Golf Travel News Roundup May 23, 2021

Golf Travel News Roundup May 23, 2021

In golf travel news in recent weeks are stories from Pine Lakes, Firestone Country Club, Killington and PGA National Czech Republic.

Pine Lakes Country Club, Myrtle Beach’s First Course, Undergoing Greens, Bunker Restoration Project

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Myrtle Beach’s “Granddaddy” is getting a facelift this summer.

Pine Lakes Country Club closed on April 26 for a greens and bunker restoration project that will have Myrtle Beach’s first golf course in prime condition well ahead of the area’s peak fall season.

Founders Group International, Pine Lakes’ parent company, has partnered with Craig Schreiner, ASGCA, ASLA, who spearheaded the course’s 2008-09 renovation, to lead the project. Pine Lakes is scheduled to reopen in early July.

At the heart of the effort will be the installation of new Sunday bermudagrass greens, which will be a significant upgrade over the paspalum grass it is replacing. Sunday bermuda has proven to be a particularly hearty grass in the Myrtle Beach environment and will provide a much faster, smoother year-round putting surface.

The greens will also be restored to their original size, expanding the total putting surface area at Pine Lakes from 103,000 square feet to 124,000 square feet, an increase of 20 percent. T

Schreiner is also restoring every bunker on the course with an eye on improving drainage, playability and returning Pine Lakes to the more natural look architect Robert White intended. Pine Lakes is installing a sophisticated new drainage system that will ensure the course’s 26 bunkers don’t hold water.

Pine Lakes is one of 21 FGI courses and more information is available at PineLakes.com.

Firestone Country Club Announces Limited Summer Stay-and-Play Packages

Highlights Include Play on Legendary Courses, First-Class Accommodations and Custom Itineraries

(AKRON, Ohio) – Firestone Country Club – renowned as one of North America’s most historic venues for championship golf – announces limited stay-and-play packages ideal for golf buddy trips and staycations this summer.

Through Sept. 6, the exclusive stay-and-play packages include overnight accommodations in Firestone’s standard club rooms and rounds of golf. There are 1 Day | 1 Night experiences including golf on the North Course, 2 Days | 1 Night itineraries including a round of golf on the South and North Courses and 2 Days | 2 Nights packages including golf on both courses. Rates for each package will be based on room type, courses, nights and rounds.

Golf and lodging upgrades to the guest villas are available with each package at booking, and additional rounds of golf may be included at a fee. Course replays can be added based on availability, and season demand could reflect an increased rate. Other restrictions may apply, and rates do not include service charges, tax or tips.

For more information, www.firestonecountryclub.com.

Killington Resort Announces Summer Events and Memorial Day Opening for Mountain Biking and Golf

Summer Starts at Killington Resort Saturday, May 29, 2021

KILLINGTON, VT (May 18, 2021) – Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, announced it will open its 18 Hole Golf Course and kick off a summer-long celebration of the Killington Bike Park‘s 30^th season on Saturday, May 29, 2021.  

GOLF

• The Golf Course will be open daily May 29 through October 11 – conditions permitting – with tee times available from 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. 
• Rental clubs and lessons are available beginning Opening Day

MOUNTAIN BIKING

• The Bike Park is slated to open Saturday, May 29, with Snowshed Express Quad only
• Daily operations are slated to being June 18 with Snowshed and Ramshead lifts spinning
• K-1 Gondola is scheduled to spin Thursday-Sunday for mountain biking and scenic gondola rides beginning July 1

ADVENTURE CENTER

• The Adventure Center will open Thursday through Sunday beginning July 1

For More Information: Killington.com.

Newly Opened PGA National Czech Republic Is A Trailblazer In Environmentally Sustainable Golf

 -The Troon International managed property highlights its environmental credentials-

Prague, Czech Republic; April 29, 2021:

Having opened less than a year ago, the PGA National Czech Republic has had sustainability at the forefront of their strategy from the start as part of GEO’s Oncourse program for sustainability, aimed to increase biodiversity, promote sustainable turfgrass, prevent pollution, reduce energy consumption and recycle all materials. 

In the year since its opening, PGA National Czech Republic has added 23.15 hectares of natural habitat in the last year to have 76% of their 104 hectares of land remain as undisturbed to promote biodiversity. 

The preference of a natural habitat, reducing the amount of maintained turf on the land immensely benefits their sustainable practices across the board. Firstly, it means a reduction in the use of fertilizers, chemicals and irrigation due to a reduced turf area. With the turfgrass there is, it is a priority to manage grasses that are best adapted to the local climate and soils, in turn, reducing artificial substances needed to ensure the grass is strong and healthy. Naturalizing out-of-play areas on the course has also helped to reduce energy consumption through less irrigation pumping and machinery fuel costs. 

Another major goal is to avoid sending waste to landfill, which means finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all materials. Through avoiding single-use plastic products such as bottled water, straws and cups, the team are able to successfully recycle 100% of plastic, 90% metal, 90% of paper/cardboard and 100% of grass clippings are sent to compost. Other impressive figures to have come out of the last year includes a commitment to 100% of irrigation water being captured from the on-course drainage system filtering rainwater.

The next goal for PGA National Czech Republic is to attain GEO certification, the most credible and respected mark of sustainability in golf worldwide. They will be able to apply for this upon the completion of the clubhouse which is the final stage of the clubs opening.

To find out more about PGA National Czech Republic, visit www.oakspga.cz 

To find out more about Troon International, go to: www.Troon.com/troon-international