage shot-making and creativity from tee to green to deliver a championship-caliber, yet family-friendly golf experience.

 Some additional major updates to the course include: 

• Regrassing the entire course utilizing TifEagle bermudagrass on the greens and Tahoma31 bermudagrass on the rest of the course including green surrounds, fairways, rough and tees
• Infrastructure overhaul and updates including a new state-of-the-art irrigation system, upgraded drainage and new cart paths 
• Strategic tree clearing for expanded sightlines across the golf course as well as to open stunning views of Lake Norman
• Addition of a native fescue mix to out-of-play areas that will provide a new feel to the course with more striking visuals while also decreasing water reliance
• Net reduction of bunker square footage as part of a larger recalibration of bunker strategy

FAIRMONT SPA AUSTIN LAUNCHES SPA AFTER DARK: AUSTIN TWILIGHT TREATMENTS

New Offering Provides the Ultimate Private Spa Experience for Couples

AUSTIN — (October 16, 2023) — Fairmont Spa Austin is delighted to introduce its new Spa After Dark: Twilight Treatments package, an ideal option for couples seeking a special way to celebrate anniversaries, proposals, holidays or simply the most exceptional of date nights. Fairmont Spa Austin closes its doors at 6:00pm daily to the public, but the couple booking this special package will have the rare opportunity to unwind under the stars after-hours.

Guests booking this package will enjoy a premium spa experience complete with luxe amenities, including a private solarium featuring wraparound skyline views, a saline soaking pool, a eucalyptus steam grotto and a European dry heat sauna. Following their choice of a massage or facial treatment, couples can luxuriate with Champagne and delectable bites in the comfort of their own lounge.

The Spa After Dark: Twilight Treatment package includes:

o    Exclusive access to a private solarium from 7:00pm to 11:00pm

o    Two (2) 80-minute treatments (option of massage or facial) in a couples suite or in the solarium

o    Private concierge for the guests’ time in the Spa

o    One (1) bottle of Champagne and a delectable selection of light hors d’oeuvres

o    Two robes and a spa gift bag to take home

The Spa After Dark: Twilight Treatments package starts at $4,000 (plus 20% service charge).    

Book here https://www.fairmont-austin.com/spa-after-dark/