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Founder's Club, South Myrtle Beach


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Course Review: Founders Club Earns Its Stripes

By Chris King on February 17, 2009 4:28 PM | Comments (0) facebook.jpg twitter.jpg digg.jpg 18_clubhouse-thumb-450x337.jpgThe 18th offers a scenic end to a round at Founders Club

 

Pawleys Island is regarded by many as the hub of high-end Myrtle Beach golf. The relaxed pace of the life, soaring Oak trees and more top 100 courses than Hilton Head and Kiawah combined lend credence to that line of thinking.

 

As a result of the area's reputation, the bar for acceptance for a newcomer is higher than Snoop Dogg at a party. The newest Myrtle Beach golf course, Founders Club, faced those expectations upon its opening on Feb. 1, 2008, and met them.

 

Instead of replicating the South Strand's most prominent courses, which make ample use of the area's marshland, designer Thomas Walker used the different gifts the land at Founders Club provided. Uncommon elevation change and abundant, native sand created a base for Walker to work from.

 

Located on what used to be Sea Gull Golf Club, Walker bulldozed the old course – completely – and crafted a design that allows it to take a seat comfortably alongside its neighbors, and offer one convenient feature no other area course provides.

 

From a visual perspective, Founders Club (official website) is defined by the waste bunkers that run alongside side practically every fairway, providing visual contrast set against the lush, green fairways. But the waste bunkers provide more than aesthetics. The bunkers also double as cart paths, meaning the only pavement on the course is around the greens and tee boxes.

 

More importantly to golfers, the sand, combined with elevated fairways and outstanding drainage, means carts ride on the fairways 365 days a year. From a playability standpoint, the bunkers collect stray shots, but don't encroach too much on the fairways. The sand isn't overly difficult to play out of because it's packed down, and it holds shots that might otherwise roll out-of-bounds.

 

The closer players get to the green, the more threatening the sand becomes. Many of the Founder's Club greens are

 

14%20trap-thumb-300x225.jpgelevated and protected by bunkers that resemble a moat protecting a medieval castle to players on the wrong side of them.

 

Combine the cavernous bunkers with greens that feature significant undulation and it's not hard to figure out why the putter is the most important club in the bag at Founders Club. After a year of maturity, the Emerald bermuda grass greens are very receptive to approach shots and offer a fast putting surface.

 

The challenge of the greens, which also provide some of the layouts most pleasing visuals, places a premium on accuracy at Founders Club. When the starter details pin positions and provides tips, players that sleepwalk through the instructions are making a mistake.

 

The front nine at Founders is an enjoyable play, but the course's strength lies on the backside. Holes 14, 17 and 18, all par 4s, are the course's heart and will likely decide any bets.

 

“I want people to remember this as an experience they didn't have anywhere else,” Founders Club general manager Rick Taylor said. “We have things that make us distinctively different.”

 

The following a closer look at the challenges offered by Myrtle Beach's newest course.

 

Par 3s

The Founders Club par 3s aren't exceedingly long but they are holes players will remember. The first one-shotter, No. 3, holds the distinction of having more tees than any other Myrtle Beach golf course – 10. Whether you are teeing off from the upper or lower set of tees, the 190-yard hole challenges golfers to clear a large pond. It's a fun hole with ample scenery, just make sure you hit enough club.

 

No. 5 is the longest par 3, measuring 209 yards from the tips, but it's the easiest hole on the front nine. From the white tees it's 158 yards and the pond on the right only comes into play if you swing like Charles Barkley.

 

The toughest par 3 is No. 11, measuring 186 yards. There is more sand on the hole than many beaches possess and a deep bunker in front. Despite the visual intimidation provided by the sand, the teeth of the hole is on a green from runs from front to back. The green has substantial undulation and a left corner pin placement is devilish. If you are going to miss, miss long.

 

Sandwiched amongst a challenging series of par 4s, No. 16 is a respite for golfers looking for a break from Founders Club's finishing holes. Measuring just 146 yards from the tips, a short iron or even a wedge into an elevated green shouldn't stress most players.

 

3-thumb-300x225.jpgPar 4s

The challenge of Founders Club lies in its par 4s, which range from 372 to 501 yards in length. The front nine par 4s are good, solid holes, with none of the five measuring more than 432 yards from the tips.

 

No. 1 provides players a chance to ease into the round with a short par 4, but the second hole is the longest par 4 on the frontside and water lurks on the right, making it a more substantial challenge.

 

The toughest par 4 on the front is the eighth. Though the landing area off the tee is generous, water runs up the left side and bunkers surround a green that has a lot of movement.

 

Five of Founders Club's last six holes are par 4s, led by No. 14, the course's most challenging hole (video tour of the hole). A dogleg right that plays 449 yards from the tips and 395 yards from the white tees, No. 14 is an outstanding hole. To provide the best angle coming in, tee shots need to find the right side of the fairway. The green is elevated and flanked by a pair of traps that require outstanding shots to get up and down from.

 

The 17th is much longer – 501 yards – and only slightly less daunting. The 17th fairway runs from left to right, providing more run than players anticipate but with another elevated green, you need every yard you can muster. Mercifully there is a bailout area short and to the right, providing an escape.

 

The closing hole, the 373-yard 18th, is as pretty a hole as there is on the course. A well placed iron off the tee sets up an approach over water with Founders Club's beautiful new clubhouse providing the backdrop. It's an ideal way to finish the round.

 

Any player that successfully navigates the closing holes will leave the parking lot with a well-deserved sense of satisfaction.

 

Par 5s

One monster and three opportunities is what the Founders Club par 5s offer. Let's start with the monster – the 559-yard ninth hole. A double dogleg with water running up the right side, the ninth hole is best approached conservatively.

 

The landing area for drives is narrow and sand stalks both sides of the fairway. The landing area for the approach shot opens up nicely 100 yards short of the green, but players trying to get closer or going for it in two face substantial risks. The green has a ridge running through it and is surrounded by sand. If your last name isn't Woods, going for the ninth green is a bad decision.

 

No. 6 is an opportunity but it comes with substantial risks. Water on the left runs from tee to green and a pond lurks to the right of green, requiring courage and skill to go for the green in two. For those among us who can't imagine going for a 546-yard (from the tips) green, the best course of action is to play to the right, allowing for the optimal approach angle.

 

The other two par 5s, 10 and 12 challenge players with water and sand, but both offer birdie opportunities. One thing to be wary of on No. 12 are the mounds and bunkers that split the fairway. The left side of the mounds offer the shortest route to the green; the right side provides the best angle of approach. The decision is yours.

 

The Verdict: Opening a new course in Pawleys Island is like a being a rookie in the New York Yankee clubhouse – it's not easy to carve a niche among a galaxy of stars, but Founders Club has done it.

 

Credit Classic Golf Group and Walker for designing a course with its own identity. Founders Club, with its elevated greens and waste bunkers provides a different but enjoyable experience. The course has five sets of tees that range in length from 7,007 to 4,805 yards, find the right set for your game and you will absolutely enjoy Founders Club.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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